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.
If you go after God’s dream for your life, There will be nay-sayers. There will be people who don’t get it. So, if you are going to go after the dreams God puts in your heart, then you need to settle once and for all that the approval of God is of greater value than the approval of
people. It’s none of my business what you think of me; but it is my business what God thinks of me.
Giant #4: Doubt - vs. 32-33
Am I capable of this? Am I up to the task for this? Can I actually do what God is asking me to do? There will always be people around you who say you can’t. In David’s case the expert doubted his ability. There was nobody who was a greater expert on war than King Saul because Saul had been in battle his entire life. The expert may tell you it can’t be cone; but the experts are often wrong.
Max Lucado received over 50 rejection letters before he ever got his first book published. Now he has had well over 50 books that have been published!
So, how do you defeat the giants that are keeping you from being the person God wants you to be? You do the very things that David did.
1. Remember how God has helped you in the past - v. 36
God never changes. God doesn’t love you one day and not another day. If He helped you in the past He will help you in the future. Remember how God has helped you in the past.
2. Start where you are with what you have - vs. 38-40
Don’t delay, waiting for something you don’t have. I don’t have enough money; enough connections; enough opportunities; enough education; etc. I don’t have this or I don’t have that. No. Use the tools you’ve got right now. Don’t wait for your ship to come in. Swim out to it. If you wait for it to come into the harbor you’re going to wait a long, long time. You use the tools God has given you now.
Saul’s armor syndrome is everywhere. This is the way we’ve always done it, so this is the way YOU do it. Not necessarily. God made you to be you. And God’s going to use you to fulfill the dream that He has for you your way, not the way somebody else did it. If you try to do it the way somebody else did it you are bound to fail. It’s like trying to wear Saul’s armor. You can’t wear it because you’re not Saul. You just need to use the tools you’ve got. David had a slingshot, so he picks up some stones. And he goes after it.
“Whoever watches the wind will not plant; whoever looks at the clouds will not reap.” - Ecclesiastes 11:4 (NIV)
If you wait for perfect conditions you’re never going to get started on your dream. Some day I’ll… One of these days…. No! Today’s the day.
3. Expect God to give what you need when you need it - vs. 45-47
This is what David did. At this point, he didn’t have a sword to cut off Goliath’s head; and he didn’t have an army to lead in battle against the Philistines; but knowing how God had seen him through in the past, he used what he had, believing that God would give what he needed when he would need it. So armed with a sling shot, he slew Goliath, then cut Goliath’s head off with his own sword; and then led the inspired
Israelite army in victory over the Philistines. This is what you must do in going after your dream. It is the faith factor.
What are you expecting God to do in your life? God is doing exactly what you expect him to do. No more and no less. Because every time God moves out of heaven and moves on earth and does a miracle it’s because somebody believed. The Bible says “According to your faith it will be done unto you (Matthew 9:29).” The Bible says “The just shall live by faith (Romans 1:17).” The Bible says “Without faith it is impossible to please God (Hebrews 11:6).” The Bible says “Whatever is not of faith is sin (Romans 14:23).” You get to choose how much God does in your life. It’s based on how much you choose to trust him.
I don’t have to be the smartest person; or the best looking person; or the wealthiest person in life. But I do have to choose to trust God and you do too. Whatever is not of faith is sin.
You have no idea how much your unbelief could be limiting somebody you love. Is your unbelief limiting your wife? Is your unbelief limiting your husband? Is your unbelief limiting your child? Don’t be a Jesse. Don’t hold them back when God has a great dream for their life. It’s not your dream for them; it’s God’s dream for them. You need to say I’m not going to let anybody else’s unbelief hold me back and I’m not going to let my unbelief hold anybody else back either.
Conclusion: As we come to the final week of the Transformed series, let me ask you, “What dream has God put in your heart?” Has He given you a dream concerning your spiritual health? Your relational health? Your physical health? Your mental health? Your emotional health? Your financial health? Your work? Your family? Your witness? Your church? May we hear and heed the words of William Carey, the father of the modern mission movement:
“Expect great things from God. Attempt great things for God.” - William Carey
