Aug 15, 2018 WOFCF Bible Study Explosion Facing Your
Giants (I Samuel 17) We all will face giants at one time
or another in our lives. By giants, We are speaking of what seem to be
overwhelming problems and issues. We try to ignore these giants, but often they
seem to only grow stronger with the passing of time. It could be a giant of fear. Or it
might be a giant of some type (or nature) of sin that you fall into again and
again. It might be the sin of pride or envy or gluttony or lust or something
else. In a related way, your giant might be one of addiction, something that
has a grip on your life. Then again, it could be a giant of threat that is
taunting you today. Someone has slandered you. A lawsuit has been filed against
you. Maybe there is (or has been) even a threat against your very life. Or it might be a different kind of
giant altogether, like an unbelieving spouse or a prodigal child. You have
prayed for them. You have asked the Lord to reach them, yet they seem to become
more hardened by sin as the years pass by. You find yourself wondering how you
will ever overcome this. So how do we deal with giants? We find the answer in
the Old Testament account of David and Goliath. Most of us are familiar with
the story. What a victory it was as David
boldly defeated the giant Goliath, armed only with a slingshot and five smooth
stones. The will of the Philistines was broken. The Israelites were revived.
And it was all because a little shepherd boy answered the call of God and cut
down the giant. So what can we learn from this story about facing off with our
own giants in life? What
are your thoughts, any dialogues, or scriptures you like to share? We must recognize that we all have
giants. We all face severe hardships, seemingly challenging obstacles and
temptations. We all have problems. We all have temptations. We read in 1
Corinthians 10:13, "The temptations in your life
are no different from what others experience. And God is faithful. He will not
allow the temptation to be more than you can stand. When you are tempted, he
will show you a way out so that you can endure" (NLT). While it is true we all have giants,
it is also true that every giant can be defeated. After all, giants rarely
start out that way. Goliath was not always a giant. He was not always
9-feet-6-inches tall. He was once a baby. And with the passing of time and the
nurture of others, the baby became a child. And the child became a teenager.
And the teenager became a man. And the man turned into a giant. In the same way, giants often begin
quite small. When we have a big sin in our lives, it started as a little sin
that was allowed, nurtured, fed, and even encouraged, and then became a giant
that taunts us. It started with a so-called ‘Christian Liberty’ that we
proclaimed and is now getting the best of us. What
are your thoughts, any dialogues, or scriptures you like to share? We must realize that the battle
belongs to the Lord. David told Goliath, "This is the Lord's battle, and
he will give you to us!" (1
Samuel 17:47). That is why giants defeat us
again and again…because we face them in our own strength and we lose. We need
to realize this is the Lord's battle. We must attack our giants. Goliath had
come into the actual territory of the Israelites. He had crossed their line. He
was taunting them. And if you tolerate a Goliath, he will take over your
territory. He will come right up on your doorstep. That is why you don't run from
giants. You don't negotiate with them. You attack them. The Bible tells us, "As Goliath moved closer to attack,
David quickly ran out to meet him" (1
Samuel 17:48). As the enemy drew closer, David
ran right at him. Whatever your giant may be, force it into the light of day.
Stop rationalizing it. Stop excusing it. Realize you can't defeat it in your
own strength. Call on God and pray for His power,
and then attack it. Draw lines and be accountable to others. Stay away from
people or situations where you would be easily tempted. And don't let that
giant back into your life again. Finally, trust in the Lord. Don't look at God
in the light of your giant. Instead, look at your giant in the light of God. What are your thoughts,
any dialogues, or scriptures you like to share? |
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