Goliath’s ancestors were Israel’s long-standing enemies. And when Joshua entered the Promised Land, he annihilated them all, except the inhabitants of Gath where Goliath hailed from. It's important to remember that, because it shows that if we don't completely destroy the issues we're facing, they'll rise to fight again. David put ‘five…stones from a stream…into his shepherd’s bag’ (v.40 NLT) because he didn’t know how many he’d need to finish the job. And there are certain ‘stones’ we need to take with us to conquer the giants in our lives. 1) Be relentless. It might take more than a day, a month, or even a year to see results. But with God’s help we’ll win if we persevere. 2) Get God involved. David declared, ‘There is a God in Israel’ (v.46 NLT). He made sure to bring God right into the centre of the situation, and God came through for Him. 3) Keep praying and believing God for victory. ‘Prayer is essential in this ongoing warfare’ (Ephesians 6:18 MSG). Replaying and going over our hurts again and again won’t heal them, and ignoring our problems won’t solve them. But prayer will. 4) Remember earlier victories. David announced, ‘God, who delivered me from the…lion and…bear, will deliver me from this Philistine’ (1 Samuel 17:37 MSG). When we’re afraid of the future, we should try to call to mind God’s past faithfulness to us: ‘Remember the wonders he…performed, his miracles, and the rulings he has given’ (1 Chronicles 16:12 NLT). With God’s help, we can conquer any giants that life throws at us.

What Now?

What ‘giant’ are you facing at the moment? Take some time out today to tell God about it and ask Him to get involved in your battle. Listen to His instructions and follow through on any action He wants you to take.