How many times do we encounter such situations in life and feel that the challenges we are facing are insurmountable? Again, how many times we do face situations in life and become stagnant?
Mocking Giants | Devotional
Then he [Goliath] stood and cried out to the armies of Israel, and said to them, “Why have you come out to line up for battle? Am I not a Philistine, and you the servants of Saul? Choose a man for yourselves, and let him come down to me.
9If he is able to fight with me and kill me, then we will be your servants. But if I prevail against him and kill him, then you shall be our servants and serve us.” 10And the Philistine said, “I defy the armies of Israel this day; give me a man, that we may fight together.”
11When Saul and all Israel heard these words of the Philistine, they were dismayed and greatly afraid.
1 Samuel 17:8–11
This story illustrates the great encounter between Goliath, the giant – the leader of the philistines, and King Saul and the people of Israel.
There was a stalemate, and as a result, the Philistine champion, Goliath the giant, threw a challenge to the face of God’s people, the children of Israel.
They were then mesmerized with apprehension, and this situation typifies a soul being enslaved to doubt, fear, and hopelessness.
How many times do we encounter such situations in life and feel that the challenges we are facing are insurmountable? Again, how many times we do face situations in life and become stagnant?
When we face a situation such as the Israelites did, it is a revealing process of what is in the mind, and our attendant behaviours become obvious.
The challenges of life are multifaceted; some send a shrill into our spine and we become powerless and incapacitated.
Now, Goliath having thrown down the gauntlet to the children of Israel, it seemed no one was willing to challenge his impudence and bragging, and he was apparently set to win the battle by default.
He thus looked upon the people of Israel as no better than slaves. It is so in life when people boast of their accomplishments, positions, and heritage and this could easily render you hopeless, helpless and nonentity in life.
You may then feel traumatized and intimidated, and you may forget your God. Remarkably, this was what Goliath did to the people of Israel. He ridiculed them with his war credentials, status, name, and heritage.
Remember, Goliath as a descendant of giants [Anakin] and being prideful of his own bravery and that of the ancient conquerors, then compared the people of Israel to servants of Saul who had lost favour with God. Giants mock and ridicule!
When Goliath taunted the Israelites as “servants of Saul,” he was comparing them to weak elements who were powerless—people no longer in subjection to the Lord. Goliath mocked them to get them to forget about their identity, heritage, and who they were as people of God.
By calling them “servants of Saul,” he humiliated them as cowards, unequal to his status. By calling them “servants of Saul,” he signified that they had all been enslaved by Saul’s spirit, not empowered by God’s Spirit.
Servants of man are subservient to man and manipulated by man; however, servants of God are empowered by God and His Spirit and are conquerors.
Mockers have a way to ply into your ignorance. Mockers in life have a cunning way to hurt your self-esteem. Mockers will always sneer your heritage and religious belief system and purposefully throw some irrational questions and remarks to test your faith.
Thus, by calling them “servants of Saul,” he mocked the children of Israel with words of degradation. The children of Israel saw a giant, a mere man, a great warrior, a champion or fighter; and as servants of God, they easily forgot the Almighty God of Israel whom they served.
As children of God, you can easily forget who you are if you are being bombarded with incessant sarcastic words from mockers and enemies.
The children of Israel saw a champion and forgot the Champion of Champions. The children of Israel saw Goliath and forgot their heritage as servants of God.
Forgetfulness of God’s past deliverance diminishes one’s confidence in the face of present conflict. Whatever giants you may be facing in life; whether emotional, mental, or spiritual: Remember that giants are not giants at all, they are infinitesimal and second-rate standard when you are on God’s side and empowered by God’s Spirit. Amen.
Suggested Further Reading: Romans 8:38–39.
Prayer
Omnipotent Lord, how great, majestic and awesome You are! No one in all the earth is more powerful than You! May You subdue all the giants in my life by Your sovereign power.
Father, today, may You rekindle my faith in You, knowing well that all giants in life warring against me are nothing in thy sight, O Lord. I declare, by the authority of Your Word, that all the attacks and devices of the enemy are nonoperational and ineffective.
I declare today that I am a winner in life. In the precious name of Jesus Christ, the Son of the Living God’s name, I pray. Amen!