Faith Over Fear: Facing Giants with God's Power

“You come against me with sword and spear and javelin, but I come against you in the name of the LORD Almighty . . . This day the LORD will deliver you into my hands . . . and the whole world will know that there is a God in Israel.” 1 Samuel 17:45-46 (NIV)

If I want to be a person of great faith, with a great dream and a great life’s work, do the very things that David did to defeat the giants of delay, discouragement, disapproval, and doubt.

Remember how God has helped me in the past.
David said in 1 Samuel 17:37, “The LORD who rescued me from the claws of the lion and the bear will rescue me from this Philistine!” (NLT).

When I remember the ways that God has helped me in the past, it gives me confidence for the future.

Use the tools that God has given me now.
David used the tools that God provided that utilized his strengths: “Then Saul gave David his own armor . . . ‘I can’t go in these,’ he protested to Saul. ‘I’m not used to them.’ So David took them off again. He picked up five smooth stones from a stream and put them into his shepherd’s bag” (1 Samuel 17:38-40 NLT).

Don’t wait for something I don’t have—money, education, or connections. Use the tools God has already given me to face my giants with confidence.

Ignore the dream busters.
Later in life, when others were speaking against him, David had to encourage himself in the Lord: “David was seriously worried, for in their bitter grief for their children, his men began talking of killing him. But David took strength from the Lord” (1 Samuel 30:6 TLB).

When I encourage myself in the Lord, it’s not just a positive mental attitude. There is a bedrock trust in God’s grace, provision, security, and power.

Expect God to help me for his glory.
David stormed the battlefield, shouting, “You come against me with sword and spear and javelin, but I come against you in the name of the LORD Almighty. . . . This day the LORD will deliver you into my hands” (1 Samuel 17:45-46 NIV).

Make this decision, “God, I’m not the smartest guy, the best educated, or the most talented. But I’m going to trust you. And I will do anything, anytime, anywhere in faith, even when it doesn’t make sense to me.” And then let the adventure in life begin!

God will use anybody who will trust him and expect to be used by him—not because of who I am but because it brings him glory.

In summary:

To become a person of great faith and purpose like David, I must face the giants of delay, discouragement, disapproval, and doubt by remembering how God has helped me in the past, using the tools and strengths He’s already given me, ignoring those who try to crush my dreams, and stepping out in faith expecting God to act for His glory—not because of my ability, but because of His power.

Bottom Line:

Trust God fully, use what He’s already given me, and face life’s giants with bold faith—because the battle belongs to the Lord and brings glory to Him.

Slaying the Giants Within

“Everyone assembled here will know that the LORD rescues his people, but not with sword and spear. This is the LORD’s battle, and he will give you to us!” 1 Samuel 17:47 (NLT)

Before David faced Goliath in 1 Samuel, he had to fight four other giants. But they weren’t physical giants; they were giants in his mind.

I'm far more likely to face those kinds of giants than an actual Goliath, but they can be just as big and intimidating. They can keep me from becoming who God wants me to be and fulfilling the dream that God has put in my heart. 

The first giant in facing my dream is delay. No dream is fulfilled instantly. It may be years before I see the fulfillment of my life dream. There is always a waiting period.

In David’s case, his dad held him back from the dream. After Samuel anointed David as king, Jesse told David to get back to tending the sheep!

When God’s plan contradicts somebody else’s plan, there’s going to be a delay, and people may try to hold me back. But God is faithful, and he will complete his work in his timing.

The second giant I may face is discouragement. Goliath created a climate of fear in Israel, and everybody was convinced they were going to lose the battle.

What people are I listening who say it can’t be done? Who’s putting down my dream, saying it won’t ever happen?

Sometimes I just need a fresh voice—a kid from the village with fresh eyes who says, “This giant is nothing. We can take him down.”

The third giant standing in my way is disapproval. In David’s case, his own brother questioned his motives and disapproved of him going after Goliath.

When God gives me a dream that scares other people and I go for it anyway, I will be misjudged, maligned, and misunderstood. That’s when I have to decide what matters most: the approval of others or God’s approval.

The fourth giant I may have to face is doubt. King Saul was an expert on war, and he told David he was crazy for thinking a boy could fight a warrior like Goliath.

Maybe the expert is saying I can’t do it, either. That’s enough to make me start doubting myself.

Besides, the experts are often wrong. Don’t let doubt hold me back from God’s dream for my life.

In summary:

Before David ever faced Goliath, he had to overcome four invisible giants—delay, discouragement, disapproval, and doubt—that threatened to stop him from fulfilling God’s dream for his life. Like David, I often face these internal giants that arise from people’s opinions, setbacks, or even my own insecurities. Delay may come from being held back by others, discouragement from fear-driven voices, disapproval from those close to me, and doubt from so-called experts. But as David declared in 1 Samuel 17:47, the battle belongs to the Lord, and with faith in Him, I can overcome these giants and walk boldly toward the purpose God has placed in my heart.

Bottom Line:

Before I can defeat the external giants in life, I must first overcome the internal ones—delay, discouragement, disapproval, and doubt—by trusting that the battle belongs to God.

Guided by Trust, The Answer to the Stress of Indecision

“He guides me along the right paths for his name’s sake.” Psalm 23:3 (NIV)

When I'm afraid of making the wrong decision, it creates stress in my life.

But God has an antidote to indecision. Psalm 23:3 says, “He guides me along the right paths for his name’s sake” (NIV). The way to handle the stress of decision-making—whether it’s a financial decision, relational decision, or vocational decision—is to let God guide me.

“But I’ve tried this!” I asked God to guide me, but then I became more confused than ever before. I still couldn’t figure it out, and I wondered why knowing God’s will is so difficult.

Is God playing games with me? Of course not! God wants to guide me. He wants me to know his will more than I want to know. But sometimes I look for the wrong thing when I'm trying to find God’s will. We all do this.

Some of us look for a feeling. Some want a formula or recipe to follow. Others treat it like magic—waiting for God to give them a big, fantastic sign.

These ways only lead to frustration and can cause me to miss God’s will.

God doesn’t want me confused, and he doesn’t want me stressed over making a decision. He wants me to ask him for guidance before I make a decision and then trust him and his goodness once the decision is made.

When I do, he sets me free from second-guessing myself.

James 1:6-8 says, “When you ask him, be sure that your faith is in God alone. Do not waver, for a person with divided loyalty is as unsettled as a wave of the sea that is blown and tossed by the wind. Such people should not expect to receive anything from the Lord. Their loyalty is divided between God and the world, and they are unstable in everything they do” (NLT).

Here’s the good news: Even if the future looks uncertain, I don’t have to feel unsettled or stressed or afraid. God is stable, and I can trust his guidance. 

When I unequivocally trust God in uncertain times—in all times—he will give me everything I need to make wise decisions.

God will be there guiding me every step of the way. This is his promise, and I can believe it to be true: “He guides me along the right paths for his name’s sake.”

In summary:

When faced with difficult decisions, I don't have to be overwhelmed by fear or stress—God promises to guide me along the right paths, as Psalm 23:3 assures. Often, I seek guidance through feelings, formulas, or signs, but God’s will isn’t found in confusion or gimmicks; it’s discovered through faith and trust. He desires to lead me more than I desire to be led, and when I ask in faith and commit to trusting Him fully, He frees me from doubt and second-guessing. Even in uncertain times, God's guidance is steady and reliable—He will show me the right way when I rely on Him completely.

Bottom Line:

When I trust God fully, He will guide me on the right path and give me peace in every decision.

The Power of Thanking God in Advance

"The king appointed singers to walk ahead of the army, singing to the LORD and praising him for his holy splendor. This is what they sang: 'Give thanks to the LORD; his faithful love endures forever!'" 2 Chronicles 20:21 (NLT)

In 2 Chronicles 20:21, King Jehoshaphat had a very unusual way of organizing an army: "The king appointed singers to walk ahead of the army, singing to the LORD and praising him for his holy splendor. This is what they sang: 'Give thanks to the LORD; his faithful love endures forever!'" (NLT).

Jehoshaphat’s battle plan was to put a choir before the infantry. Picture this: On one side, there are three enemy armies amassed to do battle against Israel. Then there’s the valley where they’re going to battle. Then there are the lowly Israelites. Jehoshaphat essentially says, “We’re going to take those of you who sing and make a choir out of you, putting you in front of the army as you march into battle.”

There’s a very important truth here: The Israelites were thanking God in advance for the victory. Praise and thanksgiving are verbalized faith. If I thank God after the fact, that’s gratitude. If I thank God before it happens, that’s faith.

Notice the effect of praise in verses 22 and 23: “When they began to sing, the LORD threw the invading armies into a panic. The Ammonites and the Moabites attacked the Edomite army and completely destroyed it, and then they turned on each other in savage fighting" (GNT). God confused the enemy, and they turned on each other and destroyed themselves while the Israelites looked on. There is power in expectation.

That insurmountable problem in my life—the one with the odds may be stacked against me? When i thank God after he’s solved everything, that’s called gratitude. But when I thank him before it’s all settled—right in the middle of the problem—that’s faith.

When I allow God to solve my problems, it becomes a testimony to unbelievers. The world takes notice when his followers live by faith. And God loves to demonstrate his power in those who expect him to work in their lives.

So when facing a difficult circumstance—with money, relationships, or career and feel like the odds are against me or if I think my problem is overwhelming? What do I do? I need to turn to God, who defends me.

In summary:

I read In 2 Chronicles 20:21, how King Jehoshaphat demonstrated bold faith by sending singers to lead his army into battle, praising God in advance for the victory. This act of worship wasn’t just symbolic—it was a declaration of trust in God’s power before the outcome was visible. As the people sang, God caused their enemies to turn on each other, proving that faith-filled praise can unlock divine intervention. The lesson is clear: thanking God after a breakthrough shows gratitude, but praising Him before the breakthrough shows faith. When we trust God in the face of overwhelming odds, He not only fights for me but also uses my faith as a testimony to others.

Bottom line:

Praising God before the victory is an act of faith that invites His power to turn the battle in my favor.

Transformed Through Trials

“If you are suffering in a manner that pleases God, keep on doing what is right, and trust your lives to the God who created you, for he will never fail you.” 1 Peter 4:19 (NLT)

Before photography went digital, you took a picture, and the first thing you’d get was a negative. Then you’d develop the negative into a positive by going into a darkroom and shining a light through it onto photographic paper. This turned the negative into a positive, full-color photograph.

I'm learning that this is what God wants to do with the injustices in our lives. We have all experienced injustice. People have mistreated us. They’ve passed over us. They’ve taken advantage of us. God wants to take all the negatives, shine the light of Jesus through them, and turn them into positives—a full-color picture of the life I was made to live.

The Bible says, “If you are suffering in a manner that pleases God, keep on doing what is right, and trust your lives to the God who created you, for he will never fail you” (1 Peter 4:19 NLT). The most important thing I can remember when I’ve been treated unfairly is that Jesus is on my side. 

Throughout Scripture, God shows special care for people who are treated unfairly. He is a God of justice. He hears my cry, sees my pain, and knows my hurt. I didn’t get what I thought you deserved. But God has a plan for my pain.

When I shine the light of God’s love through my circumstances, he can turn my pain into a beautiful picture. He develops my character through it. He makes me stronger. Most importantly, he uses my pain.

I’ll never get an explanation for much of the pain I'll endure in this life. When I get to heaven, I may understand more about why bad things happened to me. But God does not owe me an explanation for it.

The good news is that I don’t need an explanation. I just need to know that God loves me. He has a plan for me. God will settle the score with whoever hurt me.

God never wastes a hurt. Welcome the light of the gospel into it, and God will use my hurt—the very real injustice that has happened to me—to create a beautiful picture through my life.

In summary:

Just as a photographic negative is transformed into a beautiful image by light, God can shine His light through the injustices and hurts in my life to create something good and meaningful. When I suffer in a way that honors Him, Scripture encourages me to keep doing what is right and trust in His unfailing love and justice (1 Peter 4:19). Though I may never get an explanation for the pain I endure, I can rest in the truth that God sees, hears, and cares deeply. He uses my suffering to strengthen my character, grow my faith, and ultimately turn my pain into purpose—never wasting a hurt when I surrender it to Him.

When I trust God with my pain, He will use it to shape my character, reveal His love, and create something meaningful from my suffering.

Loving Like Jesus, A Love That Never Quits

“Love never stops being patient, never stops believing, never stops hoping, never gives up.” 1 Corinthians 13:7 (GW)

The same love God offers to me, he wants me to offer to everyone else. It’s not an option or a suggestion. It’s a command: “Now I am giving you a new commandment: Love each other. Just as I have loved you, you should love each other” (John 13:34 NLT).

As a follower of Christ, I must love everybody—whether I like them or not—in the same way that Christ loves me. That means I am to accept them completely, love them unconditionally, forgive them totally, and consider them extremely valuable.

Loving others in this way will transform my relationships!

The Bible says in 1 Corinthians 13:7, “Love never stops being patient, never stops believing, never stops hoping, never gives up” (GW).

This is how God loves me. God never stops being patient with me. God never stops believing in me. God never stops hoping for the best in my life. God never gives up on me. That’s what God expects me to do with everybody else.

“Love never stops being patient.” That means love extends grace. I need to offer grace to others.

“Love . . . never stops believing.” That means love expresses faith. The people in my life should know that, even if things are strained between us, I will never stop believing in them.

“Love . . . never stops hoping.” That means love expects the best. Are I expecting the best in my marriage, with my daughter, grandsons, or with my coworkers? Or have I settled for less than the best? Have I become pessimistic or cynical when it comes to my relationships?

“Love . . . never gives up.” That means love endures the worst. It means I can look at the other person and say, “You can throw everything at me, but I’m going to keep loving you, no matter what.”

If I want to start loving the people God has placed in my life even better, I can say “Dear God, I admit that I’ve sometimes made a mess in my relationships. They’re complicated and broken, and I’ve often settled for less than the best. They need a transformation! So please begin by changing me.

“Help me to accept others, just as you’ve accepted me. Help me to love others unconditionally, just as you have loved me. Help me to forgive others totally, just as you’ve forgiven me. And help me to value others as much as you value me. Help me to extend grace to and express faith in the people around me. Help me to expect the best in others, and when the worst happens, help me to endure it and to keep on loving them. I ask this in Jesus’ name. Amen.”

In summary:

God calls me to love others with the same relentless, grace-filled love He shows me—patient, faithful, hopeful, and enduring. According to 1 Corinthians 13:7, true love never gives up, never loses faith, never stops hoping, and never quits—and this is exactly how God loves me. As a follower of Christ, I'm commanded to extend that same love to everyone, whether I like them or not: accepting completely, loving unconditionally, forgiving totally, and valuing deeply. When I embrace this kind of love, it transforms my relationships, beginning with a prayer for God to change my own heart so I can love others as He loves me.

When I let God transform my heart, I can extend grace, endure in love, and build relationships that reflect His unconditional love.

Loved and Worthy: Living from God's View Of Me

“The mountains and hills may crumble, but my love for you will never end.” Isaiah 54:10 (GNT)

If I don’t feel loved by God, it’s going to be much more difficult for me to offer love to someone else. But when I understand and remember how deeply God loves me, it becomes more natural—and even easy—to love others.

This is why I need to remind myself every day what God thinks about me—not what the world thinks or what I think about myself. “It is dangerous to be concerned with what others think of you, but if you trust the LORD, you are safe” (Proverbs 29:25 GNT).

Four truths God wants me to remember about who I am. These will help me to better feel his love and share it with others. 

I'm completely accepted.
I spend a lot of my life trying to earn acceptance from parents, peers, those I respect, those I envy, and even total strangers. But I need to realize that God has already settled this issue of acceptance: “Jesus . . . made us acceptable to God” (Titus 3:7 CEV). What Jesus did on the cross made me completely acceptable to God—no matter what I've done or will do.

I'm unconditionally loved.
God doesn’t say, “I love you if . . .” or “ I love you because . . .” He says, “I love you—period!” I can’t make God stop loving me, because his love is not based on what I do but on who he is. Isaiah 54:10 says, “The mountains and hills may crumble, but my love for you will never end” (GNT).

I'm totally forgiven.
Because Jesus died on the cross and gave his life as a payment for my sins, I am totally forgiven when I accepted God’s gift of forgiveness. Romans 8:1 says, “There is no condemnation for those who belong to Christ Jesus” (NLT). God doesn’t rehearse my sins. He releases them.

I'm considered to be extremely valuable.
There are two things that determine the value of something: who it belongs to and what someone is willing to pay for it.

The truth is, I'm a child of God—and “you have been bought and paid for by Christ” (1 Corinthians 7:23 TLB). God says I belong to him, and Jesus paid for me with his life. That’s how valuable I am! 

When I remember that I'm accepted, loved, forgiven, and valuable to the Creator of the universe, I'll be better equipped to show that love to others and build deeper relationships. I must see value in myself to add value to myself and to others.

In summary:

Isaiah 54:10 reminds me that God's love is unwavering, even when everything else falls apart. When I truly grasp how deeply God loves me—that I’m completely accepted, unconditionally loved, totally forgiven, and extremely valuable—it transforms how I see myself and how I relate to others. God’s view of me matters more than the opinions of others or even my own negative self-talk. As I anchor my identity in His truth and remember what Jesus has done for me, I can love others more freely and genuinely. Feeling secure in God’s love empowers me to offer that same love and value to those around me. I must see value in myself to add value to myself and to others.

Knowing I'm accepted, loved, forgiven, and valued by God empowers me to love others with confidence and grace.