Overcoming Our Giants Part I

How to navigate our biggest fears and our greatest goals 

When David arrived on the scene to defeat Goliath, Saul’s entire army had spent 40 days trembling in fear.  

To be sure, all of Saul’s army believed in God too!

Yet, only a young man with a slingshot found the courage and faith to stand up and slay Goliath.  

Today, as many of us face our own obstacles, fears, and doubts, we too need to find the courage and the faith to overcome them.  

Just as being in Saul’s army was no promise of victory, attending church is no promise of prevailing against our own challenges. 

Allow me to be clear, we do need community and please find it in a faith-based setting.

But if we are to navigate our fears and overcome our goals, we also need to follow in the footsteps of King David.  

In the upcoming days, I will be writing on the Scriptures of 1 Samuel 16 & 17.

As we go, I will draw some observations and applications on how David overcame Goliath, and how we too can benefit from his wise and courageous actions. 

Let’s begin…

Part I

Scriptures

While the story of Goliath begins in 1 Samuel 17, the story truly begins years prior when, as a young boy, David is anointed future King of Israel.  The NIV notes this observation of David’s young life,

“So Samuel took the horn of oil and anointed him in the presence of his brothers, and from that day on the Spirit of the Lord came powerfully upon David.” – 1 Samuel 16:13a NIV

Observations

Where the Spirit of the Lord is, dynamic things happen.  Knowing the Spirit of the Lord came powerfully upon David from that day forward, is all the evidence we need.  

Goliath, the giant, was doomed.  

To overcome Goliath, the first and most important thing David did was spend time in the presence of God. 

Applications

To overcome the giants we face, we need more of the Holy Spirit.  

“Now the Lord is the Spirit, and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is freedom.” – 2 Corinthians 3:17 NIV

Go ahead and read the rest of how David defeated Goliath.  

You will find no fear in the young boy’s heart that day.  Why?

Because where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is freedom!

God’s Spirit plays a powerful role in our lives and can not be overestimated. 

As we look to overcome our own obstacles, fears, and goals, how are we praying through each one of them?

What does our prayer life truly look like?

Are we spending time in God’s presence?

As we do, let us seek more of His Spirit.

The Holy Spirit truly has the power to set us free of our doubts, our fears, and our anxiety over any situation.  

Prayers

God, help us find the faith to believe that You are there in our midst.  Help us believe that You are with us.

Be among us as we strive to overcome the obstacles we now face. 

Allow Your Spirit to bring freedom into whatever situations we find ourselves in today, in Your name, amen.