Key scripture – “All the men of Israel, when they saw the man, fled from him and were much afraid. . . . And David said to the men who stood by him, “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?” (1 Samuel 17:24, 26, ESV).

Pastor James McDonald asks, When you hear the name “Goliath,” you picture that hairy giant of a guy that the shepherd-boy David brought down with a slingshot and a stone, right? That whole battle scene inspires us—because we know how it ended.

But if you had said the name “Goliath” to any soldier serving under King Saul, you would have seen pure terror in his eyes. Every day for more than a month, the troops had witnessed this arrogant, bullying enemy challenge their army. “And the Philistine said, ‘I defy the ranks of Israel this day. Give me a man, that we may fight together.’ When Saul and all Israel heard these words of the Philistine, they were dismayed and greatly afraid.” (1 Samuel 17:10–11).

Enter young David, delivering lunch to his big brothers on the battlefield, when Goliath came out for his daily taunt.

Now, David knew the same thing that Saul and his army should have known. David knew that God had promised to protect His people, and his faith in the living God flourished—even when the rest of them cowered, and were paralyzed with fear. When David heard Goliath’s proposition, he thought, “Now let me get this straight. All I have to do is fight him, and this showdown will all be over? That’s it?”

But before David did his famous slingshot routine, he had to overcome a few major obstacles. The most obvious one stood right in front of him. Was there anything, humanly speaking, that suggested he was the guy to take on Goliath? No. But David didn’t see what everybody else saw. If David had walked by sight, he would have noticed a much stronger opponent with more battle experience, more weaponry, more raw killing power.

Too often, we fail to win the victories that God would have us win because of the simple obstacle of sight. Do you see what everybody else sees, or do you see what God sees? Like Saul’s soldiers, have you been paralyzed for forty days by seeing only a giant, listening to his taunts hammer your hope and injure your heart? The problem is vision: you’ve got your eyes off the Lord and on the giant. When David looked up, he asked a bold question: “For who is this uncircumcised Philistine, that he should defy the armies of the living God?” His words reveal a simple fact: David had his eyes on the Lord. Everything hinged on this.

When we face our Giants we need to focus first, and most, on God. When you read 1 Samuel 17 and list the observations David made about Goliath, you find only two. One to Saul and one to Goliath’s face, “Who is this uncircumcised Philistine that he should defy the armies of the living God” (1 Samuel 17:26). David asks nothing about Goliath’s skill, age, or the weight of the spear, the size of his shield. But he gives much thought to God. The armies of the living God; The Lord of hosts, the God of the armies of Israel. In all, the God-thoughts outnumber Goliath-thoughts nine to two.

How does this ratio compare with yours? Is your list of blessings four times as long as your list of complaints? Are you four times as likely to describe the strength of God as you are the demands of your day and your problems? That’s how you face a giant.

If you are facing a giant today forget about what you see. Get your eyes back on the Lord, “for we walk by faith, not by sight” (2 Corinthians 5:7). Contrast what you see with your eyes vs. what you see by faith. Keep your eyes squarely on God and you will be able to face your Goliath and say what David said.

Pray this – Our Precious Heavenly Father, You are a warrior. You are mighty in battle, and You always win. My God is always victorious. That is why I can proclaim, “No weapon that is formed against you will prosper; And every tongue that accuses you in judgment you will condemn. This is the heritage of the servants of the Lord, And their vindication is from Me,” declares the Lord.” (Isaiah 54:17). When I face my giants in life, help me to fix my eyes on You alone. When I stare at the giant, my vision deceives me, and I feel afraid, but when I look at You, my courage grows, for You are the living God, slayer of giants, slayer of sin, and slayer of death. Teach me to “walk by faith, not by sight.” Thank You that because of Jesus, my ultimate eternal victory is secure. In Jesus’ Matchless Name, I pray, Amen.

 Laura Ingle