He would probably have bumped his head on the top of your front door, for he was nine feet tall, and he was not thin. And he had a big, booming voice to match. The Bible says he was one of the family of giants.
This big man lived long before guns and bombs, so when he came out and shouted his threats against the people he hated, the children of Israel, it was enough to make the bravest person tremble. Nobody wanted to fight with him. “COME AND FIGHT!” he shouted. But nobody came.
And then one day somebody did come to fight him. Who could be bold enough or strong enough to accept a challenge like that? The young lad who came was not really strong at all, but he knew someone that the giant did not know. He knew God.
I wonder if you know Him — God, who has all power. The big giant didn’t care about who God was, and nothing happened to him. Nothing, until . . .
The lad who came into the valley to meet the giant had already trusted God, and God had given him strength to kill a lion and a bear, just with his hands, in order to save his sheep. The lad’s name was David.
But the giant seemed to need a lot of equipment to fight with. He had a helmet of brass, a heavy coat of metal, brass protectors for his legs, more protection for his shoulders, and a huge spear so heavy that an ordinary man could not lift it. He also had someone in front of him carrying his shield. He seemed to have some gods too, but he was counting on his size and all his expensive equipment to protect him from anyone who would dare to fight him.
Young David had a shepherd’s bag where he had put five carefully selected stones, and he carried a sling. That was all. No, not really. Remember, he was trusting God.
The giant shouted in his big, booming voice that he was going to feed this youngster to the vultures. But listen to David’s answer: “Thou comest to me with a sword, and with a spear, and with a shield: but I come to thee in the name of the Lord of hosts, the God of the armies of Israel, whom thou hast defied . . . that all the earth may know that there is a God in Israel . . . for the battle is the Lord’s.” Then the giant came closer, and David ran to meet him. And one stone, aimed on the run, sank into the giant’s forehead, and he fell on his face to the earth, and all that heavy armor added to the mighty thunder of his fall.
Who won? It was God who won. And it is always God who wins. His Son, the Lord Jesus, has already won the victory over sin and Satan when He died and rose again. And one day soon His enemies will bow their knees before Him and confess that He is Lord of all.
Whose side are you on? When the giant fell, many in his army may have wished that they could change sides when the men came rushing down from David’s side. But they turned and fled without a fight. But there is no fleeing when Jesus returns as the Victor.
You may make that decision right now. Run to Him, not away from Him. He has promised, “Him that cometh to Me I will in no wise cast out” (John 6:3737All that the Father giveth me shall come to me; and him that cometh to me I will in no wise cast out. (John 6:37)). There is no way He will refuse you if you come now, for He loves you and died for you. “Whoso putteth his trust in the Lord shall be safe” (Proverbs 29:2525The fear of man bringeth a snare: but whoso putteth his trust in the Lord shall be safe. (Proverbs 29:25)).
Whose side are you on?
You may read this story in 1 Samuel chapter 17. Can you find the name of the giant?
ML-05/14/2000