Confront your giants directly
David wasn’t afraid to respond fearlessly to Goliath’s threats. No matter that Goliath was twice David’s size, carried weapons to match his giant stature, and possessed an arrogant spirit to exceed both. Without flinching, David bravely shouted, “For who is this uncircumcised Philistine that he should taunt the armies of the living God?” (1 Samuel 17:26b)
Though only a youth, David possessed a triumphant faith—and a willingness to depend on God, and God alone. The Lord of hosts was such a reality to him that he could say, “You come to me with a sword, a spear and a javelin, but I come to you in the name of the Lord of hosts, the God of the armies of Israel, whom you have taunted. This day the Lord will deliver you up into my hands, and I will strike you down and remove your head from you…that all this assembly may know that the Lord does not deliver by sword or by spear; for the battle is the Lord’s and He will give you into our hands.” (I Samuel 17:45-47)
Think of the audacity of this mere child in the eyes of seasoned warriors. Who did he think he was? Even his oldest brother, burning with anger, demanded of him, “Why have you come down?...I know your insolence and the wickedness of your heart…” (1 Samuel 17:28b)
But the strategy of Israel at that point would appear strange to any observer. When they saw this giant, “they fled from him and were greatly afraid” (1 Samuel 17:24). Goliath emerged day by day shouting insults, and Israel promptly ran and hid.
But trouble doesn’t disappear like that. You can’t run and hide. Unless you face your problems directly and in conflict, they become worse and gain ground on you. If you conceal even a small offense such as anger, lust, greed, pride, fear or unbelief, it will not stay small. You must attack it and defeat it in the power of God. And the easiest time to do this is before the thing grows into a giant and threatens to swallow you.
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Originally published in the April 1998 issue of Reaching Higher