FAITH THAT DEFEATS GIANTS

“And David said to Saul, Let no man's heart fail because of him; thy servant will go and fight with this Philistine” – 1 Samuel 17:32

God wants our lives to demonstrate the FAITH THAT DEFEATS GIANTS: “Then David said to Saul, “Let no man's heart fail because of him; your servant will go and fight with this Philistine” (1Sam.17:32). Today, David is our symbol of Faith, while Goliath represents any giant challenge we might face in life. David seemed to be oddly paired against Goliath. The giant, standing nine feet, nine inches tall, towered over everyone. Cute little David just showed up from the hillsides, taking time off long enough to deliver lunch for his brothers (v.17-20). For days, going into weeks, Goliath had taunted for someone in Israel’s ranks to come fight him. No one volunteered until David showed up. As soon as he heard the giant defame the living God, his mind was made up. He would fight Goliath! It mattered not how skewed the odds of victory weighed against him.

Goliath was the seed of an ancient foe still lingering. Bible history confirms that his family had been around for a long time. Three centuries earlier, Joshua had driven them from the Promised Land and destroyed all but the residents of Gath, Gaza, and Ashdod (Jos.11:22). Goliath came from Gath. The blood between the nations still boiled. The giants we face may not carry swords or weapons of war, but they are just as daunting as Goliath was. They bear names like abuse, addictions, depression, debt, demonic bondage, fear, financial struggle, marital conflict, unemployment, sickness, and suicidal thoughts. Just like Goliath, these giants refuse to go away. They are there when we retire to bed; and we daily wake up to their sneer!

Goliath petrified Israel. All they could see was the giant, and all they could talk about was the giant. But when David came on the scene, all he could see was God, and all he could boast of was God. He assured King Saul that the same God who helped him kill a lion and bear would help him kill this enemy (vv.34-37). When he approached the giant, he spoke just as boldly. He warned him up front that he would kill him and cut off his head (vv. 45-47). Certainly David saw the giant; but he saw God more. Goliath must have been laughing as David ran toward him for the confrontation. He probably shifted his helmet just enough to expose a small area of flesh. But it was that small area that received the blow from a hurling stone. Using a sling shot and defying all human odds, David killed the giant with one stone. The giant crashed to the ground, dead!

Running toward a giant doesn’t read like the normal thing to do. Our natural reaction is to retreat like Israel’s army did. But we are learning from David: Stop retreating, load your sling, and take a shot. Let the giants of addictions, depression, and divorce know that they will not defeat you. David’s Victory can however not be attributed just to his sling and stone. No, his Victory came from his absolute focus on God. David made only two comments about Goliath: one to Saul (vv.36-37) and one to Goliath (vv.45-47). But he made nine comments about God. His thoughts about God were more than four times those about the giant. He focused his faith on God rather than the fear of Goliath. Who or what is the object of your focus?

We’ll face giants all through life, but there is never a time we must face them alone. When we place our primary focus on God, giants will falter and fall. David’s story inspires and empowers our faith to focus completely on God as we face the giants in our lives. Beyond the Philistine giant, David’s latter stories tell of his encounters with other giants that were no less dangerous, such as the giants of sin, poor parenting, and discouragement. Regardless of their labels, God promises us Victory if we face the giants with faith. It’s time to key into FAITH that DEFEATS GIANTS and celebrates God's VICTORY!