1 Samuel 17:40-Then he took his staff in his hand; and he chose for himself five smooth stones from the brook, and put them in a shepherd’s bag, in a pouch which he had, and his sling was in his hand. And he drew near to the Philistine.
Gaints that we face inside of us:
Doubt
Unbelief
Fear
Anger
Greed
Sloth
Gluttony
Envy
Despair
Discouragement
Self-condemnation
Fear of failure
Critical spirit
Five Smooth Stones:
2 Samuel 21:22: “These four were born to the giant in Gath, and fell by the hand of David, and by the hand of his servants.”
Was this his brothers or sons?
The Things He Did Right To Defeat His Gaint
1-He did what his father asked! Verse 17-Then Jesse said to his son David, “Take now for your brothers an ephah of this dried grain and these ten loaves, and run to your brothers at the camp.
2-He took care of his responsibility! Verse 20-So David rose early in the morning, left the sheep with a keeper
3-Asked questions because knowledge is power! Verse 26-26Then David spoke to the men who stood by him, saying, “What shall be done for the man who kills this Philistine and takes away the reproach from Israel? For who is this uncircumcised Philistine, that he should defy the armies of the living God?”
4-David relied on past experiences to face his giant! Verse 34-36-But David said to Saul, “Your servant used to keep his father’s sheep, and when a lion or a bear came and took a lamb out of the flock, 35I went out after it and struck it, and delivered the lamb from its mouth; and when it arose against me, I caught it by its beard, and struck and killed it. 36Your servant has killed both lion and bear; and this uncircumcised Philistine will be like one of them, seeing he has defied the armies of the living God.”
5-David had to do things his way! Verse 38-39-So Saul clothed David with his armor, and he put a bronze helmet on his head; he also clothed him with a coat of mail. 39David fastened his sword to his armor and tried to walk, for he had not tested them. And David said to Saul, “I cannot walk with these, for I have not tested them.” So David took them off.
6-David didn't let Goliath talk down to him. Verse 43-So the Philistine said to David, “Am I a dog, that you come to me with sticks?” And the Philistine cursed David by his gods. Don’t listen to that voice that puts you down, or discourages you!
7-David spoke to his gaint. Verse 45-47-Then David said to the Philistine, “You come to me with a sword, with a spear, and with a javelin. But I come to you in the name of the Lord of hosts, the God of the armies of Israel, whom you have defied. 46This day the Lord will deliver you into my hand, and I will strike you and take your head from you. And this day I will give the carcasses of the camp of the Philistines to the birds of the air and the wild beasts of the earth, that all the earth may know that there is a God in Israel. 47Then all this assembly shall know that the Lord does not save with sword and spear; for the battle is the Lord’s, and He will give you into our hands.”
8-David ran toward the gaint, instead of running away from his gaint. Verse 48-So it was, when the Philistine arose and came and drew near to meet David, that David hurried and ran toward the army to meet the Philistine.
9-David took an physical trophy to remind him every day of what God could do and no matter what he faced that day he had that to refresh his memory. Verse 54-And David took the head of the Philistine and brought it to Jerusalem, but he put his armor in his tent.
What is a mental trophy you have of God has done in the past!
A young fellow wanted to be a star journalist but lived in a small town (not much possibility). One day the dam upstream broke and the town was flooded. He got in a rowboat and headed out to look for a story. He found a lady sitting on her rooftop. He tied up the boat and told her what he was after. (They both watched as various items floated by). She says, “Now there’s a story.” “No, that’s not a story.” Finally a hat floats by and then does a 180 degree turn, goes upstream a ways and does another 180 degree turn, etc. The fellow says, “There’s a story.”
“Oh no, that’s not a story. That’s my husband Hayford. He said that he was going to mow the lawn come hell or high water!”
We should be so determined to defeat our gaints!
Focus on giants, you stumble
Focus on God, and your giants tumble
Don’t tell God how big your giants are.
Tell your giants how big your God is.
