Fighting Life’s Giants, and Winning
Pastor Charles P Locklear, Lumbee
1 Samuel 17:45-49
1 Samuel 17:45, Then said David to the Philistine, Thou comest to me with a sword, and with a spear, and with a shield: but I come to thee in the name of the LORD of hosts, the God of the armies of Israel, whom thou hast defied. 46 This day will the LORD deliver thee into mine hand; and I will smite thee, and take thine head from thee; and I will give the carcases of the host of the Philistines this day unto the fowls of the air, and to the wild beasts of the earth; that all the earth may know that there is a God in Israel. 47 And all this assembly shall know that the LORD saveth not with sword and spear: for the battle is the LORD'S, and he will give you into our hands. 48 And it came to pass, when the Philistine arose, and came and drew nigh to meet David, that David hasted, and ran toward the army to meet the Philistine. 49 And David put his hand in his bag, and took thence a stone, and slang it, and smote the Philistine in his forehead, that the stone sunk into his forehead; and he fell upon his face to the earth.
This wonderful little story of David and Goliath has inspired many books, movies, songs, and sermons. It’s a story that we can all appreciate and identify with because we all have faced our Giants in life. You have your Giants, I have my Giants, and all God’s children have Giants. Giants in this life present themselves in the form of personal weaknesses, consequences of bad decisions, and for many, the result of bad relationships with people around us. A bad medical report could present itself as a Giant. Sometimes where we work and the environment we live in seems like a Giant. The challenges we face in life in this world sometimes seem overwhelming and make us wonder if there is any hope at all in this world. We live in the land of Giants. They are everywhere. They are not figments of our imagination. They are real. They are sometimes very big. If it were not for the grace of God we would all be overwhelmed, destroyed and consumed by the forces that challenge us each and every day.
The story of David and Goliath is a story of Hope – a story of courage and a story of victory over what appeared to be overwhelming odds. It also reminds us that we can do all things through Christ who strengthens us (Phil 4:13). We do not have to live our lives beaten up and beaten down by everything and everybody that comes along. Those who belong to the Christian faith have discovered that greater is He that is in us than he that is in the world (1 John 4:4). We have the authority and the power in Jesus name to confront our giants, and to defeat our giants, and to declare the name of our God as the victor over all our enemies. Even though the giants we face may look big and sound bad and make a lot of noise, our Lord prepares a table before us in the presence of our enemies. Why should I worry and why should I fret? Our God is sovereign and has never failed us yet. Yes, giants are real. Sometimes they are big. They have the potential to create fear and trembling inside of us, but they are no match for God and for those who have placed their trust in Him.
How can we live with the confidence that regardless of what we face in life or what challenges present themselves to us, that we can have victory over the giants that we face day after day? Perhaps your giant is an addiction of a habit that you recognize as being unhealthy and even destructive, but even after you have tried with you best effort to defeat them, you are still losing the battle against them. I have some good news and some bad news. The bad news is we do not possess a human power and a human will that is able to conquer many of the giants we face in life. We need a power greater than ourselves. The victories in life must come from a source that is not found within the human potential. When man uses His own strength to fight the giants of this world, he will soon discover that while they may disappear for a while, oft-times they will return and many times with renewed strength and determination to destroy us, even more so than before.
That’s exactly why we all need a connection to the Creator that will enable us to use His strength and power. Regardless of who we are, what we have and what we know, the truth is that living in this world will present challenges that will require a strength that is greater than ourselves. David is not match for Goliath, if David fights him using only human strength, but Goliath is no match for David, if he fights in the power of God, his Creator and Lord. The difference is who is in charge of the battle.
David had accepted the important truth, that if hew was going to win the battle against this big, bad giant, he must rely on a strength greater than himself. Clearly, he was no match for Goliath. Perhaps, you too, must come to accept the fact, that you are not match for the giants in your life. It takes humility, to be willing to admit to our lack of ability to conquer the giants in our life. This is too much to ask for many folk, who have convinced themselves that if they work hard enough, become wise enough and struggle long enough, that one day they will be free from the challenges of life. When we humble ourselves before God, then He can demonstrate His strength and power, to bring victory after victory in our lives. Are you a proud person? Do you think that you must fight your own battles? Are you convinced that one day you will overcome the obstacles in life, if you will just keep trying your best? The bad news is that you are settling for a life of disappointment and failure, in your effort to solve the issues in your life that makes life so complicated and full of sorrow.
The good news is that our Creator God is aware of every battle we face, and is prepared and willing to fight our battles for us. He does not allow us to face giants so that we will be destroyed, but that we might learn lessons about life, and just how much we need Him. This is not news to Native Americans. We have always been aware of the Great Spirit, and have had a respect for Him and His work in the world. We have always known that our help must come from Him. We hade depended upon Him for our provisions and for wisdom and guidance since our earliest existence. What we have come to discover in the Bible, is that the Creator has sent His Son into the world, to show us how to live and how to die. In His short life on earth, He demonstrated His Father’s power by healing the sick, giving hope to the hopeless, help to the helpless and then going to a cross to die and shed the blood that can ad will wash away all our sin Jesus is the Master of giant slaying. When we allow Him to be Lord over our life, then we discover a power within us that was never possible without Him. In addition to forgiveness of our sin and wrong, we are given a new strength to face life’s challenges. While being a Christian does not mean that all of life’s problems and challenges disappear, it does mean that God gives us a strength to face them and the wisdom to fight these things that come against us day after day. When we by faith, become humble enough to admit we cannot fight the battles we face and we are willing to surrender ourselves to Jesus Christ as both Savior of our souls, and Lord of our lives, then we will begin to experience victory after victory. I know that the world may say that sounds too simple. I also know that the world may say that you don’t need some outside force controlling your life. Well, I challenge you to look around you at that world. It is obvious that this world is full of brokenness, defeat, sorrow and despair. This world needs help. This world needs Jesus!
Thank God, Jesus had a heart for people who are broken, bruised and battered by the giants of this world. You don’t have to be a victim. You can experience victory. Start by admitting your need for the Lord. Admit that you have done wrong and need forgiveness (1 John 1:9). Believe in your heart that Jesus Christ, God’s Son, has died on the cross to pay for your sin and that He is willing and able to give you a new life (Rom 10:9-10). Then confess your decision before the world around you. Tell others that you have stopped fighting your giants and that your battles have become the Lord’s. Start a new life today. A life of victory and peace.
Pastor Charles P Locklear, Lumbee
The LORD is my light and my salvation; whom shall I fear?
the LORD is the strength of my life; of whom shall I be afraid? Ps 27:1
Published by permission - GW - Victory Ministries of Middle TN - VMMTN.COM
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