FIVE SMOOTH STONES

What do you need to slay your giant?

Giants.
We all have them, in different shapes and forms, huge, enormous obstacles that seem to blockade where we want to go and how we want to get there.

We look up at these mammoth roadblocks in our lives and find them insurmountable. I mean we’re just little old us, and they, well, they’re giants. Our giants come in different shapes and sizes, with different names wearing different types of armor. What’s your giant?

I have friends this week facing job interviews, awaiting medical results, starting new volunteer positions, being scouted by college coaches, meeting new teachers, making big presentations. Me? I’m making my painful transition full of tears as my kids return back to school and awaiting feedback from a publisher on a new book, knowing their decision could make or break the project.

But the thing about our giants is God says He won’t give us anything we can’t handle. Sometimes that’s easier to say than to believe down to our gut. But it’s true. I promise. It takes changing our perspective and finding a handful of stones.

And the Philistines stood on the mountain on the one side, and Israel stood on the mountain on the other side, with a valley between them. And there came out from the camp of the Philistines a champion named Goliath of Gath, whose height was six cubits and a span. 1 Samuel 17: 3-4

What does your giant look like? (this one is the giant pickle from Veggie Tales)

We’ve all heard about David and Goliath, that giants can be slain. But do we focus on how David conquered the mighty Philistine champion, and how we can do the same to conquer the hulking Goliaths in our own lives? There were two things David did, that gave him the edge, secured his success. These two things we can tap into as well, to knock our giants down to size.

1.    David relied on God

Then David said to the Philistine, “You come to me with a sword and with a spear and with a javelin, but I come to you in the name of the Lord of hosts, the God of the armies of Israel, whom you have defied. v.45

David, the youngest in his family, the kid who wasn’t in the army at all, but had been sent to bring snacks, he knew the most important thing in his life was his faith, and that with God on his side, everything would work out. Do you believe that? Completely? 100%? When you look at your giant, at this thing you’re facing, are you convinced that because God is on your side, you’ve already won? If not, pray about it. Turn this over to God; ask Him to help you completely rely on Him, because when you do, well the giant starts to shake in their shoes.

2.    David used the gifts God had already given him.

Saul tried to suit David up in his armor and helmet. But they didn’t fit, and David knew it. Instead David used what he had.

And David put his hand in his bag and took out a stone and slung it and struck the Philistine on his forehead. The stone sank into his forehead, and he fell on his face to the ground. v.49

What five smooth stones do you have in your bag? Are you energetic? Dedicated? Creative? Thoughtful? A hard worker? Analytical? Do you make people smile? Are you resourceful? Fast? Are you organized? Do you have family and friends you can rely on? Are you quick to grasp new concepts?

Don’t try to wear someone else’s armor. You don’t need an oversized helmet, or a sword too heavy to lift. God has already equipped you. What you’ve been equipped with might seem insignificant or simple – a slingshot, really? But you don’t have to worry about how your stones appear. Remember, we have God on our side.

So reach into your bag. Pull out your stones one by one, and sling them at your giant. This doesn’t need to be violent or combative. It just involves you being strong in God’s love and in His provision for you. The funny thing about giants, is that often when we stop thinking about how big and strong and imposing they are, and instead focus on how big and strong God’s love is, those giants shrink down to size, fall to the ground, and seem so trivial, we can simply step over them, and get back to being the children of God, to who God intended us to be.

How do you intend to slay your giant this week? I’d love to hear what stones you have in your bag?