The fruit of Conquering our GIANTS!
As I look back upon the giants God has called me to face in life, I realize now that I have experienced some GIANT victories in those times that I did courageously take big steps of faith for God. In fact, it was in those times when I was obedient to what God was calling me to do that help define me today as a follower of Christ, as well as hopefully leave an example for my family and friends, and a legacy for my son to follow after. At the same time, each and every time I have shrunk from the challenge of facing the giants that stand before me in life, I have greatly missed out on an opportunity to increase my faith, walk in radical obedience to God, and leave a testimony for my family and friends to bear witness of.
In other words, what I am saying here is that the steps of faith that I have taken in the past to overcome the GIANTS in life, and am currently taking in the present moment, will hopefully bear fruit for me by impacting the lives of others in the future. And in the same manner, each time I shrink from the giants that I have to face in life, I am experiencing less of God in my life, and leaving less of an impact upon the those around me.
In fact, when looking at the Word of God, we see this very principle being displayed in David's life, prior to him becoming the king of Israel. First Samuel 21 tells us about one of the darkest and most difficult times of David's life, where this principle of past steps of faith paid great dividends in his life.
The event I am speaking about takes place in 1 Samuel 21 where we find David fleeing for his life from King Saul (1 Samuel 21:1-9). While in flight David travels to Nob for food and shelter, and it is there that he meets with Ahimelech, who was the priest. After David receives food from Ahimelech, the Bible says that one of king Saul's chief herdsman is seen by David (1 Samuel 21:7), which caused him great concern. Therefore, David goes to Ahimelech to inquire about a weapon he may use.
In (v.8) the Bible says, David asked Ahimelech, "Do you have a spear or sword? The king's business was so urgent that I didn't even have time to grab a weapon!"
The kings "business" that David was talking about was the business of Saul trying to kill David, and so this definitely was an "urgent" matter!
In (v.9) Ahimelech responds to David by saying, "I only have the sword of Goliath the Philistine, whom you killed in the valley of Elah," the priest replied. "It is wrapped in a cloth behind the ephod. Take that if you want it, for there is nothing else here." "There is nothing like it!" David replied. "Give it to me!"
It is in David's brief dialogue with Ahimelech that we see the point behind this article, which is the fruit of being faithful to God (by facing and overcoming our GIANTS) is rewarded over and over again!
Because David walked by faith in God years earlier when he battled Goliath as a young man (1 Samuel 17:29-51), he not only saw the fruit of his faith rewarded then by defeating Goliath (1 Samuel 17:49-51), and becoming a national hero (1 Samuel 18:7), but here in 1 Samuel 21 after several years had passed by we see that his steps of faith from years earlier is still paying great dividends in his present situation.
What am I talking about here? I am talking about the fact that because David courageously conquered that giant Goliath years before, and captured Goliath's sword, the fruit of that victory, which in part was the sword of Goliath, is now bearing much fruit in David's life years later.
What an awesome and inspiring reminder this is for each one of us as we face our GIANTS each time they stand before us. David was fleeing for his life and had no time to get a weapon for protection, and yet even though it would appear he was outmatched and unprepared to face his current giant, we see that Goliath's sword was waiting for him!
What a BLESSING from God this sword was!
What a REMINDER from God this sword was!
What an ENCOURAGEMENT from God this sword must have been for David!
This sword was David's sword of victory that God gave to him for his great faith and courage! This sword was David's great reminder of the fact that God had given him victory over a GIANT! In fact, it was this very giant that king Saul and his entire army were too afraid to fight! (cf. 1 Samuel 17:33). What a sweet reminder this must have been for David, that he had an army of cowards that were chasing after him, and now in his hands he was holding his sword of courage and victory!
What FRUIT this sword must have represented to David!
What COURAGE this sword must have given to David!
What JOY this sword must have brought into David's heart the moment he held it!
No wonder the moment David saw this treasured weapon, he boldly proclaimed, "There is nothing like it!" David replied. "Give it to me!" I wonder if David said these words because he remembered that there was "nothing" in life that compares to facing giants with God on our side, and no greater feeling than experiencing the joy that comes from God giving us the victory over them!
I would like to suggest that this was the sword that David would use throughout the rest of his life as he went into battle, the very sword he took from his victory over Goliath! Wow! What a radical tool for inspiring his soldiers and his armies throughout the years! Much like when Mel Gibson held up his fathers sword in Braveheart and began inspiring his army before they went into their many battles, I could see King David lifting up Goliath's sword and saying, "Do you see this?! This is the sword of a GIANT! This is the sword of GOLIATH! And I took it from him! This is what God can do in your life to, if you trust Him and fight with me now! He will give us the VICTORY! We will OVERCOME because the LORD is on our side!"
The swords that we obtain through faith by conquering the giants that stand against us in life, are the fruit that God causes to take place in our lives because we obediently followed Him, no matter what the giant we are facing looks like.
What a great reminder David is to us that when we do face our giants, God will not only enable us to overcome them, but He will also cause us to bear fruit now, and over and over again in the future.
It is my prayer that you would be inspired to begin taking greater steps of faith for God and display greater degrees of faithfulness to God, as the opportunities present themselves to you, so that you can set an example for your family, friends, and this generation that God has called you to be a light to. Because as you do, God will bring much fruit in and through your life, and you will we rewarded for it!
This is the fruit of CONQUERING our GIANTS! And don't forget, the Bible tells us that if we are followers of Jesus, that we are MORE THAN CONQUERORS! (Romans 8:37).
