All those gathered here will know that it is not by sword or spear that the Lord saves; for the battle is the Lord’s, and he will give all of you into our hands. 1 Samuel 17:47

 

Children love the story in the Bible of the boy David defeating the giant Goliath with a slingshot. It illustrates something that we believe is impossible by the time we reach adulthood – conquering a problem that is much bigger than us with just a flick of the wrist. It wasn’t David’s good aim that defeated an outsized enemy, but the power of God. Even so, sometimes we need help finding the right tools.

My friend Kari faced enormous, giant-sized anger and hurt when her nephew was murdered. She said she sensed pain looming over her like a giant, leaving her powerless in its shadow. Kari went to therapy, where she was allowed to admit that she didn’t know why she was even alive.

The process of healing has been long, but voicing her fears was the small stone that God provided to help defeat what threatened to crush Kari. Grappling with a giant problem can start with the smallest stone. As David declared to Goliath, the battle belonged to God from the beginning and all who witness it will see that it is God who saves.

Facing your own terrifying giant will change your life. You will come to feel reassurance that God is present in darkness and find renewed conviction that your battles are won with God’s power so that you can proclaim that the LORD saves. If you’re facing a giant today, God will provide a pebble (Isaiah 43:19).  Start, like David, and pick it up.

 

Resource reading: 1 Samuel 17:1-58