Facing Your Goliath, Part 2
“The Lord who rescued me from the claws of the lion and the bear will rescue me from this Philistine!’….” 1 Samuel 17:37a (NLT)
If you want to face your Goliath like David, you have to do what David did. Before he ever got out on the battlefield with Goliath, David learned to be a giant killer in the secret place alone with God. In Psalm 91 the Bible tells us, “He who dwells in the secret place of the Most High shall abide under the shadow of the Almighty… He shall call upon Me, and I will answer him; I will be with him in trouble; I will deliver him and honor him.” Psalm 91:1;15 (NKJV)
Giant-killing faith begins in the secret place by obeying God in the small things. When David was young, he tended his father’s sheep for years. It would become the secret place where God trained him to be a giant killer. The secret place is where David learned he could count on God. He had seen God come through for him when, while tending his father's flocks, he was attacked by a lion and a bear. He, even, used those stories to convince King Saul to let him go up against the giant, Goliath. David said, “The Lord who rescued me from the claws of the lion and the bear will rescue me from this Philistine!’ Saul finally consented. ‘All right, go ahead,’ he said. ‘And may the Lord be with you!’" 1 Samuel 17:37 (NLT)
God was with David, and David knew it. He had proved God in the secret place. This is the adventure of faith. David didn't just decide one day to do something big and great for God. God doesn't need us to do something big and great for Him. He calls us to trust Him and follow Him in the secret place! Think about it. It was in the secret place where David killed a lion and a bear, and no one was there to see it! Bummer! God was not trying to convince others. He was convincing David that he could be a giant killer! If you want to slay the giants in your life, you must begin in the secret place - alone with God. Learn to be obedient in the small things. The Bible tells us not to despise the day of small things. Jesus said, if we are faithful in handling small things, we would be given greater responsibilities in Matthew 25:23. While tending his father’s flocks on lonely nights, God began to shape David’s life and prepare him for a purpose he would have never imagined! What if he would have scorned the small things? What if he would have rebelled against his father and said, “I don’t want to be a shepherd! I’m tired of taking care of these sheep!” You may not like what you’re doing or where God has put you, but He has a purpose in you being there. Be faithful where you are, and God will bless you and prepare you for what He has in store for you.
While learning to be a giant killer begins in the secret place, it’s usually followed by public criticism. Giant killers must learn to handle critics. David’s own brothers questioned his motives and criticized him. “But when David's oldest brother, Eliab, heard David talking like that, he was angry. ‘What are you doing around here, anyway?’ he demanded. ‘What about the sheep you're supposed to be taking care of? I know what a cocky brat you are; you just want to see the battle!’" 1 Samuel 17:28 (TLB)
Faith that begins in the secret place always develops through criticism. When you step out in faith, you will be criticized. Don't get distracted by the critics. David didn’t let it derail him. His actions would silence his critics. He stepped out on the battlefield in faith and took out a giant!
What about you? Isn’t it time to face the Goliaths in your life? Take the first step in becoming a giant killer today. Begin in the secret place of your heart, committing your life to God. Then, be faithful in the small things and expect criticism. While others are running away from their giants, you’ll be slaying yours!