Tag: faith

Sometimes the giants that we face seem insurmountable. The storms of life are raging all around us and it may feel like we cannot face the challenges ahead for any number of reasons. But the truth of the matter is that we may simply have to face the giants and fight for our promises. We have to rely on the Holy Spirit and quit allowing the enemy to beat us up time and time again.

In I Samuel 17, Saul and the army of Israel were standing on one side of a mountain ready to face the Philistines, who were standing on the other side. Only a valley was separating them. They were prepared for battle.

Enter Goliath. He was 9 feet and 9 inches tall. He had on a bronze helmet, and he was covered in armor. He even had bronze armor covering his legs and carried a bronze javelin between his shoulders. His armor weighed between 175-200 lbs. The head of his spear weighed 20-25 lbs. And he even had a man running in front of him carrying a shield the size of a grown man. Let’s face it, this was no ordinary foe! Goliath presented an enormous challenge.

(v. 8) Then he stood and cried out to the armies of Israel, and said to them, “Why have you come out to line up for battle? Am I not a Philistine, and you the servants of Saul? Choose a man for yourselves, and let him come down to me.”

Goliath challenged the men of Israel to a representative battle. That meant they would fight one on one. The winner’s side would prevail over the army of the loser. Goliath was very arrogant, too; he believed that no one could beat him. And he issued his challenge for 40 days!! Every day he flaunted his size and his strength. Isn’t that just like the enemy? Giants of fear and worry, of depression and anger and doubt – they taunt us day and night to cause us to focus on the problem instead of the ultimate solution—God. Sometimes the giant is a person; other times it’s a circumstance.