Facing the Giants

This is the title of a great movie. However this is not what this is about. I was struck as I read the story of David's fight against Goliath. This is a true story. However, it is so popular it almost reads as a fairy tale. When someone starts talking about the story or I start reading it for myself I check out. Yeah, I know this. I have heard it a million times.

However there has been something that has bothered me for a long time about this story. The offer that Goliath made was not an uncommon practice in those days. If you are not sure what I am talking about it looks like this.  Each army would send out their best man for a winner takes all fight.  Often the king or one of his top men would accept the challenge. It is a risky venture since you are betting your entire kingdom on one fight. The consequences of this decision were great. I can understand why the Israelite army was afraid and why people were not lined up to volunteer for this job. The part I do not understand is what were they thinking letting David go out there. Saul is reported as being a large man himself yet Saul is willing to gamble his entire kingdom on this little boy. Some might say he trusted God after David gave his speech. If that is the case why did he not go out there himself, trust God and face the giant. This is a very risky move. None of the soldiers step up either. If David loses they all become slaves and Saul is most likely a dead man. So why the risk.

The other thing that caught my attention was how David responded to the challenge. I Samuel 17 :48 says "As the Philistine moved closer to attack him, David ran quickly toward the battle line to meet him."  David did not wait for Goliath to come to him. He ran out to meet him.  Often when I see a challenge coming in my life it is not my tendency to run towards it and attack it. I, at best, wait until it gets to me. I am afraid I often respond like the Israelite army and hide in the cave and hope someone else will step up and take care of it.  I will take a crazy risk by deferring my responsibility to someone else because I do not want to face my fears, my struggles, or my challenges.

Maybe David was the only person that could kill Goliath. I do not know.  Maybe the challenge you are facing is one that only you can take on. Maybe if you were running towards the giant in your life it would look different.  The thing we can remember the giant is moving closer.  We have to face it.  The decison we have to make is how are we going to respond.  Are we going to try to hide or are we going to face the giant?