Giants are not only the subject of fictional children’s stories like Jack and the Beanstalk. There were actual giants who lived on Earth in the early days of the Old Testament. Probably the most famous giant was Goliath, a huge man standing over nine feet tall (Even Shaq would appear small next to him). This was the warrior who threw out the challenge for anyone from Israel to fight him one-on-one. Only David took the challenge. Trusting in the Lord and armed only with rocks and a sling, the young shepherd launched a stone into the giant’s forehead and killed him.
There were other lesser-known giants. At the southern edge of the Promised Land, Moses sent out twelve men to scope out the land. Ten returned with a bad report: “We saw the Nephilim [giants] there. We seemed like grasshoppers in our own eyes, and we looked the same to them.” (Numbers 13:33) Two of the spies, Joshua and Caleb, believed that God would give victory and urged the people to enter the land. The rest of the nation refused. As a result, God led the people around the desert for forty years. Later, Joshua and Caleb were allowed to enter the Promised Land.
Toward the end of those forty years, while Israel was still on the eastern side of the Jordan River, “Og king of Bashan with his whole army marched out to meet us in battle at Edrei.” (Deuteronomy 3:1) Og’s “bed was made of iron and was more than thirteen feet long and six feet wide.” (Deuteronomy 3:11) Talk about a king-size mattress! God led Moses and the army of Israel to defeat Og.
After a few years and several battles inside the Promised Land, Caleb said to Joshua, “Here I am today, eighty-five years old! I am still as strong today as the day Moses sent me out; I’m just as vigorous to go out to battle now as I was then. Now give me this hill country that the Lord promised me that day. You yourself heard then that the Anakites [giants] were there and their cities were large and fortified, but, the Lord helping me, I will drive them out just as He said.” (Joshua 14:10–12)
You and I don’t battle against giants of the human variety, but the ones we encounter are just as real and lethal to our spiritual life. “For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms.” (Ephesians 6:12) Actually, our struggles are more difficult because our foes are invisible.
You may not be as spry as Caleb at eighty-five years old, but God has equipped you for the conflicts you face. He still fights your battles with you as He did long ago. He will still bring about deliverance for you as long as you depend on Him. ”Finally, be strong in the Lord and in His mighty power. Put on the full armor of God so that you can take your stand against the devil’s schemes.” (Ephesians 6:10-11)
Your problems may not be gigantic, but you can feel like a grasshopper facing them. But this blog is to remind you, that compared to God, even a giant is puny. “Who has measured the oceans in the hollow of His hand? Lift your eyes and look to the heavens: Who created all these? He who brings out the starry host one by one, and calls them each by name. Because of His great power and mighty strength, not one of them is missing. Those who hope in the Lord will renew their strength. They will soar on wings like eagles; they will run and not grow weary, they will walk and not be faint.” (Isaiah 40:12,26,31)
God is the source of strength and wisdom for whatever you are facing. The battle is the Lord’s. He will fight for you. The enemy may intimidate you, but he is no match for God. Don’t try to fight the battle in your own strength. Continue to trust the Lord and lean on Him.
If you have yet to trust the Lord for your salvation, the battle between God and the devil is for your soul. Only you can decide who will win. You must repent of your self-rule and call on Jesus to take the driver’s seat in your life. Then you will experience new life and the confidence of Heaven. Do so soon.
No Comments
Leave a comment Cancel