There Be Giants…

Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own. (Matthew 6:34)

I’ve been reading the beginning of the Old Testament recently and I realized that the word giants is mentioned numerous times.  In checking Strong’s Exhaustive Concordance, I discovered that it occurs 20 times.  Tribes described as giants included the Amorites, the Emim, the Zuzim (Zamzummim), the Rephaim, the Nephilim, and the Anakim.  Goliath and Og were two noted by name.  Yet for all their size and strength, all of these people were destroyed.  And not just by the Israelites–the sons of Esau and Lot also had to deal with them in the land that God had given them as well.

Even as a young, unsaved child, I was always amazed at David’s defeat of Goliath and the faith it took to even attempt to fight him.  Despite all the giants that there may have been, David only had to fight one at that particular time.  And God had prepared David to do what He wanted him to do.  That preparation involved divine intervention, not human strength.

Who or what are our giants today?  Something that can attack us like drugs? Alcohol?  Gossip?  Pornography?  Infidelity? Something  that comes from within like bitterness?  Criticism?
gossip?  Something that fills us with fear like the economy?  Poor health?  Or maybe there’s some difficulty with a relationship with our spouse?  A boss?  A teacher?  A pastor?  A friend.
 
Despite the fact that they were a stubborn, faithless and thankless group, God’s chosen people did eventually enter the Promised Land.  And even though the land had originally been inhabited by giants, others had already subdued them.  They were no longer a problem.  They had enough to worry about with the people that they did have to defeats.
 
As Matthew says, there’s enough stuff to worry about each day without worrying about tomorrow.  Deal with your giants one by one and remember that God is in control of everything  And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose. (Rom. 8:28)
 
Are you overwhelmed by the number of giants?  God isn’t.  He’s defeated them before, He’s defeating them now.  And He will defeat them in the future.

3 thoughts on “There Be Giants…

  1. This is so good, Ken! I am thankful to have a God that cares so much for me that he is willing to turn my giants into to something good. When we are in the battle it doesn’t always seem like good will come of it but in hindsight he has refined us a little bit more.

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  2. Amen Ken! I am learning not to worry about what giants I may face tomorrow (though I tend to speculate a lot about their catstrophic nature). I am also learning to deal with today’s giant by turning him over to God rather than trying to deal with him myself!

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