SECRET OF KILLING GIANT - PART 5

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Secret #4

As you stand in front of your GIANT, what response will you give?

Desert -- Run away in fear
Defect -- Give up on your spiritual walk and go back to your old life
Détente -- Let's Make A Deal - I won't bother you, if you won't bother me
Defend -- Stand your ground until your last breath

Or, will you ...

Defeat -- Take up your spiritual weapons and fight ... and WIN the battle!
David is our GIANT-KILLING Mentor. He faced the toughest challenge of his life when he stood face-to-face with the behemoth, Goliath.

But David had an arsenal of weapons that Goliath had no knowledge of. David had "five smooth stones" (1 Sam. 17:40) that he put in his shepherd's pouch.

We're using the word S.T.O.N.E. to describe 5 essential elements that David possessed that guaranteed his victory.

In previous we've seen GIANT-KILLING Secrets #1, #2 and #3:

S = Spiritual

David was spirit-empowered. He was filled with Heaven's resources. He did NOT go into battle alone. He had an UNSEEN PARTNER in his future victory.

T = Trusting

David relied on that UNSEEN PARTNER. He TRUSTED God to make a difference! He had seen God's deliverance in the past, and he KNEW God would deliver him again.

O = Outspoken

David could NOT keep quiet about his victory! Two lessons here. IF you TRUST God & BELIEVE you'll be victorious, you will:

a) Tell someone! You won't keep it to yourself.
b) TALK victory rather than defeat. Our words reveal what we really believe... good or bad. We will speak out of what fills our heart - faith or failure.

Now for GIANT-KILLING SECRET #4

N = Natural

King Saul was eager for someone else to fight the Giant. He certainly didn't want to do it himself -- even though he should have, being:
a) The King, and
b) The biggest man in Israel ("head and shoulders taller than anyone else")
Saul knew how HE would fight Goliath, and tried to impose that on David.

So he suited David up with his Kingly armor (1 Samuel 17:38). He was "trying to help" David.

Can you imagine how this young, small teenager looked in a suit of armor tailored for a 6' 6" man? Imagine a 5' 5" tall young man putting on a professional football player's "suit of armor" - his uniform and padding. He would look ridiculous, wouldn't he?

David clanged around for a couple of minutes and finally said, "I can't go out and fight with these, for I have not tested them." (v39) And David took them off.

Why? It was the best armor money could buy ... Kingly armor! Why wouldn't David use it?
Because it was too big? Well, that's certainly one reason. But not the main reason.

Saul's armor, or anyone's armor would never have suited David because it wasn't NATURAL to him.

"I have not tested them" meant, "This is not how I fight. I have a track record of victory (remember the lion and the bear) and it didn't come by wearing armor of any kind."

David was NATURAL - that is, he used in battle what he KNEW would work for him.

Vs 40 says David took into battle three things: Stick, Stones, and a Sling

Not very intimidating was it? Imagine walking up to a 10' tall giant with a stick, some stones, and a flimsy, homemade sling. (Not a "slingshot" like we can buy today - this was two leathercords tied to a small leather pouch)

But that's exactly what David did. Why? Because that was NATURAL for him. He was VERY GOOD with a sling!

The Bible says that warriors skilled with a sling could "sling stones at a hair breadth, and not miss." (Judges 20:16)

I don't know what a hair's breath is, but it sounds really small doesn't it?

The point is, David was GOOD with his weapons! He was SKILLED with a sling and stone! He knew what he was doing. He would fight HIS WAY, not someone else's way (Saul).

David would fight NATURALLY.

How often do we look for victory by asking others, "What would YOU do?" What if David had asked Saul that question, and followed his advice?

I hesitate even writing a series entitled, "GIANT-KILLING SECRETS" - because there is NO FORMULA that, when followed, guarantees victory.

These are principles worth knowing, and many have testified to that fact. But, your victory and my victory may be fought differently. For example:

In Exodus 4:2, God asked Moses, "What is that in your hand?" The Staff that Moses carried would bring deliverance to the Hebrew slaves.

Joshua instructed his warriors to shout and blow their trumpets. (Joshua 6)

Hezekiah SLEPT through his victory when an angel slew 185,000 of his enemy in one night! (2 Kings 19:35)

Jehoshaphat was confronted with three armies dedicated to destroying him. How did he fight? He sent the "praise & worship band and choir" to the front lines and just PRAISED GOD! What happened? God caused the other three armies to fight and kill each other! (2 Chronicles 19-20)

The point is ... God has always used a variety of means to accomplish His purpose!

There is NO FORMULA...
NO RECIPE ...
NO BLUEPRINT...
NO PRESCRIPTION...

What do you have in YOUR hand? What has God called YOU to do? What are YOUR spiritual gifts? HOW has God called YOU to wage war against YOUR Giant?

I think you can see why S, T, and O are so important. They build upon each other so that we can HEAR GOD for ourselves.

YES, "wise counsel" is important. But what is God saying to each of us -- for OUR particular fight?

Be NATURAL ("Be super-NATURAL"). Utilize the spiritual-gifts and spiritual-abilities that you have already been blessed with.

Now, it's time to APPROACH THE GIANT...

will be continued.......


SHARED BY
Al.Kira