For the battle is the Lord's, and He will give you into our hands.
1 Samuel 17:47
Imagine going about your day, delivering lunch to your brothers, and coming upon a menacing giant who was ready for a fight. If that wasn’t bad enough, this giant was cursing God and threatening to kill anyone who was on God’s side. Sounds like a story straight out of a Marvel movie. However, this is a story straight out of the Bible. A story of a boy versus a giant. A story about good versus evil. A story packed with many life lessons. A story about gigantic HOPE.
It’s an understatement to say that most of us have heard the story of David and Goliath at least a hundred times. David was a shepherd boy who was delivering lunch that fateful day to his brothers who were in the Israelite army fighting the Philistines. Angered by Goliath’s God cursing, he stepped up to fight the giant. However, David’s fighting skills revolved around killing predators that threatened the sheep under his care, not a terrorizing giant. His choice weapons were a slingshot and small, smooth stones… weapons no match for Goliath’s spear. Here is something you may not know. Thanks to Melanie Shankle, I discovered that King Saul offered his armor to David to fight Goliath. When David tried on Saul’s armor, made of the finest materials of the time, David discovered it was too heavy and awkward for him to move freely. David declined Saul’s offer, facing Goliath with his shepherding skills and choice “tools”.
David went from a zero to a hero by the end of this story… using five small stones, a DIY slingshot, and gigantic HOPE. As the story goes, David’s talented slingshot skills strategically struck Goliath in the head, killing him instantly. While David’s brothers enjoyed the lunch brought to them by their younger brother, the birds of the air enjoyed a gigantic lunch that David also delivered that day… with God’s power, David’s God-given skills, and gigantic HOPE.
God gave David a giant. A giant who was a superior killer and a prolific curser of God. Goliath hated God and all who stood for Him. David loved God, a love so deep it inspired him to fight for God’s honor and His people. The fact that David turned down the king’s fancy armor stacks yet another layer to this gigantic HOPE story. God blessed David with his shepherding skills, powered by God’s strength and wisdom. You see, giants are given by God to show His power in our lives. Our giants are not for us to win, but to be vanquished by God. As God’s children, it’s never about our armor, skills, or strength, it’s always about God’s wisdom and will.
Giants come in all shapes and sizes and are different for each one of us. Giants can be anxiety or anguish, trials or temptations, suffering or strife. Giants can be familial or relational. Giants can be associated with health or wealth. Giants can be a temptation or an addiction. Regardless of the giant, it is meant to be God’s giant, not our giant.
So, what are we to do with the giants given to us by God? Thanks to the late Charles Stanley, we have some great advice resulting in gigantic HOPE. First, we need to confront our giant with the expectation that we will beat this giant. Then, we must realize that this giant stands in opposition to God. God does not tolerate anything or anyone who opposes His will. We are to get in line with God and in alignment with His will. Next, remember that our giant is God’s enemy, and the battle is His. We must depend on God’s weapons: His power, His Word, and His wisdom. Finally, we must not fear our giant. No matter how big our giant appears, it is no match for God. We must trust in God, His time, and His power to overcome our giant and bring us to victory… victory powered by gigantic HOPE.
We are God’s children, and we battle with God’s armor and power. It’s never about our armor. It’s never about our power. It’s never about us. It’s always about God. God wants a deep relationship with us and He will do everything… including placing giants in our path… so we surrender all our gifts, power, and wisdom to Him. God gifts us with skills and abilities to share His light with the world, however our gifts and talents are never about us, neither are our giants.
Yes, God uses all the little pieces of our lives to prepare us for whatever we may face, armed with His gigantic HOPE. We never go into battle alone for God is Emmanuel “God with us”. We are armed with God, our God-given gifts, and His gigantic HOPE. He is all we will ever need… no matter how big, intimidating, or terrorizing the giant is. Our giants are never too big for our mighty God.
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