God Has Given You the Strength to Slay Your Own Giant
David had never fought a giant. He didn’t come out to the battlefield with a T-shirt that said, “Giant Killer” and included a list of the names of all the giants he had vanquished. But he could have worn a T-shirt that said, “Bear and Lion Killer”!
As David related to King Saul the times he had killed a lion and a bear, he was reliving how God had helped him win those victories. His past experiences were a very powerful testimony to his own ears — and maybe that’s all he needed to get positioned for victory. Maybe he was the one who needed to remember as an encouragement to himself!
And the same is true for us. It strengthens us to remember what God has already done in our lives. We’ve fought so many battles, and we’ve won — and we’re going to win again! We have the power to overcome now, just as we did then.
So remember your past experiences of hard-won victories. Don’t forget what God has done. Then let your experience speak! Talk about it. You may have been through a lot in the past. You’re not a wimp — you have faced some difficult challenges and come out on the other side stronger! You know the Lord; you have some experience; and you’ve got something to say. So say it!
And then you need to prophesy your future the way David prophesied his! Be bold to say, “This is what God said to me. This is what He has put in my heart. I know I have a few enemies out there, but I am pressing forward. I am agreeing with what God said about me, and I am going to do this!”
You see, Jesus doesn’t want us to keep going from glory back to defeat, only to try again to press on to another level of glory. In Him it is only “from glory to glory” as we obey Him each step of the way (see 2 Corinthians 3:18). But we have to choose to keep going forward, to keep getting stronger, and to keep giving more and more out of our God-given supply.
This is our future that we must prophesy — that we are growing stronger, more anointed, more convicted, more holy, more forgiving, and more loving every day. We are unstoppable, and we are not going back. We’re never going back!
That in essence was David’s stance as he stood before Saul. For him, there was only one way to go from there, and that was forward to the front line to face Goliath. And he must have been convincing! Verse 37 shows how the king changed his mind after hearing the younger man’s bold words: “…And Saul said to David, ‘Go, and the Lord be with you!’”
Don’t Loosen Your Grip on God’s Dream for You!
David had defeated the lion and the bear — and as he stood before King Saul that day, he was ready to defeat the giant. God had prepared him.
And God has prepared you to stand fast as you face your present “giant,” whatever form it takes. God helped you through all those past challenges so you could face what you’re facing now and come out the victor!
So if someone puts you down or makes you feel like you’re not able to meet the challenge, you can say, “Well, you know what? I’ve been through some battles in the past, and I’ve seen how God came through for me then. And I’m going to see what He’ll do to help me win the victory to His glory in this situation!” Then you make an about-face from the opinion that is contrary to what God has told you — and you keep moving forward to face that giant.
The truth is, if someone’s opinion doesn’t agree with God’s Word or with what you know He has instructed you to do, you can be assured of this: The person who offered that opinion is possibly being used of the enemy to divert you from your divine assignment, even if he or she is unaware of it.
But when opinions that are contrary to God’s opinion come your way, don’t fight against flesh and blood (see Ephesians 6:12). Remember, the enemy could be behind that contrary opinion, trying to hold you down. Don’t get angry at the person. Just turn from that opinion and take authority over the enemy’s strategies in the name of Jesus! Make the decision, “I’m not going to bow to that opinion. I’m going to hold on to who God says I am and what He has told me to do!”
Then stay on guard as you press forward to follow God’s will in that situation. You can be assured that there is a great harvest on the other side of your obedience.
It’s so important for you to stay in agreement with God’s opinion of you and what He has told you to do! Hold fast to that dream — don’t let it escape from you! That’s how you become an unstoppable force for Him!
Run Your Spiritual Race — With or Without Cheerleaders
This is our responsibility as stewards of the supply God has given us. We have to hold fast to His opinion of us and the assignment He has given us to fulfill. These are priceless and eternal treasures, and if we don’t hold on to them, no one else is going to do it for us!
Each of us has to run the spiritual race God has called us to run all the way to the finish line, and we can’t wait until all the “Eliabs” in our lives are cheering us on from the sidelines. We have to recognize the power of God in us for ourselves and not depend on someone else to say, “You can do it — I’m behind you!” in order to feel okay about moving forward in Him!
It’s up to us to simply yield to the Greater One living on the inside of us and act on what He has told us to do, dismissing negative opinions of others that might deter us. Remember, those who have those negative opinions won’t be standing with us when we’re looking into Jesus’ face and desiring to hear the words, “Well done, thou good and faithful servant” (see Matthew 25:23). And they will not have to answer for our disobedience if Jesus has to ask us, “Why didn’t you do what I asked of you with the power, gifting, and calling I gave you?”
We don’t want to give excuses on that day. After all, Jesus knows the price He paid so that the Holy Spirit could live on the inside of us, filling us to overflowing and empowering us for service!
Two Different Choices — Two Different Outcomes
So we see how David held on to God’s opinion regarding his ability to fight Goliath, even as his older brother tried to absolutely stop him with ridicule, hatred, and anger. David just turned and kept pursuing his vision while Eliab stood and watched David slay the giant and receive all the rewards.
That’s the kind of victory we can expect in our lives as well when we say, “Yes, Lord. I’m a little scared, but You told me to do it — so I’m doing it!”
In the years that followed, David rose in stature and grew in his anointing. He went through a lot of fiery trials, but eventually he became the king of Israel. He is considered to be one of the greatest kings of Israel — not a perfect king who never messed up, but a great king whose heart was after God.
As for Eliab, we don’t hear about what happened to him after his conversation with David on the battlefield. Eliab and his opinions just went by the wayside, as far as Scripture is concerned.
David made the right choice to yield to God and obey Him. He remembered God’s faithfulness and power from when he’d stepped out in past situations to kill the lion and the bear. And as David stepped out to fight Goliath, his choice positioned him to receive the desired outcome of his faith!
So don’t forget your past victories. Never forget how the Spirit of God has worked on your behalf to see you through great challenges. He may come through in a different way this time, but He has the same power now as He had then! It’s that same mighty power that raised Jesus Christ from the dead — and that power lives in you (see Ephesians 1:19,20).
There comes a time when you have to stand up and answer the naysayers, “You know, you may be right about the reasons that make you question whether I’ll succeed. But God is working in me. He’s speaking to me, and I hear Him. And although I’m not perfect, I am going to embrace what He’s telling me to do.”
That’s what David did. He wasn’t moved by others’ opinions. He wasn’t even moved by the king’s opinion. He was moved only by God’s opinion.
Like David, we can’t bow to the negative opinions of others — even if those opinions are coming from those whom we want to support and encourage us. What if they never do support us? Do we disobey God in an attempt to please them? Everyone loses if we decide to take that course.
Remember, you have the Greater One living on the inside of you, and He’s greater than any pressure that exists in this world. He’s also the greatest Comforter and Encourager you will ever meet!
David was bolder than that lion he killed. He was stronger on the inside than that bear he killed. That strength and confidence came from the intimacy of his relationship with God, which prepared him to later ignore the opinions of Eliab and King Saul and to go out and face the giant.
You can find your strength and confidence to overcome the challenges you face the same way David did, because it’s only as you draw near to God that you access His power. Just like David, you’ll learn from experience that God is all you need. Others’ agreement is encouraging, but in the end, you need only God’s agreement that you and He are more than enough to accomplish everything He has asked you to do.
