Facing our giants

A teacher was giving an exam identifying notable figures in the Bible. One of the questions was, “Who said, “Give me a man.” One student wrote down “Rahab, the harlot.” Smiling at the answer, the teacher gave the student credit for the question, even though the answer he was looking for was, “Goliath.”
The ancient Israelites were in the field preparing for battle against their Philistine enemies. There was a custom for two individuals to duel first in a fight to the death, with that battle setting the tone for the entire war.
The Philistine champion was Goliath, who gave the challenge, “Give me a man, that we may fight together.”
Goliath’s height was “six cubits and a span.” A cubit was approximately 18 inches; a span six inches, which computes out to about nine and a half feet. To say it in Southern talk, Goliath was a big-ole boy!
Not only that, Goliath was a big-ole boy with a bad attitude! His armor weighed 5,000 shekels of bronze (about 78 pounds), and he had a massive javelin-type spear for a weapon, slung between his shoulders. The shaft was like a “weaver’s beam” and the iron head weighed 600 shekels, (about 18 pounds).
Goliath taunted and ridiculed the Israelites because they were terrified and wouldn’t send anyone out to meet him. Any wonder why no-one wanted to take that challenge?
Then a little guy by the name of David volunteered to go forward for the Israelites to face Goliath. The Israelites said, “No way!”, but David was determined. They tried putting the king’s armor on him, but it was too big and too much. Consequently, David went out to face Goliath wearing only his shepherd's clothing. He didn't take a sword or spear, but went to the stream and chose five smooth stones for his sling before heading out.
The story of David and Goliath isn’t just a lesson on the power of positive thinking. It’s the story of a God who whispers to us that we can do it; that He will be with us; and that with His help we shall prevail. Despite all appearances, David was ready for his confrontation with the giant Goliath because he believed that God was on his side. You know the outcome of this story. David felled Goliath with a single stone and the battle was won.
The normal person averages at least 10 to 20 decisions each minute of the 1,440-minute day.
The decisions we make eventually determine the course of our day, year, and even our life. If we embrace our faith and step out on it, our faith can make a difference in how we face the difficulties and challenges around us, especially in these pandemic times.
Any time we are facing a problem bigger than us, we are “facing our Giants.” Our faith in God can give us confidence to battle whatever giants come our way, whether those battles are physical or financial, social or emotional or even mental or situational. With God’s help, we can stand our ground with faith and courage, knowing He is there with us.