@ LibertyGal

This post was inspired by listening to a video by Jimmy Evans on his [Tipping Point Prophecy Update Substack](https://endtimes.substack.com/p/faith-perspective) There are many things in our lives that seem like giants. They may be people that influence us. They may be people who are opponents in some way. It may be circumstances or events. These things have gigantic influence on us or overwhelm us. What should our response be to giants in our life? Let’s look at two events and how different people responded to the giants in their life. ## David & Goliath Of course, when we think of giants, most of us think about Goliath first. Most of us know the basics of the story, but let’s look at the details in the Bible to see what we can learn from them. > Then a champion came out from the armies of the Philistines named Goliath, from Gath, whose height was six cubits and a span. He had a bronze helmet on his head, and he was clothed with scale-armor which weighed five thousand shekels of bronze. He also had bronze greaves on his legs and a bronze javelin slung between his shoulders. The shaft of his spear was like a weaver’s beam, and the head of his spear weighed six hundred shekels of iron; his shield-carrier also walked before him. He stood and shouted to the ranks of Israel and said to them, “Why do you come out to draw up in battle array? Am I not the Philistine and you servants of Saul? Choose a man for yourselves and let him come down to me. If he is able to fight with me and kill me, then we will become your servants; but if I prevail against him and kill him, then you shall become our servants and serve us.” (1 Samuel 17:4-9) The Bible says Goliath’s “*height was six cubits and a span*.” If we take a cubit as 18 inches and a span as 6”, that makes him 9 foot 6 inches tall. That is a tall and intimidating man. He was also strong. His armor weighed about 125 lbs. When the Israeli army heard this challenge, not one soldier volunteered to face Goliath. Not one believed they could win a fight with Goliath. > When Saul and all Israel heard these words of the Philistine, they were dismayed and greatly afraid. (1 Samuel 17:11) Ironically, the one and only person who was willing to face off with this giant of a soldier, was a lad (probably a teenager). > Then David spoke to the men who were standing by him, saying, “What will be done for the man who kills this Philistine and takes away the reproach from Israel? For who is this uncircumcised Philistine, that he should taunt the armies of the living God?” (1 Samuel 17:26) Why was David willing to fight this giant soldier? Was this the bravado or foolishness of youth? No. What does David say? “For who is this uncircumcised Philistine, that he should taunt the armies of the living God?” David was unafraid because he trusted God. He knew the battle was the Lord’s. He knew that God had promised to protect and guide Israel (the circumcised) against the Canaanites (the uncircumcised). He knew that God would defend His honor. David knew he didn’t have to fight the fight alone. He relied on God. > David said to Saul, “Let no man’s heart fail on account of him; your servant will go and fight with this Philistine.” Then Saul said to David, “You are not able to go against this Philistine to fight with him; for you are but a youth while he has been a warrior from his youth.” But David said to Saul, “Your servant was tending his father’s sheep. When a lion or a bear came and took a lamb from the flock, I went out after him and attacked him, and rescued it from his mouth; and when he rose up against me, I seized him by his beard and struck him and killed him. Your servant has killed both the lion and the bear; and this uncircumcised Philistine will be like one of them, since he has taunted the armies of the living God.” And David said, “The Lord who delivered me from the paw of the lion and from the paw of the bear, He will deliver me from the hand of this Philistine.” And Saul said to David, “Go, and may the Lord be with you.” (1 Samuel 17:32-37) David once again spoke knowing God had promised Israel’s victory over the uncircumcised Philistines. He also knew God would not allow His name to be taunted. David had spent his whole life depending on God in difficult situations and knew that God would be with him in this battle, just like his battles with a bear and a lion. Experience had taught him that God always fulfilled his promises and always won against those who did not believe in Him. David did not let the taunting of an unfaithful giant intimidate him and he didn’t let the scorn of the King intimidate him. He kept his eyes on God and trusted in Him alone. > Then David said to the Philistine, “You come to me with a sword, a spear, and 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 taunted. This day the Lord will deliver you up into my hands, and I will strike you down and remove your head from you. And I will give the dead bodies of the army of the Philistines this day to the birds of the sky and the wild beasts of the earth, that all the earth may know that there is a God in Israel, and that all this assembly may know that the Lord does not deliver by sword or by spear; for the battle is the Lord’s and He will give you into our hands.” (1 Samuel 17:45-47) David did not just silently trust God. He publicly proclaimed his trust in the “*Lord of Hosts*.” He spoke up to let the Israelite army and the Philistine army know that it was God that was fighting for Israel and it was God who would win the battle despite the seeming obvious advantage Goliath had over David. There is a reason David was called “*a man after God’s own heart*.” He trusted in the strength of God instead of his own strength. He knew that God was bigger than any giant. He didn’t try to win in his own strength or wisdom. He relied 100% on God. We should do the same. ### Spy out the Land of Canaan There is another time that the Bible talks about the Israelites facing giants. This is when the Israelites were led from bondage in Egypt to the promised land. When they arrived God tested the Israelites to see if they would put their trust in Him or if they would rely on themselves alone. > Then the Lord spoke to Moses saying, “Send out for yourself men so that they may spy out the land of Canaan, which I am going to give to the sons of Israel; you shall send a man from each of their fathers’ tribes, every one a leader among them.” (Numbers 13:1-2) God didn’t need the Israelites to check things out. He knew the situation and He knew what He would do. This was a test, to see if they would finally put their faith in Him after all of the miracles that He had done for them. > See what the land is like, and whether the people who live in it are strong or weak, whether they are few or many. How is the land in which they live, is it good or bad? And how are the cities in which they live, are they like open camps or with fortifications? (Numbers 13:18-19) The Israelites were shown both the blessings God had offered to them if they put their faith in Him and the challenges they must face through God’s power. > When they returned from spying out the land, at the end of forty days, they proceeded to come to Moses and Aaron and to all the congregation of the sons of Israel in the wilderness of Paran, at Kadesh; and they brought back word to them and to all the congregation and showed them the fruit of the land. Thus they told him, and said, “We went in to the land where you sent us; and it certainly does flow with milk and honey, and this is its fruit. Nevertheless, the people who live in the land are strong, and the cities are fortified and very large; and moreover, we saw the descendants of Anak there. (Numbers 13:25-28) Unfortunately, although most of the leaders saw the blessing, they were terrified by the challenges. They rightly knew they couldn’t conquer Canaan on their own, but they wrongly failed to trust in God’s promise to provide the land to them. Despite all of the blessings and miracles that God had shown them, they failed to put their trust in Him. > Then Caleb quieted the people before Moses and said, “We should by all means go up and take possession of it, for we will surely overcome it.” (Numbers 13:30) There were two men, however, who trusted in God’s power and His promises. Caleb and Joshua trusted God’s promises and looked at the blessings God had promised them and saw them as being as already received because of God’s promise. They knew they didn’t have to conquer Canaan on their own. They knew they could trust God to accomplish what He had promised. > But the men who had gone up with him said, “We are not able to go up against the people, for they are too strong for us.” So they gave out to the sons of Israel a bad report of the land which they had spied out, saying, “The land through which we have gone, in spying it out, is a land that devours its inhabitants; and all the people whom we saw in it are men of great size. There also we saw the Nephilim (the sons of Anak are part of the Nephilim); and we became like grasshoppers in our own sight, and so we were in their sight.” (Numbers 13:31-33) The rest of the leaders saw the Nephilim (giants) as bigger than God and therefore the land as unconquerable. Who do you see as bigger? Do you truly see the awesome power of God and His ability to do anything He wishes? Do you trust God to keep all of His promises? > Joshua the son of Nun and Caleb the son of Jephunneh, of those who had spied out the land, tore their clothes; and they spoke to all the congregation of the sons of Israel, saying, “The land which we passed through to spy out is an exceedingly good land. If the Lord is pleased with us, then He will bring us into this land and give it to us—a land which flows with milk and honey. Only do not rebel against the Lord; and do not fear the people of the land, for they will be our prey. Their protection has been removed from them, and the Lord is with us; do not fear them.” (Numbers 14:6-9) Joshua and Caleb not only trusted God, they defended His honor. They tore their clothes in remorse at their fellow Israelites not having faith in God. They begged their fellow Israelites not to “ *rebel against the Lord*.” They advised their fellow Israelites that “*the Lord is with us; do not fear them*.” They not only walked in faith, but also encouraged others to do the same. ### What Are Your Giants? In these two examples, people were dealing with real, live giants, but there are many giants in our lives. Is your giant persecution for your faith? Is your giant health problems for you or your loved ones? Is your giant loneliness? Is your giant financial problems? Whatever giant you are facing, God is bigger; God is smarter; and God is stronger. With God on your side, you don’t need to fear anything or anyone. You can trust His promises. You can trust His plans. You can trust that everything will work out in the end. There may be things in your life that you can’t handle, but there is nothing that the God and Creator of the universe can’t handle. If you put your faith in Him, then nothing can overcome you. Trust Jesus. In everything trust Jesus. He will never let you down. Trust Jesus. your sister in Christ, Christy Bible verses are NASB (New American Standard Bible) 1995 edition unless otherwise stated