All of us, at one time or another face problems that seem insurmountable. You may be in the middle of one of those problems right this moment. So what do you do when you face a giant problem? There are several things that we can learn from the life of King David in the Bible. You may have heard his story or at least heard it referenced as the story of David and Goliath. (You can read the entire story in 1 Samuel, chapter 17.)
As David faced the giant man, Goliath, he paves a way for all of us to face our giants. Make these seven lessons a part of your Life Palette today and conquer your giants.
1. Keep Calm While Facing Your Giants.
The rest of the army of Israel who were facing Goliath were overwhelmed by his size and filled with fear. As you read the story you can see that they allowed their minds to be inundated with fear. As Goliath taunted them all they could see was a giant, they had taken their eyes off of their God. As you face a giant in your life, keep calm, don’t let fear take over, keep your eyes on God and remember He is bigger than any giant you may be facing.
2. Stay Open To God’s Possibilities.
When your circumstances appear as giants, things may look impossible. Don’t allow yourself to give into thinking that way. What may appear as impossible to us as humans is possible for God. Nothing is impossible for Him. Keep your heart and mind open to thoughts and plans of God. “But with God everything is possible.” (Matt 19:26 NLT)
3. Keep Your Confidence In God.
As you read through the story of David and Goliath you can see the incredible amount of confidence David had, he was sure he could kill the giant. The others had a fearful and negative attitude. David alone kept his confidence in God and His abilities. His confidence was not in himself, it was in God.
4. Reject Discouragement.
David’s older brothers tried to discourage him. David however had a history of seeing God come through. “The Lord who rescued me from the claws of the lion and the bear will rescue me from this Philistine!” (1 Sam 17:37 NLT) We have the promise of God that we need not fear anything. He is with us regardless of the giants we may face: “Don’t be afraid, for I am with you! Don’t be frightened, for I am your God! I strengthen you – yes, I help you – yes, I uphold you with my saving right hand!” (Isa 41:10 NLT)
5. Use The Gift Of Your Mind.
Initially the King wanted David to fight Goliath according to his own plan. David knew God had a different plan, that God had created him with different strengths than King Saul and that God would use his makeup to defeat the giant in his own way. “Then Saul clothed David with his own fighting attire and put a bronze helmet on his head. He also put body armor on him. David strapped on his sword over his fighting attire and tried to walk around, but he was not used to them. David said to Saul, “I can’t walk in these things, for I’m not used to them.” So David removed them. He took his staff in his hand, picked out five smooth stones from the stream, placed them in the pouch of his shepherd’s bag, took his sling in hand, and approached the Philistine.” (1 Sam 17:38-40) Remember God has uniquely created you as His masterpiece. You are gifted in a way that no other person is. Use the gift of your mind, the way He has created you to think and see things when it comes to facing your giants.
6. Hope For The Best, Prepare For The Worst.
It’s an old saying but true. While David approached the giant with his own unique plan, the argument could easily be made that he was prepared in case the first shot missed. He “picked out five smooth stones from the stream.” It also may be that he was preparing for the worst by considering that Goliaths 4 brothers may show up to the fight. Either way David was hoping for and believing for the best, yet was prepared for the worst.
7. Trust In The Lord.
As you read the story of David and Goliath it’s important to see that David’s confidence was in God not in himself. He was prepared and was willing to do all that he could do, but was trusting completely in God for victory. In the book of Ephesians Paul says it like this: “…and having done everything, to stand. Stand firm…” (Eph 6:13-14 NLT) There is always a point when facing giants that you realize you have done all you can do and the only thing left is to keep trusting in the Lord.
He has a plan and purpose for you, that plan is that you are His masterpiece. As you face the giants in your life, remember to do the things David did and trust God is in control as the artist painting something greater and more on the canvas of your life than you could ever ask or imagine.
Next Steps:
What giant are you facing today? Take a moment and prayerfully give it to God. Perhaps you have been asking Him to remove the giant, it may be the He has more for you, He may want you to conquer the giant and walk in a new level of victory. Ask for His strength and wisdom, look back at the 7 lessons learned from David as he faced Goliath; how can you apply them to your situation today?