Facing Giants in your life!
1 Samuel 17

We all have to fight battles in this life; perhaps you may be fighting one right now.  We all face challenges that make us feel helpless, hopeless, to say the least.  At times these challenges get the best of us; stress and anxiety, fear and insecurity.  This is how the first king of Israel felt for at least 40 days; he faced a huge problem as king and leader of the nation.  He didn’t know how to overcome the issue; he was afraid, insecure regarding a war he was fighting against the Philistines.  The Philistines had a champion named Goliath who taunted the nation of Israel for 40 days.  Goliath’s words “Choose a man and have him come down to fight me”  King Saul ran out of resources.
King Saul was the kings who didn’t inquire of the Ark of the Covenant (He never sought it during his reign).  God rejected him as king because he disobeyed the command of the Lord.  During this time, an evil spirit was tormenting him.  In other words, he wasn’t in the best emotional, psychological shape to lead a nation.
King Saul had created an incentive so that somebody might be brave enough to go fight Goliath. (v.25)Riches, Marriage the king’s daughter, tax exemption for the whole family.

The king was afraid and the whole nation was afraid to come against Goliath.
Read text. 1 Samuel 17:1-11
Goliath truly had faith in his ability as a soldier; he challenged any man from the Jewish army to come and fight him, but no one was brave enough there.
What happen to the great nation of Israel, God’s chosen people?
They had forgotten whom they represented; their faith was gone.  Fear paralyzed the nation; they could not move forward due to their fear.  When the leader of a nation walks defeated and faithless, so will those he lead, those who were looking to him for encouragement and for leadership.  This is one of those times in the history of Israel that you know the nation lacked the leadership of Moses, Joshua, Caleb, and the determination of Samson.

In the Bible we learn that God uses the most unusual situations to deliver his people.  We are introduced to David, a young man who came to the camp to check on three of his brothers who were soldiers in Saul’s army. (v.13-24)

David heard Goliath’s words and he took them personal.  He was ready to go and fight the giant.  What was it about David that gave him confidence and bravery when everyone else shook in their boots at the size of Goliath?

David knew whom he represented and his faith was in the LORD.  The nation had forgotten they were the children of God.  The God who fought their battles.  “who is this uncircumcised Philistine that he should defy the armies of the living God? (v.26)

Who does he think he is? He doesn’t realize that we are children of the Living God?  There is not identity crisis with David.  Sometimes when we face difficult challenges we tend to forget that we served the Living God.  We lose our own identity and focus on the problem rather than the one who can change and eliminate the problem once and for all.
David had a huge trust in the LORD (v.32-37)

David is the only one who had enough faith to come against the giant.  The strength of your faith is determined in the midst of adversity.
His brother scolded him for leaving the sheep home to come and see the war. (v.28)
The king didn’t think David could do this (v.33)  you are just a boy and this man has been a warrior since his youth.  (Statistically speaking David didn’t even have a chance).  David knew he served a God who cannot be broken down to a science.
David’s resume:  a shepherd who gave his life for his sheep fighting lions and bears. (34-37)  David recognized God’s deliverance in his own life; he had fought animals and he acknowledged the Lord gave him victory and the LORD would help him prevail against Goliath as well.  This is to trust in God. (He never fail and he won’t start now-Oceans)
David’s source of strength (Ps.18:2-3; 20:7-8)
King Saul agreed to let David go fight the giant.  “Go and the LORD be with you.”
King Saul still thought David needed to be dressed appropriately for battle.  Facing your own giants, you cannot pretend to be someone else.  David could not go fight Goliath as a soldier, for he wasn’t a soldier, he went just as he was, a shepherd with the weapons he fought lions and bears.  A shepherd pouch, a sling and a stone (All I ever do to have the kind of faith it takes to face a giant with just a sling and a stone surrounded by the sound of 1000 warriors shaking in their armor. Casting crowns).

David relied on God.  The giant came with all he had, but David came against the giant in the name of the LORD Almighty the God of the armies of Israel.
After I kill you, everyone will know that there is a God in Israel.
Everyone will know that God doesn’t need a sword or spear to save.  The battle belongs to the LORD.
Any obstacle we face as God’s children we must face it courageously because our LORD is bigger that any problem, issue or difficulty we face on this earth.  Only God gives us the confidence to be brave when everyone else is panicking; you have to remember that the LORD of heaven and earth fights on your behalf.  Your battles are his battles; your struggles and difficulties are his, hardships, are his.
God knows the battle you are facing and you won’t see deliverance until you can step up in his strength trusting him and courageously proclaim like David.  “These things are coming to me left and right, but I am confident in you.  I come against them in the name of the LORD Almighty.”

Our God is greater our God is stronger, God you are higher than any other.  If he is with us who or what can come against us.  More than a song or anthem, this needs to be truly lived out as you face your own giants in your life.

Are the giants keeping you down?  Overwhelming your life?  Making you fearful?   In order to overcome them, you must stand in the name of the LORD with confidence.  You must Trust in God.  God will give you the victory when you stand in his strength; when you trust him enough to face the giants courageously like David.