1 SAMUEL 17:34-37
SUCCESS IS NEVER ABOUT DEFEATING GIANTS
“David said to Saul, ‘Your servant used to keep sheep for his father. And when there came a lion, or a bear, and took a lamb from the flock, I went after him and struck him and delivered it out of his mouth. And if he arose against me, I caught him by his beard and struck him and killed him. Your servant has struck down both lions and bears, and this uncircumcised Philistine shall be like one of them, for he has defied the armies of the living God.’ And David said, ‘The LORD who delivered me from the paw of the lion and from the paw of the bear will deliver me from the hand of this Philistine.’ And Saul said to David, ‘Go, and the LORD be with you!’” [1]
Sent by his father to deliver victuals to his brothers who were enlisted in the armies of the LORD, the teenage boy stumbled into the camp. The situation David discovered was a mess! He finds the soldiers hesitant about the war they are about to fight. Without exception, all the soldiers are focused on what appears to be an impossible situation. They came to fight the enemy, but the enemy has pulled a fast one that left the entire army confused. Rather than the two armies meeting on the field of battle, the enemy has sent a champion to challenge the good guys to a fight—one-on-one! The champion the enemy sent is a nine-footer with his own shield bearer and some weapons larger than anything these men had ever seen—and does he have an ego to match his height!
He struts his stuff before the armies of the LORD. He insults God and dares those cowering within the camp to come fight him. No one will accept the big guy’s challenge, not even the king, who until then had been a hero of sorts in his own right. The king was taller than any other man in the land—taller by at least a head! But even he was short when compared against the champion the enemy had brought to the fight.
Well, along comes this kid named David. This scrawny kid has a pretty good record of fighting lions and bears, but he has never fought a giant. He is incensed that this giant is not only dissing the men huddled in the camp, but he is saying some pretty harsh things about the God Whom they worship. Like many teenage boys, the young man begins to boast about what he would do, and not even his brothers are able to quiet him. Didn’t he know that his mouth would overload his body? He could get himself killed! No wonder his brothers were upset with his boasting!
Wouldn’t you know it, word gets back to the king that there is a big-mouthed kid who is boasting about what he could do. In no time, that lad is hauled into the tent of the king, where he is invited to make his boast again. This boy is a shepherd, and we can be certain that though he may be small, he is rough, rugged, and ready. Moreover, he is tough and acting just like so many young men—filled with bravado. However, this young man has some reason to understand what it is to face danger and win.
Whatever fears his brothers may have held, and their fears were undoubtedly real, the young man convinces the king to let him give it a go—you know, allow him to go down into the valley to face the giant. Desperate for a win, the king tries to fix the lad up with the latest in Israeli armaments and with the best tactical gear available, but nothing fits the young man. The young man must convince the king to let him go into the battle armed with just his shepherd’s staff, a slingshot and five slick river rocks! Armed with these rudimentary weapons, he wins! His nation is spared the humiliation of defeat by these rude Philistines and the army wins the day.
It’s a great story! And for several thousand years, worshippers of the Living God have regaled their children and encouraged people with this story. We’ve been telling and retelling the story of David and Goliath. But are we telling the story correctly? What I mean is that we tell the story as though it is complete when David kills Goliath.
My favorite part of the story is what David says to Saul before he fights Goliath. David recounts his past experiences, and the tale is harrowing. Here is the account we are provided. “Your servant used to keep sheep for his father. And when there came a lion, or a bear, and took a lamb from the flock, I went after him and struck him and delivered it out of his mouth. And if he arose against me, I caught him by his beard and struck him and killed him. Your servant has struck down both lions and bears, and this uncircumcised Philistine shall be like one of them, for he has defied the armies of the living God.”
Then the young man added confidently, “The LORD who delivered me from the paw of the lion and from the paw of the bear will deliver me from the hand of this Philistine.”
What could the king say to the young stalwart, except, “Go, and the LORD be with you” [1 SAMUEL 17:34-37]!
I love the tenacity. “When a lion comes, or when a bear comes… I go after it! Moreover, I grab it by the jaw!” David wasn’t just being a braggart. There is not a hint that he was taking big risks in hopes of scoring points with the king. David was pointing to past battles as preparation for what he was certain would be a victory. So he confidently asserts, “The LORD Who delivered me … will deliver me!” And the same is true for you! All that you have been through is preparing you for future success. What you’re going through right now is preparation for what’s next. And there will be future challenges, we can be certain. That is what is often missed when we tell the story of David and Goliath.
We tell our children—indeed, we tell those in our congregations—to be a David! “You have giants that you are forced to face, so encourage yourself with this story!” “You and God are a winning team!” “Face up to your giants and take ‘em down in the power of God!” I mean, how easy is that! And telling the story is easier still! That’s the reason we tell the story—we want people to be giant killers. But the problem with the story is that defeating the giant wasn’t the end of the story for David! And defeating the giant you are now facing won’t be the end of the story for you. David’s story was only beginning when he fitted that stone in the sling and whirled it about his head before flinging it into the giant’s forehead. And when you have conquered your giant, which we would hope to be the case for you, your story will not be complete. Defeating your giant is but one episode in a long story of life.
DAVID’S NOTORIETY — Bringing down the Philistine champion brought David fame. The record shows that David dropped that giant like a bad habit. That one act gave the Army of Israel immediate breathing room. Killing the Philistine champion certainly gave David relief from the immediate threat of death and brought him to the attention of the nation. And you may be certain that defeating your giant will give you relief, and perhaps even a measure or notoriety … for a moment. Don’t misunderstand, when giants confront you, you are forced to face them. Running will only leave you exhausted while the giant chases you down. Giants will kill you; they will destroy you and you must face them when they come at you. You have no choice in this matter.
Each of us is encouraged whenever we hear testimonies as God’s people tell how they succeeded when they were facing challenges. When you share your most recent victory during the service, you can be sure your testimony will encourage someone who hears how God gave you victory. I’ve been in Christ’s service among the churches for quite a while, and I’ve heard plenty of testimonies that speak of victories delivered by many of the saints. Some of these testimonies were accounts of great victory against unimaginable odds! I’ve heard of deliverance from addiction, victories against a past that threatened to ruin reputation and even destroy life itself, victory in repairing fractured relationships; these accounts are surely exciting stories of God’s power. But I’ve learned that what I’m hearing is a bit like seeing a photo taken from the movie of life. A photo shows a moment in time and may mask the reality arising from an ongoing war.
David bested the Philistine champion, downing the giant with a rock sent from the sling he had carried while shepherding his father’s flocks. Then, rushing to the downed warrior, the young shepherd lad grabbed the giant’s sword, using that instrument to hew off Goliath’s head. Stunned by what they had just witnessed, the Philistine army fled in disarray whilst the army of Israel pursued them all the way to Gath and Ekron, major cities of the Philistines. It was a rout! The Israelites returned from chasing these once boastful warriors and plundered their camp. What a humiliation for the Philistines.
National enthusiasm for the young man who would grow until he became head of the armed forces of the nation. The people loved everything about this young man. Everything he did only served to increase the national admiration for David. We read, “As soon as [David] had finished speaking to Saul, the soul of Jonathan was knit to the soul of David, and Jonathan loved him as his own soul. And Saul took him that day and would not let him return to his father’s house. Then Jonathan made a covenant with David, because he loved him as his own soul. And Jonathan stripped himself of the robe that was on him and gave it to David, and his armor, and even his sword and his bow and his belt. And David went out and was successful wherever Saul sent him, so that Saul set him over the men of war. And this was good in the sight of all the people and also in the sight of Saul’s servants” [1 SAMUEL 18:1-5]. Wow! Not only the people were enthused about this new hero, but even the servants of the king were thrilled to have this new champion around.
Talk about a meteoric rise in national consciousness! From a nobody to befriended by the king’s son! That is some rise! Then, to be dressed in the armour of one of the princes of Israel, and even armed with his armaments! The path could only lead upward for the young man. Then, to be set over men of war without ever attending a war college or going through basic training! The king himself was the one who made the decision to advance David so quickly.
But his rise to the top in Saul’s kingdom wasn’t finished. Behind the scenes, there was a storm brewing, but neither David nor the great mass of the people knew anything about the storm that was gathering strength. There were moments when the growing problem was apparent, but those moments quickly passed and people simply moved on. David certainly moved on. He was serving the king, and there was no question as to where his loyalty lay. So we read, “All Israel and Judah loved David, for he went out and came in before them” [1 SAMUEL 18:16].
Things progressed so far that the king offered the young man yet another honour. The divine account reads, “Saul said to David, ‘Here is my elder daughter Merab. I will give her to you for a wife. Only be valiant for me and fight the LORD’s battles.’ For Saul thought, ‘Let not my hand be against him, but let the hand of the Philistines be against him.’ And David said to Saul, ‘Who am I, and who are my relatives, my father’s clan in Israel, that I should be son-in-law to the king?’ But at the time when Merab, Saul’s daughter, should have been given to David, she was given to Adriel the Meholathite for a wife’ [1 SAMUEL 18:17-19].
Well, Saul was less concerned to find a husband for his daughter than he was with finding a way to kill David. Better to have a state funeral for the hero of the nation who was slain in battle than to risk losing the throne to the young man. Nevertheless, imagine! Invited to marry into the royal household. However, David modestly declined. He wouldn’t think of pushing himself forward like that. He was, after all, a warrior.
The king wasn’t giving up with his vile, wicked, hateful line of reasoning. He was still fixated on the thought that he could engineer a disaster in battle that would result in a state funeral for David. This way he would be able to eliminate any threat that people might harbour of deposing him just so they could crown David King of Israel. Saul still clung to the idea of David’s naiveté serving as the foundation for his demise. And the king was assured that he could make it all happen without ever getting his hands dirty! Love would serve as the catalyst for David’s death.
You see, Saul had another daughter, and this young woman was mesmerised by the handsome young hero. We read, “Now Saul’s daughter Michal loved David. And they told Saul, and the thing pleased him. Saul thought, ‘Let me give her to him, that she may be a snare for him and that the hand of the Philistines may be against him.’ Therefore Saul said to David a second time, ‘You shall now be my son-in-law.’ And Saul commanded his servants, ‘Speak to David in private and say, “Behold, the king has delight in you, and all his servants love you. Now then become the king’s son-in-law.”’ And Saul’s servants spoke those words in the ears of David. And David said, ‘Does it seem to you a little thing to become the king’s son-in-law, since I am a poor man and have no reputation?’ And the servants of Saul told him, ‘Thus and so did David speak.’ Then Saul said, ‘Thus shall you say to David, “The king desires no bride-price except a hundred foreskins of the Philistines, that he may be avenged of the king’s enemies.”’ Now Saul thought to make David fall by the hand of the Philistines. And when his servants told David these words, it pleased David well to be the king’s son-in-law. Before the time had expired, David arose and went, along with his men, and killed two hundred of the Philistines. And David brought their foreskins, which were given in full number to the king, that he might become the king’s son-in-law. And Saul gave him his daughter Michal for a wife” [1 SAMUEL 18:20-28]. And just like that, David became Saul’s son-in-law. The king’s plan was working to perfection!
What is amazing about all this growth in admiration and adulation is that it began when Saul promoted the young man. The king was the genesis for David’s ascension into the stratospheric heights of national fame. After his victory over Goliath, we read, “As soon as Saul saw David go out against the Philistine, he said to Abner, the commander of the army, ‘Abner, whose son is this youth?’ And Abner said, ‘As your soul lives, O king, I do not know.’ And the king said, ‘Inquire whose son the boy is.’ And as soon as David returned from the striking down of the Philistine, Abner took him, and brought him before Saul with the head of the Philistine in his hand. And Saul said to him, ‘Whose son are you, young man?’ And David answered, ‘I am the son of your servant Jesse the Bethlehemite’” [1 SAMUEL 17:55-58]. With that, David’s rise to heady heights of national fame began. To be sure, David was a hero and deserving of the accolades he received. Nevertheless, Saul gave him the initial boost to national notoriety.
Allow me to take a moment to state the obvious for you. One victory can give you immediate notoriety. Your victory may bring you to the attention of powerful people, people who can promote your name so that you are known throughout your society. Conquering one giant can secure your reputation with those who know you. I don’t deny that it is heady stuff to ride the waves of adulation when others witness your victory. It feels good to win, but the seeds of your defeat are in your win. You will be tempted to reason that you’ve faced the foe and won, and for one moment take your eye off the enemy. There is the very real possibility that you will be so distracted by your win that you will fail to see the next battle coming.
DAVID’S LOSSES — Almost at once, a problem arose for David, though he wasn’t aware that the problem was brewing. Here is the biblical account of the trouble that began to percolate following the battle. “As they were coming home, when David returned from striking down the Philistine, the women came out of all the cities of Israel, singing and dancing, to meet King Saul, with tambourines, with songs of joy, and with musical instruments. And the women sang to one another as they celebrated,
‘Saul has struck down his thousands,
and David his ten thousands.’
And Saul was very angry, and this saying displeased him. He said, ‘They have ascribed to David ten thousands, and to me they have ascribed thousands, and what more can he have but the kingdom?’ And Saul eyed David from that day on” [1 SAMUEL 18:6-9].
Saul was a vain man; he wouldn’t tolerate anyone receiving more praise than he received. He hadn’t always been this way; but apparently, wearing the crown and being praised for his own prowess in the years leading to this point in his life had changed his perspective, and the change wasn’t necessarily for the better. Now, his vanity would lead him to set the stage for a division of the kingdom, the very kingdom he claimed to love. He would brook no threat to his position as the most praised man in the kingdom. Even if it meant killing the one man who inspired his army to victory after victory, the king was determined to be the only person in his kingdom who would be praised. As things progressed, Saul was prepared even to set aside affairs of state to pursue the one man whom he had come to hate with such a hatred that he would rather see the kingdom in ruins rather than allow that one man to have any honour.
David’s fame became the source of incredible, unrelenting problems with the King—problems that would only grow more severe as time passed. Saul grew jealous of David and couldn’t handle the thought that people praised David as much, and even more, than they had praised him. Therefore, after taking on and defeating Goliath, David is forced to go on the run, hiding from the king, losing his wife, losing his friend, Jonathan, losing his mentor, Samuel, losing the safety of the palace, losing his dignity. Some might be inclined to say that David lost everything… well, everything but his relationship with the True and Living God.
From this point on, the biblical account speaks of David facing one giant after another. No, not physical giants, though there were those giants that did try to come after David. [2] Repeated attacks as the king sent his armies to kill David, constantly pursued and forced to run for his life, betrayed by people who pretended to be his friend, threatened by his own men when their refuge was invaded and their wives and children carried away as captives, the erstwhile hero was finally forced to flee to the Philistines—archenemies of Israel—seeking refuge from Saul! Forced into a devastating civil war after the death of Saul, David would be compelled to fight continual battles on the fringes of the empire throughout his kingship. He fought battles with his own craven desires and saw his own family attempt a coup that resulted in the death of a son. Battle after battle after battle became the story of David’s life. David did become successful, but it took a lifetime for him to achieve success. You see, success wasn’t about defeating giants.
This is such an important point that it must be repeated. Success isn’t about defeating giants. Success is about building a life that grows through trials and challenges; success is about learning to depend on God, drawing on His strength in every situation. Success is about living in such a way that the image of Christ is seen through you with ever greater clarity. In each of the challenges he faced, and this includes the times when he lost the battle, David was moving toward a successful life. Even when he acted as Saul had once acted toward him, when David engineered the murder of one of the great men who built his kingdom, David revealed who he was when his sin was exposed. Even when he was fleeing for his life, in fear of his own son and what that son might do, David was being schooled in God’s character. Suffering defeat is never pleasant, and none of us enjoy experiencing defeat; but how we respond to our failures and whether we turn to the Lord for His counsel and for His strength determines whether we are moving toward success or compounding our failure.
You have your losses, just as I have more than a few losses. Each of us who has reached an advanced age will recall those times when we responded poorly to a provocation or when we took advantage of someone else's mistake. We aren’t proud that we acted as we did, but the real issue is whether we quietly buried the moment and secretly rejoiced in what we did or whether we learned from what transpired and determined that with God’s help we would not make that mistake again.
You see, what happened was but a step in the growth toward godly maturity if we learned from what took place. I suspect that most of us have some really dark secrets concerning things we said, or things we did, or even things with which we fed our imaginations. These things may nag at our mind at inopportune times, but the essential point is whether we turned to Christ, confessing our sin and seeking His strength.
I wish I could tell you that there will be no more failures for you, no more defeats when you are forced into battle, but you know, as I know, that we will each fail again. We will be forced to come before the Master admitting defeat and asking for His grace. If we are not already well acquainted with the promise, we will soon enough learn the reality of the promise, “If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness” [1 JOHN 1:9]. You and I won’t go to Heaven clothed in white raiment that we gathered for ourselves; we will enter Heaven clothed in white garments that He has purchased with His blood. You will have some more giants to face, and some of them will appear to win … for the moment.
DAVID’S SUCCESS — We tend to remember David’s success. Surely we who occupy the pulpits of the land will declare David’s success at a ratio of at least twenty to one against those messages that focus on his failures—and David did have some spectacular failures. He did become king of the unified nation. He did bring peace and prosperity to the nation. He did earn the sobriquet of “a man after God’s heart.” [3] But what we usually fail to remember are the multiple battles David was compelled to fight before he was able to quit fighting, and we often forget that David lost some very important battles. David was ultimately successful, but it was no cakewalk.
It is essential that we remember that it was not David who was destined to give Israel rest from war—it was Solomon, his son. Here is how the LORD spoke to David concerning Solomon. “[David], you have shed much blood and have waged great wars. You shall not build a house to my name, because you have shed so much blood before me on the earth. Behold, a son shall be born to you who shall be a man of rest. I will give him rest from all his surrounding enemies. For his name shall be Solomon, and I will give peace and quiet to Israel in his days. He shall build a house for my name. He shall be my son, and I will be his father, and I will establish his royal throne in Israel forever” [1 CHRONICLES 22:8-10]. David’s battles were necessary, but it was the very success in war that he experienced that disqualified him from building the house of the LORD.
Bear in mind that it isn’t until later in his life that David is truly “successful.” Long after the giant had fallen, David finally fought through enough battles to secure peace and prosperity for Israel for several decades, but the peace enjoyed would be during his son’s regime. For David, success took a lifetime. As already mentioned, the account of David’s life that we have received in the historical books, points to multiplied failures. David was engaged in continual battles with his own family, with the desires of his flesh, with relationships with neighbouring countries—the battle with Goliath was perhaps easier to win than were some of the other battles David fought and lost.
Something like that may hold true for you. You will fight many battles before you come to the end of your days. It is possible that you will win most of the battles you are called to fight. However, you should know that the victories you win will mean that some enemies have been bested, and some of those enemies will always harbour a measure of animosity toward you. However gracious you may have been in winning your battles, you did win and you did beat that foe. In a sense, you did shed blood, though it is doubtful that you actually killed or wounded individuals. Nevertheless, figuratively, you will have shed blood. And that may disqualify you from being one who is to bring peace to your family, to your home, to your church.
Some years back, I delivered a message I entitled, “Planting Trees You Will Never Sit Under.” [4] I meant that message to be encouragement for us to take a long view of our life. Whether we are successful, or a failure, is never determined by one battle. In fact, we can anticipate that each of us will be fighting battles from the time we come to faith in the Risen Saviour until the day we pass from this life and enter into the presence of our Lord. We may not even see the fruit of the battles we are fighting in our lifetime. It may be our children, or even our grandchildren, who enjoy the benefits we secured through our many battles. It may be our church at some distant point after we are long off the scene that is able to benefit from the battles we are fighting at this moment.
Whatever the outcome of the battle we are currently fighting, we need to know that Christ is in control of the battle and that we are relying on Christ and His strength. We need to hold the conviction that regardless of the fight, we seek to honour Him as Master, knowing that He will accomplish His perfect will through us as we submit to His reign! As David moved forward to engage Goliath, he was saying, “You come to me with a sword and with a spear and with a javelin, but I come to you in the name of the LORD of hosts, the God of the armies of Israel, whom you have defied. This day the LORD will deliver you into my hand, and I will strike you down and cut off your head. And I will give the dead bodies of the host of the Philistines this day to the birds of the air and to the wild beasts of the earth, that all the earth may know that there is a God in Israel, and that all this assembly may know that the LORD saves not with sword and spear. For the battle is the LORD’s, and he will give you into our hand” [1 SAMUEL 17:45-47]. This would not be David’s final battle. Time and again, the man of God’s conviction would mirror that which he spoke in this battle against the giant. And that must become our conviction as followers of the Risen Saviour as we are compelled to fight each battle. Conflicts will arise again, and we will be forced to fight throughout our days.
You and I need to assure ourselves that the battle we are now fighting, or the battle we are about to begin, is necessary. Marines are taught to say that not every hill is worth shedding blood. Likewise, we who follow the Risen Saviour need to learn to be discerning, choosing our battles with care. Then, when we have decided that we must fight that battle, we need to ensure ourselves that we are fully equipped to win.
We Christians need to take seriously the instruction we are given by the Apostle, “Be strong in the Lord and in the strength of his might. Put on the whole armor of God, that you may be able to stand against the schemes of the devil. For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the cosmic powers over this present darkness, against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly places. Therefore take up the whole armor of God, that you may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand firm. Stand therefore, having fastened on the belt of truth, and having put on the breastplate of righteousness, and, as shoes for your feet, having put on the readiness given by the gospel of peace. In all circumstances take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming darts of the evil one; and take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God, praying at all times in the Spirit, with all prayer and supplication. To that end, keep alert with all perseverance, making supplication for all the saints” [EPHESIANS 6:10-18].
Here is an interesting note that should be of interest to each one who listens. Whenever we speak of our battles, and perhaps even when we speak of our successes, we tend to tell the story as though we fought a battle and that is the end of the matter. Experience forces us to acknowledge that one victory is never the end of the matter, though. Jesus faced some serious temptations as He began His ministry during the days of His flesh. Luke begins that account by stating, “Jesus, full of the Holy Spirit, returned from the Jordan and was led by the Spirit in the wilderness for forty days, being tempted by the devil. And he ate nothing during those days. And when they were ended, he was hungry” [LUKE 4:1-2].
We remember how the devil tempted Him, attempting to turn the Master from depending upon the Father so He could satisfy His natural desires. Jesus successfully faced each of the temptations, meeting the seduction with an appeal to Scripture. At last, the devil was bested, and we read a most interesting statement as Doctor Luke observes, “When the devil had ended every temptation, he departed from him until an opportune time” [LUKE 4:13]. Did you notice that the devil was not finished with his attempts to turn the Master from the work for which He came to earth? The Spirit of God informs us that the devil would wait “until an opportune time.” Satan would bide his time as he waited to spring another attack on Jesus when He wasn’t expecting it. And if the devil thought he could launch a sneak attack upon the Master, you may be sure that when you have been successful in your combat, that the devil has no intention of leaving you alone—he will bide his time until another opportunity arises and you are again weakened.
Here's the point—instead of asking, “What giants have I defeated?” we followers of Christ should be asking, “Am I ready for what’s next? Am I ready for the next battle?” Instead of revelling in the victory we just secured or living in the glow of some major win months ago, we who follow the Risen Lord of Glory would be well advised to begin now to prepare ourselves for the next giant we will be forced to face. Dear people, the matter is not whether you will face more giants and have more battles to fight, the issue is when the next giant will appear, when the next battle will begin.
And you can be certain that though you may face another giant during your next battle, that giant will seldom loom on the horizon for days or for weeks so that you are given opportunity to prepare yourself for the coming conflict. The next giant you face will not likely roar and bluster, giving you time to prepare for battle. Your next battle will most likely be sprung on you from an ambush. You must be prepared for the battle at each moment. The Qoheleth has wisely said, “There is no discharge from war” [ECCLESIASTES 8:8b]; and we Christians are at war! The Apostle has spoken truthfully when he said, “Though we walk in the flesh, we are not waging war according to the flesh. For the weapons of our warfare are not of the flesh but have divine power to destroy strongholds. We destroy arguments and every lofty opinion raised against the knowledge of God, and take every thought captive to obey Christ” [2 CORINTHIANS 10:3-5].
After our latest battle, and especially if we’ve been successful in defeating the giant we had to face, we will likely seek a respite, an opportunity to let down our guard and attempt to enjoy the feeling of success. The danger arises when we either worship our past successes as complete stories or face the future while forgetting the past. Each victory can become a snare if we treat it as a once-and-done affair. We must not allow ourselves to think that because we won that latest battle we are finished with fighting. Our battles may just be starting, and the next battle can catch us by surprise.
Our goal as followers of the glorious Lord of Glory is not merely to win our latest battle or to conquer our latest giant; our goal is always a life of success. Too often, we are satisfied that the giant we were facing has been defeated. For Daid, it was never about the giant. It was always about becoming the man God wanted him to become. And the same truth holds for you. It was never about winning your latest battle. It was always about becoming the person God wants you to become. And that means that each battle must be seen as preparation for the next contest. Your latest victory, or your latest loss for that matter, must be seen as preparation for what is coming next. Until Christ returns, or until He calls you home, you are serving Him. He will appoint your battles, standing with you in each conflict, always moving you toward mature faith and effective service in His Name and always with His power working in your life. This is the goal of the benediction Paul pronounced when he wrote, “Now to him who is able to do far more abundantly than all that we ask or think, according to the power at work within us, to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, forever and ever. Amen” [EPHESIANS 3:20-21].
[*] The concept for this sermon was suggested by reading an article by Brandon Cox, “Success is Never About Defeating Giants,” Sermon Central, Nov 27, 2023, https://www.sermoncentral.com/pastors-preaching-articles/brandon-cox-success-is-never-about-defeating-the-giants-2969?utm_content=&mumara_id=19976626, accessed 27 November 2023.
[1] Unless otherwise indicated, all Scripture quotations are from The Holy Bible: English Standard Version. Wheaton: Standard Bible Society, 2016. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
[2] See Michael Stark, “When the Giants Just Keep Coming,” sermon, March 23, 2021, When The Giants Just Keep Coming! Sermon by Michael Stark, 2 Samuel 21:15-22 - SermonCentral.com
[3] See 1 SAMUEL 13:14 and ACTS 13:22
[4] Michael Stark, “Planting Trees You Will Never Sit Under,” Sermon, Oct 24 2014, https://sermoncentral.com/sermons/planting-trees-you-will-never-sit-under-michael-stark-sermon-on-david-and-temple-188785
