CONQUERING THE GIANTS IN YOUR LIFE

TEXT: 1^st SAMUEL 12:35-51

Every Christian has one giant or the other facing him/her. The giants must be before confronted, challenged before the Christian can progress in life.

• Challenges are what makes life interesting, overcoming them is what makes life meaningful.
• “Giants” are problems, pressures, pains, and persecutions. We will have to face from time to time in our lives.
• A “giant” is-

1. Anything that distracts us from our focus on God.
2. Anything that drains us from our service for God.
3. Anything that drains us of our driving passion for God.

• Giants represent anything which is opposed to God. But what are some of the giants people face?
• There are giants of resentment. There are giants of fear.
• There are giants of loneliness. There are giants of worry.
• There are giants of shame and guilt. There are giants of discouragement.
• There are giants of hopelessness and there are giants of bitterness.
• There are giants of pride and giants of selfishness.
• There are giants of doubt and giants of lust.
• All these and many more giants are opposed to God. Let us learn:-

CONFRONTING YOUR GIANTS.

• We must courageously confront our giants
• David saw a giant but he confronted him with great courage. What did David see in Goliath?

1. His appearance-17:4

• Goliath was a gigantic man. His appearance was beyond understanding.

2. His armor-17:5-7.

• Goliath wanted to appear stronger and unbearable. He accomplished this task because Israel was afraid of him.

3. His allegiance-17:43.

• Goliath cursed David in the name of his gods.
• David used the phrase “uncircumcised.” Meant that he was opposed to all that God stood for.
• Goliath seemed unstoppable and he presented himself as someone who cannot go down.
• What kind of challenges and problems do you have that seem unstoppable?
• For forty (40) days Goliath abused and insulted the people of God, twice everyday-17:16.
• The size of Goliath, the sound of Goliath, the strength of Goliath was frightening.
• The people of God were sore afraid of Goliath, the giant of fear and belittlement engulfed them.
• What giant is intimidating you today?
• Do you have resentment in your heart towards somebody who wronged you?
• Are you running away from something that God has called you to do?
• Is your family facing marital or financial difficulties?
• Are you having trouble with guilt and shame because of something you did in the past?
• The giant of poverty and lack of material things can harass a child of God.
• Your giant can be defeated in Jesus name.

CHALLENGING YOUR GIANTS.

• We must confidently challenge our giants.
• Your giant should not be a problem but a challenge to confront in the name of Jesus Christ.
• David applied two ways of defeating a giant.

He recalled the past victories-17:32-37.

• David remembered past victories God had given him.
• God has done so many things for you and me in the past.
• David had killed a lion and a bear.
• Little battles in our lives help get us ready for big battles in the future!!

Private victories are preparing us for public victories.

• We must renew our faith for present victories.
• David’s confidence was in God, not in clothes, armor or physical strength.
• David knew it was not by power, nor by might, but by the spirit of God.
• David’s confidence was in the God who brought him through the past.
• David knew that God was bigger than Goliath.
• God, Jehovah is greater than any problem you and I have or will ever face!!

CONQUERING YOUR GIANTS.

• We must completely conquer our giants.
• There are two proper motives for wanting to see your giants defeated.

1. A desire for God’s glory-1^st 10:31.
2. A desire for God’s plan to be fulfilled in your life-Rom. 8:28; 2^nd 4:17.

Remember

• God is greater than your giants-Eph. 3:20.
• God who worked for you then, will still work now-Malachi 3:6.
• You don’t need new methods to defeat your giants (prayer, faith, the word are enough-Eph. 6:12-18).
• Giants are placed in your life to grow you up.
• Before David would overcome the giant in Goliath, he had to overcome:-

1. The obstacle of cowardice; the Israel army were cowards including King Saul!!
2. The obstacle of criticism; David’s brothers criticized him for coming to their camp.
3. The obstacle of concern: King Saul did not think that David had a chance before Goliath.
4. The obstacle of champion. David was about to face the greatest challenge of his life.
   • David faced Goliath in the name of the Lord-17:45; Prov. 18:10.

CONCLUSION

• As you face your “giants” and fight your “giants” and finish your “giants,” people will notice, they will ask “what makes you different?”
• When David defeated the giant, others were blessed.
• God is greater than your giants.