This Might Be Why You Feel Like You're Failing |05.18.25| Facing Giants pt.1
When I was a little kid, I had quite the active imagination. My brother and I would often be found playing outside, caught in the middle of some superhero mission or special ops extraction.
I would use dirt and mud to paint my face like John Rambo, or borrow a kitchen rag to tie around my head like the karate kid.
And the common trait in all of our adventures was that we were up against some incredible adversary, and we had to muster up the COURAGE to press on through the difficulty.
Maybe it was because I was a little boy with big aspirations, or maybe it was because that’s just a common theme with the stories and tales that we have in our collective imagination.
Knights fighting dragons. Kings defeating witches. Young heroines under threat from every side who need to muster up the courage to prevail.
We love stories of courage and overcoming and good prevailing against evil. These stories fill our imaginations and give us language for how we navigate the world as we grow up and face new challenges.
But when we grow up, the life that we face doesn’t look exactly like the stories we rehearsed as children. Instead of dragons and evil queens, we face different sources of fear and stress.
Instead of running through the jungles, hiding from enemy combatants, we run through life, masking our shame and hiding our regret.
We get knocked around a little in life, we give in to temptation and compromise our own values, and we start to wonder, do we have what it takes? Will we find the courage we need? What happens if we come against a REAL challenge? Something that requires more than surface-level courage?
And when we look around at the examples of leaders and heroes in the world, we usually find normal people who are doing their best, sometimes succeeding and sometimes failing.
And we’re usually let down by the people we platform, whether it’s a celebrity, or a politician, or a community leader. We hope they will be the example we need them to be, but then they crack under the pressure, hurting the people around them in the process.
And we wonder if we’ll ever find a true hero. We wonder if true courage even exists. We wonder how long it will be until WE crack under the pressure?
Because we all face giants – situations that feel bigger than us, louder than our faith…heavier than our strength can carry.
That’s why we’re going to spend the next few weeks looking at one of the most famous people in the Bible, David. Because not only did David stand up to real giants, but he also stood up in the face of other enemies and challenges.
Sometimes he stood strong, and sometimes he failed. But in every story, we’ll discover how Jesus is the greater David, who faced every giant perfectly so that we can walk in His victory.
And I’m going to give us some very practical ways to preach the gospel to ourselves so that we can be equipped not just to SURVIVE the giants in our own lives, but so that we can face them with COURAGE rooted in who God is, not who we are trying to be.
[Scripture Ref]
So let’s open our Bibles to 1 Samuel 17, which can be found on p203 Of the OT in your black, seat-back Bibles. And as you’re turning there, this story picks up when the people of God, Israel, have decided that they don’t want to be led by a prophet picked by God. Instead, they want to be like the other nations around them and have a king who leads them and gives them military dominance in the region.
So they’ve gotten their first king, tall Saul, and he’s done a fine job leading the army and winning battles. But Saul is also deeply insecure and constantly worried that he’s going to lose his power (that’s some foreshadowing).
And our story finds the people of Israel set up for battle against the neighboring enemy tribe of the Philistines. And the WAY that they would do battle is that each side would pick one champion to fight for them. That way, they wouldn’t have to always experience huge loss of life, since most of these armies were made up of enlisted farmers and merchants and shepherds.
So we’re going to chat about this AS we read it, so follow along with me…
[1 Samuel 17:1-11]
They’ve showed up for battle. Saul has been here before. He’s won before. But for some reason, this time it’s different. Goliath is a more formidable foe than Israel has ever faced before. Keep reading
[1 Samuel 17:12-25]
Did you hear that? It’s been 40 days, and no progress has been made yet. 40 days of fear, of taunting, of whispering, of hopes, and of terror that they will lose and will become the slaves of their enemies.
I wonder if you’ve ever experienced living under the weight of constant stress? Day after day, your heart races, your energy wanes, and you pray for the fight to be over, but you don’t see any way out.
You start daydreaming about how incredible life would be when the weight lifts, but you also know that is really unlikely. So your hope grows weaker and weaker. Pretty soon, you’ve resigned yourself to the robotic motions of going through life under the weight of that stress and depression.
[1 Samuel 17:28-33]
David shows up to find a disheartened army, a hopeless situation, and an enemy who is not only threatening their lives but also mocking their faith and their God.
And when he leans in to find out more information and see if he can help, he’s immediately judged. His brother judges him and puts him down, accusing him of being nosy.
Then Saul judges him and almost laughs him off, “There’s no WAY you can go out there to fight the giant. You’re just a BOY.”
And imagine how this story would have been different if David did what so many of us do, and he started to believe them?
What happens to us when others look down on us and we let their words become our inner voice? At that point, the fight is over, because THEY don’t even need to tear us down any more, because we’re doing that for them!
But when there is a challenge to our community, when there is a challenge to our family or group, how do we find the courage to step up? David shows us that it doesn't come from inside us…
[1 Samuel 17:34-37]
“The Lord has protected me before, and he will again!” David found the courage to step up through the power of remembering God’s faithfulness in the past. Because David could look back and see how God had been faithful, he’s able to have his faith increased in the present, which gives him a better footing to step up to the challenge and step into the future.
And it seems like Saul is inspired enough to let him do it…at first…
[1 Samuel 17:38-39]
Saul seems to trust David’s word, that he has found the courage to step up to the challenge facing their people…but Saul definitely DOESN’T trust David’s abilities, because he tries to clothe him in his royal armor.
Now, maybe Saul wanted to give David a fighting chance, and knew that the king’s armor was the best around. And he knew that defeat would mean that the whole people of Israel would become the slaves of the Philistines.
But even though Saul was trying to provide David with resources, they didn’t fit him. Saul had been a warrior king in his younger years, but Saul’s methods didn’t fit David.
Wearing Saul’s armor would hinder David’s agility. And it might even hinder his desire to trust in God’s protection. Why would he need God if he had the king’s armor, after all?
No, David knew that he HAD to keep his trust in God, so David takes off the armor…
[1 Samuel 17: 40-42]
So first David’s brother judged him. Then Saul judged him. And now the giant is judging him based on his looks.
But David is undeterred. And I’ve got to wonder: what gave David the audacity? What gave him the ability to forge on and not let those negative voices tear him down?
I think the key for David is something that can be truly helpful for us, too. No matter what giant we might be facing, no matter what is trying to get us down, David shows us how he was able to STEP UP…he kept his focus on God.
[1 Samuel 17:45-47]
Powerful, isn’t it? David kept his focus on God, not on the problem in front of him. He kept his focus on the ability of GOD, not on his own ability or himself at all.
No, David focused on God’s power, “for the battle belongs to the Lord.”
[blank]
And I think we can all learn from this, because if we focus on the problem that is in front of us…if we focus on the giant we face…we’re going to see how BIG it is. We’re going to realize how small WE are.
“There’s no way I can beat this…”
But if we focus on God…HIS action, his faithfulness, his goodness…we’ll see how big HE is…and how small the problem is.
Goliath is already twice the height of most of the soldiers he’s ever fought. And he doesn’t need to be faster or better with a sword. He’s literally out of REACH of anyone he’s faced. He just needs to spear them with his huge spear and win.
And then David comes running out, no sword, no shield — is this a joke?
And David is running up to this guy, and he’s probably even bigger the closer he gets. And he could have kept his focus on the enemy in front of him…
We do that! We think we’ve gotta focus on the problem in front of us. It’s our job to overcome it! It’s going to get us! It’s not going to take care of itself!
For some of us, the giant looks like the pressure to provide when the bank account keeps telling you there’s “not enough” available.
For others, the giant is the silence in your marriage after another fight about nothing. And you can’t see much hope for change because it’s easier to avoid than engage.
Maybe your giant is that addiction that you SWORE you had under control. And now it’s shouting with that voice in your head, “You’ll never change. You’ll never be good enough.”
And we keep our eyes on that giant. We keep our focus on it, and it seems too big to defeat.
These giants don’t carry swords or shields. They carry expectations, regrets, secrets…shame.
Some of you listening know exactly what I mean. You’re fighting to hold it all together. You smile at the cookout… “Oh yeah, I’m fine…”
But inside…you’re barely standing. It feels like you’ve got no real support, no one you can be honest with.
And the pressure to be a good husband, a strong dad, a dependable friend, a spiritual leader — it’s crushing.
And the giants keep shouting you down.
“If people knew the real you…they’d walk away.”
“You’ve got to carry this alone.”
“You deserve a break…just one more drink, one more bet, one more click…”
Maybe you’ve been listening to these lies for 40 days straight, just like Israel’s army. Maybe 40 weeks. Maybe 40 years.
So where will we find REAL courage? It’s not found in focusing on the problem in front of us. And it’s not found in pretending we’re strong on our own.
True courage and the ability to overcome is found in keeping our focus on God and remembering who he is.
[4Gs]
There’s a framework that I’d like to share with you… 4 truths that help us preach the gospel to ourselves when fear creeps in. They’re called the 4 Gs, and they go like this:
God is Good—so I don’t have to look elsewhere.
God is Great—so I don’t have to be in control.
God is Gracious—so I don’t have to prove myself.
God is Glorious—so I don’t have to fear others.
We’ll get into them all over the course of the next few weeks, but today I’d like to focus on the first one.
[God is Good]
God is Good — so I don’t have to look elsewhere. We need to say this to ourselves over and over and over again, because for too many of us, our first reaction when we face some challenge is to try and rely on something to save us.
We think the scratcher might help us break even with our debts.
We think the perfect gift will smooth things over with our spouse.
We think distracting ourselves from the problem will make the anxiety better.
And David could have fallen for the same lie. He could have accepted Saul’s armor, thinking that the king’s armor would protect him and give him victory.
He could have even relied on HIMSELF, how he’s overcome things before, so he’s just gotta muscle through and keep his head down and do it again.
But we don’t need to look for other things to protect us, or save us, or satisfy our deepest longings.
God is Good – so we don’t have to look elsewhere to find what we’re looking for. He’s not just “good enough”, he defines the word “good.” James tells us that “every good thing comes from God our Father.”
David didn’t reach for worldly power to defeat Goliath. He didn’t reach for the armor, or for his own ego of his past accomplishments…to feel secure. To find courage.
He trusted in the goodness of God. He trusted in the character of God. He said “God has done it before, he can do it again. The battle belongs to him.” God is GOOD – so I don’t have to look for something else to be the “good” I need.
[1 Samuel 17:48-51]
I love that. David didn’t NEED his own sword. He didn’t need what Saul was trying to provide for him. He didn’t need to look elsewhere for what he needed. Because God provided a sword for David to use: Goliath’s sword!
And we need this encouragement today, because when there is a challenge to our family or community, it’s tempting to rely on our own power — or on worldly power — to stand up to the enemy we face.
But if that OTHER help, if those OTHER methods, are what God is calling us to use…If we look for something ELSE instead of God and his providence…then we remove God from the equation.
Then we’re exposed. We’re facing our giant all by ourselves. And the OTHER things that we look to to help us: worldly power, influence, intimidation, political sway, money…all of it…it’s all WEAK. It’s all flawed.
[You can trust]
So we need to remind ourselves that God is GOOD…we can trust GOD’S strength, we can trust what GOD is providing for us…we don’t have to look elsewhere.
David stepped onto that battlefield to face a giant that NO ONE else had the courage to step up to. And with God’s help, he prevailed for the sake of his people.
But do you know who is an even better example for us than David? Jesus.
Jesus is the better David, who stepped onto a much more terrifying battlefield — facing sin, death, and the powers of hell…on our behalf.
And just like David said “no” to Saul’s armor, Jesus didn’t rely on human strength, political power, or worldly weapons to face the enemy. He trusted fully in the Father’s will and plan and fought with obedience, surrender, and love.
He didn’t just risk his life as our champion…he willingly laid it down.
Jesus doesn’t just model courage for us. He won the ultimate victory. He’s already defeated all the giants that we fear the most.
And now? Now he gives us his Spirit so that we can walk onto our own battlefields with courage that’s not rooted in ourselves. We don’t follow his example by watching what he did and then trying to do it on our own.
No, because of Jesus, we don’t have to fight FOR victory. Because of Jesus, we fight FROM victory, because Jesus has already won.
Jesus has already given us the path for true life through his grace and forgiveness and salvation.
Jesus has already given us his peace that creates calm in the storm of our anxiety and stress.
Jesus has already forgiven us and enabled us to forgive each other, paving a path for healing and reconciliation in our relationships.
Jesus has done it, and he invites us to lay down our attempts at personal power, he invites us to lay down our agendas and our control and submit to his yoke, connect ourselves to his life, so that we can walk in his power and victory.
So whatever giant you are facing right now…whatever challenge is threatening your family, your heart, your peace…you can trust God’s provision and strength. You don’t have to look elsewhere.
[Remind yourself]
But you need to daily remind yourself. You need to remind yourself of who God is. You need to rehearse the good news that God is Good — you need to say that to yourself over and over again frequently.
Because the giants we face will shout and yell and threaten and try to distract us and tear us down and get us to look at how small we feel.
But courage doesn’t come from trying harder or fighting harder. Courage comes from trusting deeper. It comes from trusting WHO God is — not who we’re trying to be.
And as we practice reminding ourselves of God’s character…his faithfulness…his GOODNESS…we turn our focus on God, and we get to see him work.
So to close, I want to read for you a Psalm of David, 145, entitled The Greatness and Goodness of God:
1I will exalt you, my God the King;
I will praise your name for ever and ever.
2Every day I will praise you
and extol your name for ever and ever.
9The Lord is good to all;
he has compassion on all he has made.
10All your works praise you, Lord;
your faithful people extol you.
11They tell of the glory of your kingdom
and speak of your might,
12so that all people may know of your mighty acts
and the glorious splendor of your kingdom.
13Your kingdom is an everlasting kingdom,
and your dominion endures through all generations.
The Lord is trustworthy in all he promises
and faithful in all he does.
14The Lord upholds all who fall
and lifts up all who are bowed down.
17The Lord is righteous in all his ways
and faithful in all he does.
18The Lord is near to all who call on him,
to all who call on him in truth.
21My mouth will speak in praise of the Lord.
Let every creature praise his holy name
for ever and ever.