Many are the afflictions of the righteous, but the Lord delivers him out of them all. Psalm 34:19
One of the most well-known stories in Scripture is when David fought Goliath. The story is so relatable to us because we often face life-sized giants of our own. Some of us right now are facing circumstances that seem insurmountable, addictions that feel unbreakable, and marriages that seem unrepairable. So how can we defeat the giants in our lives?
One of the most effective things we can do is by remembering God’s past faithfulness to us. Many times in the Old Testament God instructs the Israelites to remember how He’d delivered them from bondage in Egypt and all the miraculous signs and wonders He’d performed. Remembering God’s faithfulness to us in the past gives us a well to draw from when we’re parched by those situations that seem larger than life.
Secondly, we must overcome our fear by shifting our focus from the problem and fixing it on the Lord. In I Samuel 17:47, David declared that the only way to defeat Goliath was to trust the Lord for deliverance. David wasn’t fighting Goliath in his own name, but rather in the name of the Lord. It’s when we try to defeat the giants in our own strength that fear immobilizes us.
Finally, we can go to the Lord in prayer. In Hebrews 4:16, God invites us to boldly come before His throne knowing He’ll provide us with the grace and mercy that we need. We can take comfort knowing that God doesn’t expect us to defeat these giants on our own and that He will provide the tools necessary to be victorious.
Lord help us to be courageous when we face the giants of life knowing You will fight the battle on our behalves.
Jessica Chenoweth is a writer and speaker passionate about helping men and women to live out an authentic faith rooted in a genuine relationship with Christ. You can connect with her on Facebook or Twitter.