Facing Life’s Goliaths: Drawing Strength from Our Past Triumphs and Faith

Life can grow imposing. Problems take on dimensions that defy our ability to cope. They come by various names. Dementia. Cancer. Loneliness. Loss.

They force us to face the giant.

How do you meet the giants of life? Let’s visit the giant’s lair of old.

In 1 Samuel 17, fear shook the earth as much as the 9-foot Philistine in the valley of Elah. Goliath towered over every Israelite. His footfalls shook the ground. His boisterous boasting swept any whiff of courage from God’s people.

Saul needed a warrior. Their man would stand against Goliath in a winner-take-all contest. No one stepped forward until a boy came to the valley.

David came to bring supplies to his brothers but grew incensed at the quivering hearts of the men. He volunteered, and the army jeered. How can a little boy survive?

David’s courage was not his own but winnowed from his experience with God. He had been a shepherd, and wolves, lions, and bears often attacked the flock.

His perspective is a lesson for all:

And David said, “The Lord who delivered me from the paw of the lion and from the paw of the bear will deliver me from the hand of this Philistine.” And Saul said to David, “Go, and the Lord be with you!” (1 Samuel 17:37)

God’s past help proves his future favor.

If God saved David before, he would save him again.

Do you believe that?

Worry and anxiety confront many. Those spiritual Goliaths cannot see the future, and the future they do see looks bleak. Where does the money come from? Will I be safe? Hearts darken, and courage melts.

Should we not do as David did? Ask, “How has God helped in times past? Has he not been with me in every challenge?”

A brief inventory of life answers the questions. Most (if not all) have food and clothes. God’s presence and care have remained constant even in the worst life could hand us.

The poet Sarah Williams in a poem named The Old Astronomer wrote:

“Though my soul may set in darkness, it will rise in perfect light;

I have loved the stars too fondly to be fearful of the night.”

If God saved us before, he will save us again. If we have seen the stars, we do not fear the darkness.

Which giant bellows across your Elah? Just as David found strength in his faith and past experiences when facing Goliath, so can we find courage in our past triumphs and beliefs when confronting the challenges of our lives. Don’t heed giant voices but remember the God who saves from the lion’s and bear’s paw. He goes with you into the fight.