Influencers Weekly Devotional- The Valley of the Giants
The Valley of the Giants
by
Bryan Craig
“David said to the Philistine, ‘You come against me with sword and spear and javelin, but I come against you in the name of the Lord Almighty, the God of the armies of Israel, whom you have defied.’” 1 Samuel 17:45
Bruce Wilkinson wrote a great book a few years back, called “The Dreamgiver”. This book really captivated my attention and spoke to my heart. He talks about how God, the Dreamgiver, awakens a dream within a man and creates a burning desire within him to pursue its fulfillment. He takes the reader on a journey with one such man. He starts to tell his friends and family about the dream, most of whom dismiss it as a “pipedream”. However, when he actually starts moving toward his dream and reaches the border of town (the border of his Comfort Zone), then the “Border Bullies” show up. These are well-meaning individuals who are close to the Dreamer who are getting very uncomfortable as he begins to get serious about pursuing his dream. They try to discourage him from moving forward. His desire for his dream gives him strength to move beyond the border, and he feels a great sense of accomplishment and the pleasure of the Dreamgiver. He seems to be making great progress on his journey, until he reaches “The Valley of the Giants.”
The Giants don’t come with mild discouragement like the Border Bullies. They come with fierce intimidation. They have names you might recognize. One giant named Fear comes with threats of destruction, failure, poverty, embarrassment. He assures the dreamer that he better turn back immediately. One giant named Doubt speaks with venomous words which make the dreamer doubt whether his dream is possible, whether he is capable, whether he really heard from the Dreamgiver at all. Yet another giant, named Worry, conjures up within the dreamer a long list of details which seem to stand in the way of his path. One after the other, the giants come. All of the sudden, the way to his dream seems nearly impossible.
This story has been coming back to me these past few weeks, as I am on my own personal journey toward God’s dream for my life. The dream has been alive for a long time, but I’ve finally awakened to it. I’ve begun to take bold steps toward this dream. I’ve passed the Border of my Comfort Zone, and yes, I encountered a few Border Bullies. I have felt the excitement and pleasure of the Lord, as I believe I am on a path where the desires of my heart are matching His glorious will. All the steps He has inspired me to take have been coming quickly and easily. I have had a confidence and resolve like never before. But the Giants have now come.
They seem to understand the importance of this path I’m on, for they are angry and determined to stop me. Fear has pulled no punches as he speaks to me about financial considerations, provision for my family, unknown territory. Doubt has challenged my dream and my ability to fulfill it. Worry has me tormented and burdened. Just when I was about to lose hope, the Lord reminded me of a giant-killer named, David.
David, the young shepherd boy, had been anointed, out of all of his brothers, by Samuel. He was chosen by God, and it says after he was anointed, “from that day on the Spirit of the Lord came upon David in power.” 1 Samuel 16:13 You know the story of the giant, named Goliath, who taunted and intimidated the army of God’s people. No one was brave enough to fight Goliath, except for one boy. David had no fear, as he recounted the times the Lord had delivered him from lions and bears while he was out in the field watching the sheep. He knew, without a doubt, the Lord would deliver this giant into his hands. Saul, the King, with no other real options, allows David the chance to fight for his people. He puts his own armor upon David, which was heavy and burdensome. David tells Saul, “I cannot go in these.” He takes them off, and goes into battle, armed only with a slingshot and five stones. And as you know, he killed Goliath with one stone.
As I’ve meditated on David’s tactics at taking down the Giant, I’ve learned a few key lessons:
- David knew the Lord, and he knew had been chosen for great things. I have been chosen by the Lord, and that should bring me great confidence. “You didn’t choose Me, but I chose you and appointed you to go and bear fruit- fruit that will last.” John 15:16
- David remembered God’s power and faithfulness when he had faced challenges in the past. I, too, have great faith in the Lord’s abilities and have seen Him conquer many challenges in my life. “The Lord Your God is with you, He is mighty to save.” Zephaniah 3:17
- David would not wear the king’s armor, but instead used spiritual armor. David knew the king’s armor would give him no advantage over the enemy. As a matter of fact, it would have weighed him down and hindered his ability. David knew this battle required spiritual weapons. I think it’s interesting that he was armed only with 5 stones and a slingshot. When you read Ephesians 6:10-18, Paul talks about putting on the full armor of God, and he includes 5 defensive pieces…the Belt of Truth, the Breastplate of Righteousness, the Shoes of the Gospel, the Helmet of Salvation and the Shield of Faith. Then, he says to take up our Sword, which is the Word of God. The Sword is like the Slingshot, putting faith into action. I, too, could try to fight my giants with worldly armor (my intellect, my experience, my knowledge, my creativity, my survival instincts), but the Lord wants me to strip off this armor and use the weapons of a giant-killer.
- David used one Stone to kill Goliath. Likewise, one Stone will kill the Giants that stand before me…the Living Stone, the Capstone…Jesus Christ- “A stone that causes men to stumble and a rock that makes them fall.” 1 Peter 2:8 He will fight for me. He died for me so that I may have life and that His Spirit might live in me, and “the one Who is in me is greater than the one who is in the world.” 1 John 4:4