In the passage from 1st Samuel, we can picture in our minds two armies in their camps, each occupying a side of the mountain, with a valley in between them.
Out of the camp of the Philistines there was this Goliath, a giant and the champion of the group. To prevent bloodshed, he proposed that just two men will fight. Whoever was victorious on the battlefield would claim the other’s army.
This was not too bad a proposition or challenge if they were evenly-matched. But here was a man who was nearly nine feet tall, weighing over 300 pounds, whose spearhead alone weighed about 20 pounds.
When Goliath made this proposal to the nation of Israel, Saul and all Israel were overwhelmed by this seemingly-undefeatable opponent.
One day, David comes upon the scene, and observes the Israelites running back to the camp in fear. The young David cries out, “Who is this Philistine that he defies the armies of the living God?”
He immediately presents himself to Saul, and offers his services to meet this giant of a man in battle. When Saul told him that he was too young, David replies that he has killed a lion, and a bear in combat.
Finally, knowing that something had to be done, and seeing no one else was ready to volunteer, Saul gave David permission to go into battle. He gave David his armor, but it was so heavy that David couldn’t even move with it!
He took the armor off, and instead went down to a stream nearby, and chose five smooth stones. With his slingshot, he went to meet the giant Goliath in battle.
Goliath could scarcely believe what he was seeing. He laughed, made fun of the little boy, David, and said: “Am I a dog that you come at me with a stick?”
However, David never veered from his steady course. He shouted back, “You come to fight me with a sword and a spear, but I come to you in the name of the Lord…the very God whom you have defied.” David whipped out his sling, loaded a stone, wound up, and with a flick of his wrist brought Goliath tumbling to the ground.
The Philistines watched as David stepped forward, and decapitated Goliath with the giant’s own sword.
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I am sure that we, too, have giants that we face almost every day. We face challenges that we think are too much for us to manage. For students, it might be an exam that you think is too difficult, or a paper whose deadline is soon, or maybe your family tells you to come home because they cannot anymore afford to pay your school expenses.
For some, it may be a relationship which cannot seem to be fixed. For others, it may be a relationship where you felt betrayed. For some others, it can be a boss who is too demanding for comfort.
I
From this story, we learn that to defeat the giants of our lives, we need a strong faith in God.
David comes forward and volunteers because he had faith that God will be with him. He also had faith in his God-given ability using those skills for God’s purpose.
When you have a dynamic combination of faith in God and faith in yourself, you also can go out to defeat the giants of your life.
When we face challenges in life, we too often say, “It simply can’t be done.”
That young shepherd boy David demonstrated not only to the pagan gods of the Philistines but also to the God-fearing nation of Israel that God is never missing from the road of life.
God never leaves us alone. God gives us power so we can face head-on the giants of life that threaten to undo us. Faith is not a little puny thing. It is the most powerful force that we have as we face the giants of this world.
With his faith, David was able to place his focus on God, and not on the problem, obstacle, or opposition.
Our Biblical text shows that David said, “This day, the Lord will deliver you into my hands.”
Everybody else looked at Goliath, and thought he was too big to tangle with, too big to hit. But David looked at Goliath, and thought he was too big to miss.
At the Last Supper, Jesus told the disciples, “Look! You’re going to have all kinds of problems. You’ll have good days and bad days all the rest of your life. It’s not because of anything you did or didn’t do. It’s just a part of life. It happens to us all. The difference for you, though, is me. I’ll be with you every step of the way.”
Please note the significance of this: The emphasis in this story is not on the heroic David, but on the faithfulness of God. If David were here this morning, he would be the first to tell us that it was God who gave him the victory.
II
Another ingredient needed to face the giants of our life is properly preparing ourselves for the encounter.
David felt that he prepared enough for this when he was watching the sheep.
Today, we live in an “instant” society. We have instant coffee, microwavable meals, and instant ramen noodles where we just pour hot water. There is a widespread belief in our society that we can achieve instant success with a minimal amount of effort.
Have you heard a person tell you they are going on a brand-new diet to “lose 30 pounds in 30 days” without any changes or modifications in their eating habits and lifestyle?
To achieve success and excellence in a chosen field of endeavor, there must be sweat, hard work, and burning of the midnight oil. If you want to pass the exams, you have to study. If one has to write a paper, one must spend time doing research, not just copy-paste. If you want to restore relationships, one must be ready to ask for and offer forgiveness.
When facing the giants and the large challenges of life, and coming out victorious, there are no easy humanistic methods.
A fan of the opera singer Marian Anderson once remarked to her idol: “I would give my right hand if I could sing like you.” Marian Anderson only smiled, and said, “Would you be willing to practice eight hours a day for many years to sing like this?”
III
After we prepare ourselves for the battle of life, we must move from planning to the playing field. When God said, “I love you,” he did not send a postcard or a committee. God sent his son Jesus.
David acted. “You come to me with a sword and with your spear,” said David to Goliath, “but I come to you in the name of the Lord…This day the Lord will deliver you into my hands.”
So David goes forward into battle, and swings into action, knowing that God shall be with him.
Let me close with a story that was told by Gene Barnes:
The great composer Alexander Borodin had a little granddaughter who was a favorite. One day, he lifted her up on a piano bench, and invited her to play a duet with him. Using two fingers, she pecked out the familiar Chopsticks, while Mr. Borodin improvised an accompaniment. She was absolutely delighted. So the proud grandfather set it down on paper, and named it Cotelettan Polka.
His friend, Franz List, added variations, and adapted the piece for a full orchestra. It was later played, and recorded by the Columbia Symphony Orchestra.
When Borodin played a recording of this piece for his granddaughter, she said in great awe, “Was that me?”
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If any of us plays God’s song, it will be because God in his grace placed us on the piano bench, put our fingers on the right keys, and taught us his melody. How wonderful is the grace of God!
It is the story of a God who whispers to us that we can do it; that God will be with us; that with God’s help, we shall prevail. God also has a part in our battles with giants.
This is the good news for us who feel like quitting when the giant tasks of life seem so overwhelming. God will give us the courage to see us through.
Focus on God and the abundance of his power and presence. Take your eyes off of the giants who might be in front of you. We do not face these giants alone, and we never have to, and we never will.
May God give you the grace to respond like David to face the giant task of life, and claim victory over it.
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