Facing Giants

How do you respond when encounter a giant in life? When life goes wrong, when bad news comes your way, when sickness grief or loss rise up against you?

Some people tell you that the way you respond to a giant in your life is to do what King David in the Bible did, run right at it in the power of the Most High God and chop its head off. Generally I’d say that is good advice. But what do you do when it feels like you can barely get out of bed, let alone face a giant?

Again, David’s life gives us some good advice. Read the account in I Samuel 30. David and his men had returned home only to find it burned to the ground and their families taken into slavery. They were so overcome with grief that they wept until they had no strength left. What’s more, the men were upset; some even spoke of killing David. But, David strengthened himself in the LORD his God.

There is a place in the Spirit of God where the life and strength of God gives life and strength to you (see Romans 8:11). There is a place in the Spirit of God where you swap your heaviness for His rest (see Matthew 11:28-30).

There are two versions of reality vying for your attention. One is grounded in the circumstances you experience in this world, the other is grounded in the truth of what Jesus speaks. “Heaven and earth will pass away, but My words will by no means pass away.” Matthew 24:35. You get to choose which one you are going to believe and pursue. I choose to pursue that which is eternal.

Strengthen yourself in God by spending time in His Word. Spend time intentionally connecting with Him in worship. Strengthen yourself in meeting together with each other. Discipline your thoughts to rest on what Jesus Christ is speaking to you, not the intimidation of the giant of your circumstances.

Image by DerrikT at http://www.flickr.com/photos/derricksphotos/