Unfortunately, we all have giants to battle and defeat in our lives. Some giants are bigger than others, but the reality is at some point we all have to come face-to-face and eyeball-to-eyeball with our personal giant(s).
Of all the wonderful stories in the OT, the story of David and Goliath remains one of my favorites. Just imagining David — a ruddy young boy — loading a small stone into a sling and stepping onto a battlefield (knowing he was going to face a giant) bolsters my sometimes-fleeting and fragile faith.
By earthly standards, David was woefully unprepared to engage Goliath. The Bible says Goliath was over nine feet tall and covered in more than 125 pounds of armor. Not exactly a fair fight — unless the Lord is on your side!
Hence the point of today’s message. It wasn’t David’s sling or the smooth stone, it was God that slayed Goliath!
There is no way to scientifically explain how one hurling stone launched from a boy’s sling had that much centrifugal and gravitational power to penetrate Goliath’s head armor, not to mention his big ole cranium. I Samuel 17:49 says, “Reaching into his shepherd’s bag and taking out a stone, he hurled it with his sling and hit the Philistine in the forehead. The stone sank in, and Goliath stumbled and fell face down on the ground.”
With that said, here are a couple of questions to ponder: Was David that great of a sling shooter? Were the stones he collected magical? Well, Yes and no! As a shepherd, David became skilled at using his sling, but the stones he collected from by the brook were ordinary.
David, his sling, and the stone were ordinary, but David’s faith in God was extraordinary.
Even before the battle began David credited God for the victory. David said in I Samuel 17:46, “Today the LORD will conquer you…..”
Somebody, reading this message needs to look their giant(s) square in the eyes and say, “Today, the LORD will conquer you!”
David’s confidence in the Lord was well-placed, and yours is too. Where human wisdom and healing ends, God’s begins. Whatever giant(s) you face today, whether it’s a struggling marriage, wayward child or friend, sickness, injury or financial struggle, you can rest, knowing God will always rescue you.
Furthermore, fear is no match for the Lord of heaven’s armies. God is pretty good at helping amateurs like David (and you and me) make their aim sure. If David, by faith did it with a sling, one stone and the power of God, we can too.
So stop trying to be like ‘Mike’, rather be like David! Be strong, tenancious and faith-filled when it comes to defeating the Goliath in your life. David trusted in God’s power and persevered in slaying his giant and so must we, remembering that God is always in our corner, supporting us and helping each of us onward to victory!
4GIVEN 