Every human being, at some point in their life, will have to face a giant. Some of us will have to face more than one at a time. The worse giant anyone could ever have to face is giving up hope. The loss of hope is surrender on the battle field.
The Israelites faced the Philistines for 40 days. Every day, and every evening, that beastly giant Goliath came out and taunted them, he frightened them by his very size and arrogance. He persisted until they had lost hope. Even the valiant King Saul stood on the sidelines. Israel had all but raised the flag of surrender; their hope was lost.
In his youth, David had the answer; David had a fearless faith in the power of God. David looked upon the battlefield as fertile ground for God to manifest His glory. David ran toward Goliath with the very attitude that made him a man after God’s own heart. He had seen the hopelessness that had impaled Israel’s soldiers to ground.
What made him so sure that God would win the battle for him? He had a relationship with God – the intimate kind of relationship that doesn’t merely sustain faith and hope – the kind of intimacy that grows faith and hope. There would be no facing this giant alone. He knew that as he ran toward Goliath that the God of Israel had already gone ahead of him to secure the victory.
The size of the battle should not invoke fear. Wherever we are in the battle, whether it’s hidden in a foxhole or standing in the middle of the battlefield, God is waiting for us on the other side. God fights for us from victory; our hope is in Him alone.
‘David said to the Philistine, "You come against me with sword and spear and javelin, but I come against you in the name of the LORD Almighty, the God of the armies of Israel, whom you have defied. This day the LORD will hand you over to me, and I'll strike you down and cut off your head. Today I will give the carcasses of the Philistine army to the birds of the air and the beasts of the earth, and the whole world will know that there is a God in Israel. All those gathered here will know that it is not by sword or spear that the LORD saves; for the battle is the LORD's, and he will give all of you into our hands."’ 1 Sam 17:45-47.
