1 Samuel 17 is the backdrop for the story of David and Goliath. The shepherd slays the warrior. The boy conquers the giant. God gives David victory over his giant, to inspire us to confront our own giants. Giants can be tangible or intangible: the things we can’t overcome because, gripped by fear, we think we can’t. They can also be seemingly unattainable goals, unfinished projects, or unfulfilled dreams. A giant is anything or anybody keeping us from being or doing what God wants us to be or do. Giants can be internal or external, real or imagined, physical or emotional. A giant could be an attitude, a habit, a belief, a philosophy, or a memory. It could be a person who stands between us and God; between who we are and who God wants us to be; between where we are and where God wants us to go; between what we believe and what God wants us to believe. Giants have one goal – to stop our progress and prevent us from reaching our destiny. But giant-killers see victory in the shadow of defeat. They perceive every fight as a test where the challenge is to turn a negative into a positive. Conflict is accepted and resistance is expected. To them conflict is growth, and facing an enemy is what happens before we get to advance. Giants can expose our hidden strengths, help us measure our growth, and feed our confidence in God. Giant-killers see opportunity in opposition, potential in problems, and victory in the shadow of defeat. And with God’s help we can become a giant-killer.

What Now?

Re-read 1 Samuel 17. Write down any verses that stand out to you.