Slaying your Goliath

November 19th, 2005

A giant nearly ten feet tall stepped out from the Philistine line into the open, Goliath from Gath. He had a bronze helmet on his head and was dressed in armor–126 pounds of it! He wore bronze shin guards and carried a bronze sword. His spear was like a fence rail–the spear tip alone weighed over fifteen pounds. His shield bearer walked ahead of him. (1 Samuel 17:4-7, MSG)

Ten feet tall wearing over a hundred pounds of armor, huh? Sound like a description of a problem in your life, that’s staring you square in the eyes? I’ve been there and I’m willing to bet we all have faced this life challenge at some time or another. Before I started my walk with Christ, I often became angry and upset asking “why me,” which only clouded the path towards a resolution: God. You have to understand that most of us are geared not to see details, rather the “overall” picture. Because of this, problems in our lives (even the ones we can easily solve) often are viewed as overwhelming.

When David got to the battle, all he heard was the battle cry of the Philistine champion (your problem calling at you) and he saw his Brothers and other soldiers terribly afraid (you seeing your problems overwhelming). David had the Holy Spirit within him (was able to see details) and was unafraid of Goliath:

“Master,” said David, “don’t give up hope. I’m ready to go and fight this Philistine.” (1 Samuel 17:32, MSG)

My point to all this is that sometimes God tests you with various problems in your life, to see what you’ll do. He’s not punishing you, rather bringing you closer to him by teaching you lessons on life, love, friendships, etc. There is always, always, always something to learn. Pray to God and ask “what is it you want me to learn here?” You’ve all heard the phrase “God never gives you more than you can handle,” and that’s no lie.

Spend some time alone, talking to God. Let him place your problems in a light that you can see (in detail), so that they won’t seem so overwhelming. Allow him to fill your heart with the Holy Spirit and give you the courage and strength to overcome any problems you face in your lives. Most importantly, allow yourself to learn from the experiences you have been blessed with, be it bad or good. These attributes will allow you to conquer anything…even the problems that seem 10 feet tall.

When the Philistine arose and came and drew near to meet David, David ran quickly toward the battle line to meet the Philistine. And David put his hand in his bag and took out a stone and slung it and struck the Philistine on his forehead. The stone sank into his forehead, and he fell on his face to the ground. So David prevailed over the Philistine with a sling and with a stone, and struck the Philistine and killed him. There was no sword in the hand of David. (1 Samuel 17:48-50, ESV)

Entry Filed under: Life