Defeating Your GIANTS
There are 36 tribes of giants mentioned in the bible, and 22 giants are mentioned by name. To most Christians, the giant that immediately comes to mind when you talk about these larger than life humans, is Goliath the Philistine and the encounter he had with David.
Part of God’s training program for David involved placing this young man, who was still just a teen ager, in some difficult situations.
(it’s called training for reigning)..1 Corinthians 9:25 “And every man that strives for the mastery is temperate in all things. Now they do it to obtain a corruptible crown; but we (strive for) an incorruptible crown”. In those difficult times of his life, David learned to trust the Lord and walk in the power of God, not the power of the flesh. David learned the lessons necessary to not just survive, but to thrive in life in the presence of giants.
Let me take a moment to refresh your memory about where these Giants that are in the bible, originated… Scripture tells us that fallen angels, looked upon the daughters of men, and had relationships with them. They are referred to as those who left their original purpose in serving God, and served Satan and themselves. The result of this was the birthing of a race of giants in the earth. I say this to remind us all that Giants were real beings that were physical, real world manifestations of the war between good and evil, darkness and light, Satan and Jehovah God. The physical size of giants caused them to win normally by shear intimidation and terror… they were terrorists birthed by Satan!
1 Samuel 17:33 And Saul said to David, You are not able to go against this Philistine to fight with him: for you are but a youth, and he a man of war from his youth. ….v36 ..This uncircumcised Philistine has defied the armies of the living God. 37 The LORD that delivered me out of the paw of the lion, and out of the paw of the bear, He will deliver me out of the hand of this Philistine. And Saul said unto David, Go, and the LORD be with you. 38 And Saul armed David with his armor, ….And David said unto Saul, I cannot go with these; for I have not proven them. And David took them off. v40 And he took his staff in his hand, and chose for himself five smooth stones out of the brook, and put them in a shepherd's bag which he had, and his sling was in his hand: and he drew near to the Philistine giant”.
As we watch David walk into the Valley of Elah and face a 9 foot 9 inch giant, we can Get some much needed instructions about how we can thrive in giant country. Robert Perching was 8 feet 11 inches tall…but I discovered that the tallest man ever recorded was 11 feet 6 inches. He was called the Giant of Castelnau, in France. And there is a petrified giant that was found in Ireland, which was 12 ft. 2inches. But 9’ 9” is frightening enough, when they’re coming at you with a spear the size of a small telephone pole and a sword that weighed 50 pounds.
All indications are that Giants were pretty wide spread, in the earth and we all will pass through some Giant country, on the way to where God is leading us. How we handle giants will either hinder us or catapult us into our future as it did David. The fear and hopelessness which they produce, causes most folks to give up before the fight is even engaged!
I. The account of David and Goliath tells us, that our winning strategy, is very much about Whose terms are you fighting on. The grace of God will present you with opportunities, and the favor of God will empower you to seize them! David didn’t fight the giant on the giant’s terms but on his own terms! Often we lose because we let the giants decide the ground rules.
This day for David began like any other day. He plans to tend his sheep and do the same things he has done day after day for years. But, this day will be so very different! Jesse sends David to check on David’s three elder brothers who are fighting in Saul’s army. They have been gone at least 40 days, and Jesse is worried. You see, in those days countries did not have standing armies. Ordinary citizens would rally around the king when he called for volunteers to fight and defend their homes, lands and family.
So, David goes to his brothers as he is commanded. When he arrives, he finds the armies of Israel cowering in fear because of the taunts of Goliath.
David didn’t set out to slay a giant, but the giant got between him and his assignment! Even King Saul appears to be too afraid to face the giant in battle. But, while the army of Saul hides in their tents, David hears the giant as he blasphemes the Name of God and shames the people of God. David’s day had started like countless other days had started, but before the sun went down, David found himself face to face with a tall, powerful, intimidating giant. Isn’t that just how the giants come to you and me? They rarely notify you they are coming. You get up, in the morning, expecting the day to be like any other day, and there it stands: a giant has entered your life. When they come, they always catch us off guard and they always frighten us.
The name Goliath in Hebrew is (gol-yath…to strip, to roll over, to run down, to cause to wallow) We’re all going to face a little hell before we get to heaven. A fellow asked the minister if he could tell him how to make holy water? The minister told him, “It’s really very simple…You take some regular water and you boil the hell out of it.” And I found out that normal water is “H2O”, but Holy water is “H2O My God”!
'If we are going to keep our equilibrium in giant country, we need to understand that even though giants look like they show up to make hell on earth, their appearance is on God’s terms. Now, from our perspective, they just appear. But, from God’s perspective, they are all part of His perfect plan for us. If we could grasp the truth that nothing comes our way apart from the will of God, it would change our attitude toward the giants of life.
We need to remember that everything David dreamed of, was on the other side of this giant. Position, title, wealth, lands, the kings daughter… Ooooo La-La! Everyone else saw the giant as a barrier… David saw it as a doorway to his dreams!
If you look at Caleb’s response in facing the giants of Canaan… it reveals that He understood that this was all a part of God’s complete package plan for them… Caleb tells the unbelieving congregation, in Numbers 14:9 “Only rebel not against the LORD, neither fear the people of the land; for they (the giants) are bread (providing strength) for us!”
Muscles grow by resistance, and the same is true with spiritual muscles!
Israel had wandered through the wilderness for two years after they left Egypt. They had arrived at the banks of the Jordan River. All they had to do was cross the river and take the Promised Land of blessing that God had already given to them. Instead of going in and taking the land, they first sent in 12 spies. (You’ve got to be so careful, who you let speak into your spirit, and whose report you allow into your soul). The spies looked over the land and came back with their report. 10 of the spies were convinced of Israel’s defeat because they compared the giants to themselves, instead of comparing them to Jehovah God! The spies’ own words tell the story best,
Numbers 13:27 And they told him, We came unto the land where you sent us, and surely it flows with milk and honey; and this is the fruit of it. 28 Nevertheless the people are strong that dwell in the land, and the cities are walled, and very great: and we saw the children of Anak there. 29 The Amalekites dwell in the land of the south: and the Hittites, and the Jebusites, and the Amorites, dwell in the mountains, and the Canaanites dwell by the sea, and by the coast of Jordan. (for the Canaanites had all enlisted the help of these giants) v30 And Caleb stilled the people, and said, Let us go at once, and possess it; for we are well able to overcome it”.
The people gave ear to the negative report of the10 and had to spend 38 more years in the wilderness. They were looking for their environment to define their purpose, but their purpose had to come from the word of God within each one of them, not how things looked around them.
A Jewish proverb says…”I ask not for a lighter burdens, but for broader shoulders”. A Chinese proverb says, “Without friction a diamond cannot be polished, nor can a man be perfected without testing and trials”. God won't ask what kind of car you drove. He'll ask how many people you helped who didn't have transportation. 2. God won't ask the square footage of your house. He'll ask how many people you welcomed into your home. 3. God won't ask about the clothes you had in your closet. He'll ask how many you helped to clothe. 4. God won't ask what your highest salary was.
He'll ask if you compromised your character to obtain it. 5. God won't ask what your job title was. He'll ask if you performed your job to the best of your ability. 6. God won't ask how many friends you had. He'll ask how many people you were a friend to. 7. God won't ask in what neighborhood you lived. He'll ask how you treated your neighbors. 8. God won't ask about the color of your skin. He'll ask about the content of your character.
Giants won’t just leave on their own…Did God know about the giants that were ahead for them? Could He have removed them before Israel arrived? Did He allow them to be there? The answer to all those questions is “Yes!” Yes, He knew they were there. Yes, He could have removed them. Yes, He allowed them to be there. God wanted Israel to face those giants and He planned for it.
40 years later, when they came back to the Jordan River, guess what, the giants were still there waiting, By the way this same principle is seen over and over in the Bible – 3 Hebrews in the furnace, Daniel in the lion’s den, Disciples in the storm, and so on….God knew about all of those events because they were part of His preparation for their ruling and reigning with Him! God is transforming a people with the slave mentality, into people of authority and dominion. Face your giant, stop denying it, stop trying to accommodate it, stop believing that you’ll just have to live with it. When that giant shows up in our lives, it did not get there by accident. That giant is there by the providence of God. It is there because God sent it, allowed it, and wove it into the future person He is shaping us to become. It is there because God, in His precise timing, wants us to face it and let it strengthen us and build character into us. When it comes to us it’s there for us to grow on and develop with and learn through.
Noah faced some Big challenges, that were global in scope. I came across a list of what we can learn from Noah's Ark 1.Don't miss the boat. 2.Remember that we are all in the same boat. 3.Plan ahead. It wasn't raining when Noah started the Ark. 4.Don't listen to critics, stay with the plan God gave you till it is done. 5.Build your future on high ground. 6.For safety's sake, always travel in pairs. 7.Speed isn't always an advantage. The snails made it through with the cheetahs. 8.When you're stressed out, just float a while”.
God hand picks our giants, but when the giants come, we can be like Saul and Israel and we can try to hide from and avoid the giant; or we can be like David and we can call out the giant. We can be discouraged, or we can do like Job and worship and magnify the Lord, in spite of what the giant is doing, and how it appears. The choice is ours. But, if we can ever understand that giants come in God’s perfect timing; it will help us maintain our balance in giant country.
The story of David and Goliath tells us that VICTORY IS A MATTER OF TRUST… When David hears the threats and defiance of Goliath, he determines that something must be done about this giant. He makes his intentions known, and David sets out in the direction of his faith. But, the vultures were circling…and as soon as David expresses his desire to see the giant defeated, he is met with criticism, and doubt from his family. And as we watch David move toward his face off with Goliath, he was warned that his flesh will be given to the vultures and scavengers.
Vultures and scavengers are our fears, our faults and failures, our skeletons in the closet, that the giants use against us. But we see a young man who has learned something about the mercy and Grace of God. He didn’t forget in the darkness the promise God made him in the sunshine!
Keep looking up above and beyond the giants…Giants want to block your vision so that you can’t see beyond them. But David counted on God’s Purposes – He declared that God had given him hinds feet in high places!
In 1 Samuel. 16:13 – David had been anointed as king to sit on a throne. David knew that he would not die this day. He knew that it was God, not Goliath that held his destiny. When you face your giants, meditate on every promise given you that has not yet been fulfilled, and know that God planned on you to win, that He might complete his word in you!
David learned that what God has done builds faith for what He will do! David knew that everything God had done in the past, he was still able to do. Remembering past victories encouraged him to claim the giants of the present. David’s God was an unchanging God who had revealed what he could do and by that, He also revealed what He would do!
In verse 37 David said ”Moreover, the LORD that delivered me out of the paw of the lion, and out of the paw of the bear, he will deliver me out of the hand of this Philistine”.
Know your own gifts…Get an “I CAN” attitude…David rejected Saul’s armor–– David knew that victory was not about swords, shields, spears, armor and bows, but it was about the mighty power of God. He would go into this battle with the same God and the same weapons he had used before. Be careful what you put your trust in!
The same God Who had protected him and given him victory after victory on the hills of Judea, would grant him the victory in the Valley of Elah! For David, there was only one giant there that day and His name was not Goliath. David saw how small Goliath was compared to the real giant in the story…the Lord God Almighty.
God did not save us for some giant to destroy us – God saved us to finish what he has begun in us! (He didn’t bring us this far, to leave us, he didn’t teach us to swim to let us drown, he didn’t build his home in us to move away. He didn’t pick us up to let us down) That giant cannot undo the eternal work God has already done in our souls. That giant is there as part of God’s eternal plan in our life. That giant is there to grow, expand and develop us, There’s nothing quite like cutting your teeth on a few giants to help your faith grow stronger. We can always trust God’s Purposes are far greater than what we see at the moment!
He will always be that which He has always been. He will not change His covenant in the middle of the stream. One of the greatest attributes of our Lord is His immutability. That simply means His unchangeableness! Malachi 3:6 “For I am the LORD, I change not”.
The God who did all those marvelous, miraculous things we read about in the Bible is still the same today! We’ve heard about the Red Sea; the Manna; Water from a Rock; the Meal Barrel and the Cruse of Oil; the Loaves and the Fishes; the Raising of Lazarus; etc. He is that God still today!
His Name says it all – Exodus 3:14 “And God said unto Moses, I AM THAT I AM: and He said, you shall say this unto the children of Israel, I AM hath sent me unto you. 15 And God said moreover unto Moses, so shall you say unto the children of Israel, The LORD God of your fathers, the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob, has sent me unto you: this is My name forever, and this is My memorial unto all generations”.
What is the safest place?...One study found that you should Avoid riding in automobiles - because they are responsible for 20% of all fatal accidents. Do not stay home - 17% of all accidents occur in the home. Avoid walking on streets or sidewalks - because 14% of all accidents occur to pedestrians. Avoid traveling by air, rail, or water - because 16% of all accidents involve these forms of transportation. The remaining 33%, 32% of all deaths occur in Hospitals - so, above all else, avoid hospitals. But, you will be pleased to learn that only .001% of all deaths occur in worship services in church. Therefore, logic tells us that the safest place for you to be at any given point in time is at the church! So, attend church, IT WILL SAVE YOUR LIFE!
If God has brought us there, no matter how fierce the storm, how big the giants, it is the safest place we can be!! David declared, “God is “able” –is our trust in man; in the economy; in ourselves, in the government…? These will all fail. He and He alone will never fail! Our survival depends on our being able to trust in Him.
Defeating Giants means you’ve got to TAKE IT …1 Samuel 17:45 Then said David to the Philistine, you come to me with a sword, and with a spear, and with a shield: but I come to you in the name of the LORD of hosts, the God of the armies of Israel, whom you have defied. v.46 This day will the LORD deliver you into my hand; and I will smite you, and take your head (authority) from you, that the earth may know that there is a God in Israel”.
How do you prove God… you take it! There comes a time when talk must stop and action must begin. The time had come for David to take that which he had already been given, by the Lord. He walked down into the valley; faced the giant; declared his faith in God; slung the stone of his destiny; and overwhelmed what was trying to overwhelm him. That’s what “Dunamis” is. The power which was given on the day of Pentecost. Dunamis means, “The power to overwhelm what is overwhelming you!”
Start where you are, use what you have, and do what you can! There is a time when the talking needs to stop and the TAKING needs to begin! As we face our giants day by day, isn’t it about time that we started taking by faith some of the things we have only talked about up until now?
It will involve more than taking another scriptural selfie….For instance, we talk about God providing for us, and we quote…Philippians 4:19 “My God shall supply all your need according to his riches in glory by Christ Jesus”. But, we still worry over our finances. We talk about God’s grace in every situation in life, and we quote… Philippians 4:13 “I can do all things through Christ which strengthens me”.. but, we still act like we just aren’t going to make it. Isn’t it time we stopped talking about all we could have in Jesus and we just started taking it?
As we face our giants, we have already been promised the victory, 2 Corinthians 2:14 “Now thanks be unto God, which always causes us to triumph in Christ, and makes manifest the savour (sweet fragrance) of his knowledge by us in every place”.
The truth of the matter is that you are not going to be a giant killer, you are a giant killer! Because God calls you that! Take another good look at your giant and see him defeated, conquered, and overwhelmed…! If giants are the offsprings of Satan….You are the offspring of God almighty! Not because your aim is so good, but, because you serve a God who never misses. Not because you deserve anything at all from God, but, because He has promised to give you His victory through His Son, the Lord Jesus.
Saul hid in the tent and nursed his fears; Eliab mocked David and fed his jealousy; Goliath thought he was all that, and polished his pride; and David flexed his faith. All the rest were only spectators, as David claimed the victory. It could have been Saul; it could have been Eliab; it could have been any of the thousands of Israel; but it was left to a shepherd boy to take it, and teach them all about the power of faith and trust.
What a powerful place, the place of surrender is! It’s not about us, it’s about Him, and we can go forth boldly, because of whose we are! If we need to do some giant killing, the altar of surrender is the best place to load our sling and take this thing, right into the face of our giants!
A little boy was told by his mother to bring her the broom. It was dark and the broom was outside on the porch. He told his mom, “Mom, I’m afraid of the dark.”…. Oh, there’s nothing to be afraid of, because Jesus is out there” the mom said. “are you sure Jesus is out there in the dark” he said. “Oh yes, He’s everywhere”…..So the boy opened the door just a crack and peeked out into the darkness and said, “Jesus, if you’re out there, would you please hand me the broom!”
God gives a great promises to those who would be takers and not shakers, fakers or just talkers. He gives this through the prophet Isaiah… Isaiah 65:22 They shall not build, and another inhabit; they shall not plant, and another eat: for as the days of a tree (generational blessings) are the days of my people, and my elect shall long enjoy the work of their hands. v23 They shall not labor in vain, nor bring forth for trouble; for they are the seed of the blessed of the LORD, and their offspring with them. v24 And before they call, I will answer; and while they are yet speaking, I will hear”.
I want to close with a Poem by Belinda van Rensburg…. It is night and the time is right, to stand firm and to fight the good fight. Our foe is strong; yes, our foe is fierce, and with his arrows he would like to pierce, the walls of angels that surround, the children of God, and keep them bound. Do not tremble and do not fear, when Satan and his demons begin to draw near. Strike them with God's invincible Sword; the Spirit of God and His mighty Word. Then the dark prince of this world will flee, And Jesus will set the captives free. Our God is mighty and our God is strong, so let's march forth with a victory song. Stand firm, move forward; and don't give up. We will go on and we will not stop - until we've won the final war and we stand victorious, before heaven's door.
