WHAT GIANTS ARE IN YOUR LIFE?

Did you know that a person doesn't need giant faith to take care of the giants in their life? If you had faith the size of the mustard seed you can move mountains.(Matthew 17:20 ) Oh boy, here we go on the faith subject again. The Holy Spirit keeps bringing it up, so I guess it's pretty important for the times in which we live. That sure is an understatement. Lets pray and get into the spiritual stream together. "Glorious Father, thank you so much for Your love for us and for letting us borrow that love to give back to You and others. You have surely entrusted us with a most precious thing indeed. Help us to be good stewards over it and all other things You have graciously bestowed upon us...mere men, but yet children of God. Teach us Holy Spirit about this living thing called faith. We love You. In Jesus name we pray....AMEN"

What are the giants in your life? Let's go over a few shall we. Some of these we all go through, some are my own personal giants or maybe some of the giants you face are not discussed here, but they are surely real enough to you. Have you ever had a loved one who you prayed for diligently and had them slip away without knowing where there eternal destination was? Have you ever had a phone call in the middle of the night which changed your life forever? Do you have a besetting sin which you keep repenting over to no avail? Have you lost a son or daughter, maybe a spouse or parent? Did you lose everything you own in a natural disaster? Oh the heartache, doubt, worrying and unbelief such things bring to bear on us frail vessels.

Do you live in a worn torn country not knowing when the next bomb is coming? We might be there ourselves one day, yes, even this grand ole United States of America. Did you just lose your job with no hope in sight for shelter and food for your little ones? Even the death of a pet can seem a large giant at the time. Did an unforeseen accident leave you maimed or paralyzed? What about the agony of finding out that your spouse has been unfaithful? Is your giant constant, chronic pain which has lasted years and years, even decades? Sometimes a giant may be regret over past sins or the constant condemnation that you are not doing enough for the Kingdom. These seem small to some but are real giants to those going through them. Yes, even loneliness is a Goliath to be sure.

Your heart can't help to go out to the children we see so often in other countries (ours too!) so frail and malnourished. To them the possibility of being fed is a giant. Being a widow is a giant. Being an orphan is a giant. God said that the only religion He recognizes is taking care of the widows and orphans. Which means they are real concerns.(James 1:27 ) Laying in bed at night frightened because of the evil neighborhood in which you live is a large one. Maybe you dread the future. The news media surely offers little hope in this area. Jesus did say that we should not worry about the future because each day has enough trouble of its own.(Matthew 6:34 )I guess another real giant could be a question about where you would spend eternity if you passed away today. To born again believers (those surrendered to the Lord Jesus) that wouldn't normally be a giant, but we live in a time where the devil's whispering in our ears is becoming louder because his time is short. So, yes, doubts about our salvation at times could be a giant. Maybe a giant which grow many heads if we allow our doubts to push into ways to comfort our salvation certainty...such as good works and religion.

The torment that passes through the mind of a rape victim surely is a giant. Did you just find out that you are adopted? Are you a girl still in high school and find yourself expecting? The phone rings and the F.B.I. reports to you that your child is in jail in another country. That will keep you up at night. Kidnapped. Even the very word spreads terror in the heart and is a very large giant indeed. Another word(giant) that brings fear of the worst kind (even to the most devout Christian) is cancer. The world we live in seems to be a land full of giants. Again, Jesus said that while we are in this world we will have tribulation but to cheer up because He has overcome the world. And that overcoming power lives in us.(John 16:33)

This is not a discourse to discover the reasons for these giants. Neither will we try to figure out why, God, why. The giants are here. They are real. Hopefully we can learn how small they really are compared to the Large God Who is much alive and cares about us. If He gave His very own Son to die in our place while we were yet sinners, how much more so will He give us all things pertaining to life and godliness now that we are in covenant with Him. Don't get me wrong. These things in life, and many more besides, which are ugly and traumatic are very, very real. You will not hear from me such things as, "oh, I will pray for you," or simply "God will work it out, just believe." No, you certainly will not !!

Instead, you and I will do just as David did. We will look at that giant and say, "I will grieve appropriately with my God when needed." "I might even question God from time to time." "Giant, I may even despair at times and waver in my faith." "But know this for certain mr. devil, you will not destroy me and you can't have me because God has an everlasting covenant with me." "I am washed in the blood of the Lamb and His mark is upon my heart." What mark is that you may ask. It is a covenant mark. It is an everlasting sign upon our heart which testifies that we belong to the Most High. And whatever God says, that will He do. That's covenant talk. Thats love talk. So when you find giants coming up against you from time to time, react as the human you are, but remember to run to the throne from which your help comes.

And do one more thing for me would you? When that giant seems to be getting the better of you, pick up that little stone of faith (the love covenant Word's of God Himself to you and me) and fire it at that ole nasty giant the evil one. He will not stand because I will tell you a little secret. That little stone (faith) the size of a mustard seed is as big as God. And like David, talk to that giant. Say, "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 Hosts. And know this, it is not by sword or spear that the Lord saves; for the battle is the Lord's and He will give you into my hand." Remember that David called Goliath uncircumcised. That means the giant is not in covenant with God. And that is not a very good place to be. So, go ahead. Pick up that covenant Word of God and sling away. No giant is a match for your covenant brother...Jesus, the King of Glory.