Run to the Giant

 

I have just finished listening to an audio book, written by a Pastor after the sudden death of his five-year-old daughter. In the book he talks about how his family was faced with terrible pain but was able to find amazing power through Christ.

In one part of the book, he mentions a young David (pre his king days), facing a literal giant, Goliath, in the valley of Elah. (I Samuel 17)

The reminder of this famous story in the Bible brought to mind something I wrote four years ago, and I want to share some of that with you in hopes that I can encourage you to face whatever giant is standing in your way.

I don’t know who needs to hear this today, but I pray that the Lord will speak to you personally and God will give you the courage you so desperately need.

It was early morning, as I sat by the ocean, watching the waves wash up on the shore. A beautiful, cool sea breeze was blowing and there was no sound apart from the noise the water made as it rippled across the sand, leaving bubbles in its wake. There was the occasional song of a bird calling as it flew by.

I had come down to the beach early, to get alone with the Lord and pray about the lesson I was going to be teaching to a group of ladies in only a matter of hours. I was struggling with doubt and worry. Yes, I had prepared what I thought God would have me teach, but upon meeting the group I would be teaching, I began to have doubts about whether or not the words the Lord had given me were actually what He would have me say.

I began to pray earnestly, and I sought the scriptures for encouragement and assurance that I was heading in the direction the Lord would have me go. I was so unsure. I began to doubt myself. I began to doubt my ability to speak.

 Who was I to think that I could speak to a group of ladies of every age, and from vastly different backgrounds? What could I possibly have to teach them that they hadn’t already heard? What about those present who seemed to be unteachable and that I sensed a hardness from? What about those who had walked with the Lord for far longer than I? Would I be able to explain my points effectively? Would they be able to learn something from what God had given me to teach? Would they even listen?

In effect, I had taken my eyes off the Lord and started focusing on the circumstances and the people around me. Never a wise thing to do. Remember Peter?

Matthew 14:29-31 And he said, Come. And when Peter was come down out of the ship, he walked on the water, to go to Jesus. But when he saw the wind boisterous, he was afraid; and beginning to sink, he cried, saying, Lord, save me. And immediately Jesus stretched forth his hand, and caught him, and said unto him, O thou of little faith, wherefore didst thou doubt?

As soon as Peter took his eyes off the Lord and looked at the waves, he began to sink. And the Lord rebuked him for his lack of faith.

My doubting was a lack of faith. So, as I sat there, praying earnestly for the Lord to come through for me and give me peace in my heart, I opened up the Bible app on my phone to read some words of comfort.

It’s strange how God works in mysterious ways, because every time I tried to open my Bible app and find the verse I was searching for, the app crashed. This happened at least 5 times. And each and every time, without fail, it would open up to the same passage. And it was not even the passage I had been searching for.

Obviously, I’m a slow learner, so the Lord had to do it a few times before I realised that maybe, just maybe (there I go, doubting again), God had something in this passage that I needed to hear.

Here is the passage that my Bible app kept opening to.

Deuteronomy 1:28-30 Whither shall we go up? our brethren have discouraged our heart, saying, The people is greater and taller than we; the cities are great and walled up to heaven; and moreover we have seen the sons of the Anakims there. Then I said unto you, Dread not, neither be afraid of them. The LORD your God which goeth before you, he shall fight for you, according to all that he did for you in Egypt before your eyes;

Wow! Talk about God making it clear! I needed the Lord to fight for me as I felt so incapable of teaching the lesson I had prepared. But God knew that it was exactly what I was supposed to teach and that I just needed a little push and a little reminder that he would be with me. 

Of course, I couldn’t do it in my own strength. I needed his help. And I needed to be reminded that he would lead and guide as I taught, and that he would put the words in my mouth that needed to be said. All my hours of study amounted to nothing if I didn’t rely on him and his power to go before me.

I didn’t need to be afraid of the waves. The Lord would go before me if I kept my gaze wholly upon him. If I just trusted him to speak for me.

I prayed and cried to God to increase my faith and to guide and direct every word that would come out of my mouth.

My first thought was to text my mum and share this profound revelation with her. (What a blessing to have Godly mothers in our lives that rejoice with us and always have a timely word of comfort or advice).

And just as I expected, not only was she happy for the peace I had found, but she had a precious word of wisdom that has stayed with me to this day.

She told me to “Run to the Giant”. Simple as that.

Just as David did when he took on the insurmountable task of killing Goliath, when all others were too afraid, David did something amazing. He ran to the giant.

Read the passage with me.

1 Samuel 17:48-49 And it came to pass, when the Philistine arose, and came and drew nigh to meet David, that David hasted, and ran toward the army to meet the Philistine. And David put his hand in his bag, and took thence a stone, and slang it, and smote the Philistine in his forehead, that the stone sunk into his forehead; and he fell upon his face to the earth.

Firstly, it was incredible that David was willing to face the giant at all! He was a simple shepherd, not a man of war like his brothers, just a simple shepherd on an errand from his father.

But what is so impressive about David was the fact that he “hasted, and ran toward” Goliath.

He was sprinting toward what seemed like certain death. Crazy, right? I’m sure his heart was beating fast and there was a hint of fear inside him, but he didn’t let that fear control him.

It’s okay to fear and feel afraid, but we have to push on with the assurance that God is with us, and fear doesn’t own us and need not have any control over us.

David had some pretty brave words to say to the giant. If I was in his place, I don’t think I could be as bold as he was with his courageous statement.

1 Samuel 17:45-47 KJV - Then said David to the Philistine, Thou comest to me with a sword, and with a spear, and with a shield: but I come to thee in the name of the LORD of hosts, the God of the armies of Israel, whom thou hast defied. This day will the LORD deliver thee into mine hand; and I will smite thee, and take thine head from thee; and I will give the carcases of the host of the Philistines this day unto the fowls of the air, and to the wild beasts of the earth; that all the earth may know that there is a God in Israel. And all this assembly shall know that the LORD saveth not with sword and spear: for the battle is the LORD'S, and he will give you into our hands.

David ran towards his giant. He ran towards the giant that terrified the whole army that day. He didn’t cower in fear, he didn’t hesitate, stopping only to arm himself with a few stones plucked from a brook, he ran towards the giant.

And we know the end of the story, the Lord came through and what an amazing victory it was. Not only for the army of Israel, but for David himself. He had trusted the Lord and God had proved to him once again, his power and might and awesomeness. David added another story of victory to his arsenal, empowering him to keep pushing forward and giving him the courage he would need in the years to come.

The Lord came through. And the Lord can come through for you.

No matter how far removed the possibility of success seems from our vantage point, God will come through. And God doesn’t just come through for the mighty, he comes through for all of us. The broken, the hurting, the weak, the sick, the fearful and the doubters.

Whether God is calling you to a ministry you feel unequipped for, or whether he wants you to speak to that co-worker about their eternal destiny. Whether your giant is a pregnancy that has you worrying whether or not you can be a good mother, or whether you fear being able to homeschool your children well. Whether the interstate move you plan to make with your family has you doubting and afraid, or whether your decision to leave your current church to attend another is holding you back. Whatever it is, God is with you, and you can face it as David faced Goliath. With absolute trust and faith in God, you too can run towards your giant.

That day on the beach, as I doubted my calling, God came through for me. He gave me encouragement through his Word and then through his people. God often brings people into our lives to help encourage us to keep on the path God has us on. They cheer us on and bring words of wisdom to help strengthen our tired arms, lift our weary heads and turn our eyes back onto the Lord Jesus.

If you have giants in your life today, then run to them! Don’t be afraid to do what God is calling you to do. If he is calling you to do it, then he will equip you for it. When God called David towards his giant, he equipped him for the task.

1 Thessalonians 5:24 KJV - Faithful is he that calleth you, who also will do it.

I can’t tell you what God’s will is for your life. God has a specific story that he is writing for each and every one of us and we have to step out in faith, obeying him and following his light, putting one foot after another with a heart of trust.

All I can tell you is that you mustn’t let fear play a part in your decisions. It’s not brave to feel no fear, it’s brave to feel fear and push on anyway.

Yes, running towards your giant may feel daunting, painful, scary and there are days when you want to turn and run the other way. But only by facing our giants do we grow stronger. By seeing God win the battles for us, as we step out in faith, we are able to add another victory to our growing list that will hold us in good stead in days to come when once again fear arises.

As the author put it, “When you live a life of faith, there are going to be questions that have no answers, because for there to be faith, there has to be mystery. That’s just life in the deep end. It would be nice if we could have the safety of the shore and the potential of the open ocean at the same time, but that’s not how it works. Nothing ventured, nothing gained.”

If you want to defeat giants, you have to run towards them and take them on with the help of God’s almighty power. You may think you’re running alone, but God is keeping pace with you and he is right there should you fall.

I was able to teach my lesson that day without the fear of man, without doubt and with a faith in God that he would not let his Word return void.

Isaiah 55:11 So shall my word be that goeth forth out of my mouth: it shall not return unto me void, but it shall accomplish that which I please, and it shall prosper in the thing whereto I sent it.

I was taught a valuable lesson in faith and trust that day. God showed me that although I may doubt my own talents and abilities, he is able to uphold and strengthen me when I am at my weakest. He is able to use me, despite my failings, fumblings and fears to accomplish things for him and bring glory to his name.

He is able to give my legs strength and my arms power as I run towards the giants in my life, and he is right there beside me as I lop off the head and hold it high singing God’s praises for all to hear!

 

Run to the giant!

 

Psalm 34:17 The righteous cry, and the LORD heareth, and delivereth them out of all their troubles.