“facing The Giants That Threaten To Demolish Our Dreams” Series

If you don’t have a dream for your life you’re coasting. And when you’re coasting you’re always going downhill. So you need a dream for your life. It is the greatest gift God has given you – the ability to dream. In fact, the Bible teaches that as we delight ourselves in the Lord, He will shape our desires and dreams in life.

“Take delight in the LORD, and he will give you the desires of your heart.” - Psalm 37:4 (NIV)

Satan doesn’t want God’s people to fulfill the dreams God has placed in their hearts. So he will place giants in our path, as it were, who stand and say, “You will not pass.” Fortunately we have a story in the Bible that shows us how to deal with giants in our life here in 1 Samuel 17.

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Now, it’s unlikely you or I will ever have to face a physical giant like David did. But it is very likely we’re going to face lots of other giants: Giants that threaten to keep you from fulfilling your God-given dream.

David had to fight four other giants before he met Goliath. You and I are far more likely to face these giants than a Goliath. But they can be just as intimidating and can keep us from becoming who God wants us to be and fulfilling the dream God has put in our heart. What are they?

Giant #1: Delay - vs. 12-15

God told Samuel to go to Bethlehem and find a man named Jesse. He was to anoint Jesse’s son as the next king of Israel. The existing king, Saul, was still alive. But God had decided Saul’s days were over. So Samuel goes to Bethlehem, finds Jesse, and asks if he has a son. Jesse brings his seven oldest before the prophet. He shows him his sons, from the oldest to the youngest, but none of them is the Lord’s choice.

Samuel asked if there were other sons. Jesse replied, “There’s the youngest, David. He’s tending the sheep.” Samuel said to bring him in. He took one look at him and anointed David as the next king of Israel. Do you know what happen after this? Nothing. Jessie told David to go back to tending the sheep. David has been told he’s the next king of Israel….but now, go back to tending the sheep. Several years pass

between when David being anointed king and actually seeing the fulfillment of this dream. Delay is a giant we can face when it comes to fulfilling a God-given dream.

And here’s the sad part. Sometimes it’s people who love you most who hold you back. For David, it was his dad. He didn’t think David was old enough to be king. “My son is going to be the king? No.” He says, “Get back out there and tend the sheep.” Because Jesse would just as soon not have his son be the king of Israel. Because he’d lose a worker.

God has a plan for your life; but so do others. And when God’s plan contradicts somebody else’s plan, there’s going to be a delay as people try to hold you back. David’s dad just wanted him to be a shepherd.

At one point Jesse’s three favorite sons are out on the front line with Saul fighting the battle. So he tells David to take a care package to them at the battlefield. When he’s there delivering the food to his older brothers, he hears Goliath taunting the Israelite army and nobody’s

doing anything. David notices everybody is scared to death. This is the second barrier you will face in finding and fulfilling your dream.

Giant #2: Discouragement - vs. 8-10

You face discouragement when everybody around you is scared to death. This world is filled with people who are scared and convinced that it’s impossible to make a difference. Goliath had created a climate of fear. Everyone decided they couldn’t win.

Have you ever faced a situation everyone said was hopeless? We’ve all been there. But just because everybody says it’s so doesn’t make it so. Why had everybody given up? Why had they gotten so discouraged? They were listening to the wrong voice (v. 16). It’s no wonder they got discouraged. They’re listening to this guy day after day after day.

Who are you listening to? If you listen to negative people long enough you know what happens? You get negative. Negativity is contagious.

Giant #3: Disapproval - vs. 28-29

David had to be willing to face the disapproval of people around him in order to go after his dream. And you will too. The reason why most people don’t ever go after their dream is they’re afraid of disapproval. David’s own brother disapproved of David going after the giant.