Facing down your giants

Do you find yourself facing some major challenges, obstacles or difficulties today? It might be a family problem, a personal struggle with addiction or maybe some kind of threat hanging over you. You might say it's like a "giant" that mocks you and belittles you, day in and day out.

Are you tired of the giant's taunts? Then bring it down. Don't go another year – or even another day – living with that discouragement and defeat. I'm hear to tell you that you can do it … with God's help.

It happened a long time ago for a young shepherd boy named David, and it can happen for you as well.

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For David, who went on to become Israel's greatest king, it started with a simple errand. His dad had said to him, "Davie, your brothers are out there serving on the front lines, fighting the Philistines. I want you to take some bread and cheese to them. Make sure they're OK."

David said, "Yes, sir," tucked the cheese sandwiches into a bag and set off immediately.

There is no record that Jesse said, "By the way, son, there's a 9-foot-plus beast of a man over there named Goliath spoiling for a fight. While you're delivering the food to your brothers, I want you to take him out and chop off his head."

Who would have ever thought or imagined such a thing? This was just a simple delivery – like a pizza run. As a spiritual and faithful man, David followed through and did what his father asked. In the course of that simple little duty, however, he came upon an amazing scene. And the opportunity of a lifetime.

When David arrived at the battlefront, he could hardly believe his eyes. Here was this oversized Philistine belching out a challenge to the armies of Israel. Taunts and blasphemies poured from his mouth, but what was even more amazing to David was that no one was lifting a finger to do anything about it.

You'd have to be just a little awe-inspired to look at this massive freak of nature. Goliath had on a suit of armor strapped onto a 9-foot-6 inch frame. The armor alone weighed almost 200 lbs. – not counting a bronze helmet the size of a washtub and a huge javelin with a head that weighed 25 lbs.

The Philistine had posed his mocking challenge of single combat to the cowardly King Saul and the Israelites for 40 days running – twice a day – and the army sank deeper and deeper into despair. Goliath had them psyched out without ever lifting a finger in battle. He had already beaten them down and defeated them.

But not everyone; there was someone new in camp. A red-headed, young stranger with a bag of bread and cheese. David heard the noise and commotion and quickly made his way to the battle line to see what was up. That's when he heard the taunts and the blasphemy. And it made the young teenager very, very angry.

This isn't right. This shouldn't be. This man should not be bad-mouthing the God of Israel. Why doesn't somebody shut him up?

David asked for an audience with King Saul. He wanted to hear for himself why the army of Israel was paralyzed before that arrogant braggart of a Philistine.

So where did it all start? It started with a young man who stepped out of the safety zone and was willing to take a chance and trust God.

What about the giants we face in our own lives right now? As we've already noted, you may have something that looms large and seemingly undefeatable in your life. After enduring failure after failure, you've come to the place where you believe that giant will just always be there. It will be a big, ugly, humiliating part of your landscape from now on. In that sense, you've come to accept the giant.

That was the problem with the Israelites. Goliath had become a part of their lives. For 40 days he had lumbered up to the battle line to shout his challenge and his mockery. Forty in scripture is always the number of testing. Twice each day he snarled insults and blasphemy at Israel's finest soldiers. After all those days, they'd gotten used to it. They could set their watch by it.

Maybe that's what has happened with you and your giant. You've started thinking, This is just a part of my life. I don't want it. I don't like it. But I've gotten used to it. It's always going to be there. I'll always be stuck with this problem, this addiction. It's too late for me to change. There's no overcoming it.

No! You must be willing to accept that this giant can and, by the grace of God, will fall. But it will mean climbing out of that foxhole and stepping up to the battle line. It will mean taking a chance and putting your faith in God as never before.

The story tells us that David sized up his adversary, Goliath, gathered up five smooth stones and then attacked him. He ran full-speed and let that sling fly, and a single stone found it's way into that monster's forehead as he came crashing to the ground.

Do you know what this says to me? It says, don't be satisfied with the status quo. Don't allow some miserable addiction or problem to ruin your life. Deal with it. Attack it.

But most importantly, know that it is the Lord that will give you the strength to defeat your giants in life.

It really comes down to how you look at things. If you see yourself with big problems, you, in effect, have a small God. But if you have a big God – or see God has He truly is – then you have comparatively small problems.

The early months of a new year are an ideal time to confront your giants – and to bring them down. But not in your own strength or by your own resolve! Jesus said, "Apart from Me, you can do nothing." And then Paul adds, "I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me."

Don't let Goliath mock you, bully you and make your life miserable. Cut the legs out from under those towering situations that face you today. If you turn to God for help, you'll find all the strength you'll need to do battle.