I remember hearing about the story of David and Goliath when I was a kid growing up in Sunday school. David, the young shepherd boy, went to battle with a large giant, Goliath. Goliath was the enemy’s fighting champion. Adorned in bronze armor from head to toe, he taunted the Israelite army for forty days and forty nights. His sole purpose was to invoke fear and terror into the hearts of the army.
David, perhaps nothing more than a scrawny boy with curly hair, sincere eyes and a genuine dedication to God, was instructed to get a report on how his brothers faired during the battle and bring word back to his concerned father. While carrying out his task, the menacing threat from the enemy’s front lines echoed through the land, sending the Israelite army running in terror.
As I read the story with my adult eyes, I found myself empathizing with the Israelite army more than I had before. Instead of seeing them as cowards, I saw that they suffered from fear. Fear of the unknown, fear of death, and fear of defeat. Their fears amplified Goliath’s words and his consistent taunts became bigger and scarier than the God they served.
Isn’t that what a lot of us do when we face our own terrorizing giants?
Giant of loneliness? We hide, thinking no one understands, and close ourselves off even more.
Giant of not knowing the outcome? We fail to try just to avoid disappointment.
Giant of hurt feelings? We seclude ourselves, ignoring the necessity of community and let our unhealed wounds of unforgiveness create bitterness and resentment.
Giant of depression? We drown our desires in substances that give us temporary comfort and call it self-love.
The first few times I read this story, I pictured Goliath being the size of a mountain. But it turns out, he was only around nine feet tall. Not to say that isn’t large but he’s nowhere near as big as I made him out to be. When we let these so-called giants loom over us, they can appear bigger than they really are. So big that their presence interrupts our day-to-day activities. The enemy will rear its ugly head in the morning right when we wake up to intimidate us or get loud at night, wreaking havoc on our thoughts just when our bodies yearn for the peacefulness of sleep. Giants torment and tease, causing us to retreat in despair because defeating them seems impossible. They look too big, are too much to tackle or too much to confront.
David didn’t see Goliath’s size or take his words to heart. Instead, he saw him through the eyes of the Lord. He didn’t run in fear like the rest of the army. David decided to face that giant one-on-one. He took his slingshot and gathered five smooth stones from the stream to put into his shepherd’s pouch.
I imagine each stone was a sure-fire way to defeat this “uncircumcised Philistine.” If we could gather the same five stones for defeating our giants they would be:
- Faith – like David, we must know the true and living God. Our faith in Him must not waver based on our circumstances or what looms in the distance. We must believe that He is the Almighty and nothing can ever defeat Him or separate us from His love.
- Evidence – when Saul compared David to Goliath, he said David was but a boy while Goliath had been a warrior since his youth. David combatted Saul’s doubt with evidence of what God had done for him in the past. God had blessed him to defeat a bear and a lion while protecting his sheep. The same God who delivered him from the paw of the bear and the paw of the lion would deliver him from the hand of that Philistine. We must not forget what God has done in our past when we face trials in our future.
- Courage – King Saul, a man who stood head and shoulders above the average man, was the only one suitable for defeating Goliath. However, he lacked courage. David, on the other hand, knew that he wasn’t approaching the battle in his own might. For it is not by our own strength we defeat our giants. It is by the Holy Spirit that we overcome and stand in victory.
- Confidence – confidence is defined as the feeling or belief that we can rely on something as a firm trust. David went forward in the confidence of the Lord. He didn’t rely on Saul’s oversized armor or let the menacing words from his own brother take root in his heart. We have to have confidence that we will see the goodness of the Lord in the land of the living.
- Worship – David was a worshipper and understood the impact worship has on the enemy. When we worship in the face of our so-called giants, we glorify God, making Him bigger than the obstacle we’re facing.
David chose five stones, but Goliath was defeated with only one.
Giant of a prolonged single season? Sling the stone of faith that says He who promised is faithful (Hebrews 10:23).
Giant of a negative doctor’s report? Sling the stone of evidence and remember how God has healed you and kept you alive during a national pandemic (1 Peter 2:24).
Giant of fearing the unknown? Sling the stone of confidence and know that you are a masterpiece and God has created specific plans just for your life (Ephesians 2:10).
Giant of feeling like your missing out? Sling the stone of courage to live counter-culturally because you are set apart as a righteous child of God (Psalm 4:3).
Giant of depression? Sling the stone of worship and let His light shine, lifting your spirit (Psalm 34).
All five of these smooth stones are extremely capable of defeating any giants you and I face. No situation is too big. No circumstance is too hopeless. No lie from the enemy can evoke enough fear to overcome the truth of God’s word.
So, the next time the enemy tries to taunt you with lies, be it morning or night, remind him that Goliath was defeated with only one stone. David even cut his head off. We have the power to do the same. We can take our giants down with any one of these five smooth stones that are rooted in the word of God and cut the enemy’s head off, silencing his attempts to make us run in terror. Our God is greater than any giant in our life.
Lord, thank you for equipping us for battle against the enemy’s schemes. When he tries to rear his ugly head or make things appear larger than what they really are, let your word be activated in our hearts. Remind us of what you’ve done, who you are, and your plans for our life. We give you praise now for the victory! In Jesus’ name, we pray, Amen.
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