One of the many things I constantly battle with is insecurity! Sigh.:/ I wish I could naturally be this confident, strong women of God. Maybe I wouldn't appreciate it as much if I was. The story of David & Goliath has helped me to see it doesn't matter if you're well built or not. If your trust isn't in God you won't experience God-confidence.
King Saul and his men were not scrooney men. It seems in order for David's 3 eldest brothers & the men of Israel to be a part of Saul's army they had to be pretty well built. (1Samuel 16:6-10), which they were because they were chosen in Saul's army. (1 Sam.17:13-14) One of the things I couldn't comprehend at first was if they had all the these strong men in Saul's army what was their problem?! They were more than equipped with God on their side to defeat the Philistines. So, now I was even more curious to know why they were so afraid. Then God gave me insight & I want to share it with you.
1 Samuel 17:8 says,"Goliath stood and shouted a taunt across to the Israelites. “Why are you all coming out to fight?” he called. “I am the Philistine champion, but you are only the servants of Saul."
The enemy loves to brag about how big & strong he is! His #1 trick is to make us feel small & insignificant: no matter how big our stature is or isn't. Goliath told the men of Israel that they were only servants of Saul. He made them feel insecure & made them doubt their own competence in God. He caused them to size up themselves to him. Once, he got the men of Israel to focus on their own weaknesses; they forget how powerful & strong God was compared to Goliath.
The enemy has 3 strategic plans to keep us from defeating the giants in our lives.
1. Insecurity
Once you begin to feel insecure in the abilities & talents God has given you, your insecurities will override God's track record of victory. Insecurities cause amnesia. The men of Israel forgot that their strength & abilities alone couldn't defeat this giant, but God was the one who'd fight their battles.
2. Comparing
The men compared themselves to this 9ft tall giant, so in their minds they looked like ants compared to Goliath. When you begin to compare yourself to others, it only leads to depression. Comparison makes us limit God's power & traps you into a mental pit of lies.
3. Fear
1 Samuel 17:25 NLT
“Have you seen the giant?” the men asked. “He comes out each day to defy Israel."
By the time David had reached the camp. Goliath's plan of instilling insecurity & comparison had worked. The last step was fear. He had these men & Saul so terrified & deeply shaken! That their fear blinded them of faith to see God perform the miraculous through their impossible situation. These men we're so afraid they couldn't see past how big & scary Goliath was. Fear causes us to only see our weaknesses or problems, and not the promises of God.
So, I understand more now how the enemy works... Insecurity, comparing, & fear are all ways the enemy causes us to loose sight of God's plan for our lives. We must arm ourselves like David did with the Word of God. Before David went to fight Goliath, he went to a stream to get 5 smooth stones. I believe, David didn't just go there to get 5 stones, but to spend time alone with God. A stream in the bible symbolizes the Holy Spirit. John 7:38 Whoever believes in me, as Scripture has said, streams of living water will flow from within them. When you have God's Spirit dwelling within you it's refreshing, encouraging, strengthening, clarifying, & inspiring. Consistent time spent alone in God's presence is your opportunity to collect your stones (God's Word) to defeat the giants that come your way.
Lately, I've been reading the story of David & Goliath to my kids quite a lot. It's an amazing story! One of the things that stood out to me the most besides David & Goliath is Saul & the army men of Israel.
King Saul and his men were not scrooney men. It seems in order for David's 3 eldest brothers & the men of Israel to be a part of Saul's army they had to be pretty well built. (1Samuel 16:6-10), which they were because they were chosen in Saul's army. (1 Sam.17:13-14) One of the things I couldn't comprehend at first was if they had all the these strong men in Saul's army what was their problem?! They were more than equipped with God on their side to defeat the Philistines. So, now I was even more curious to know why they were so afraid. Then God gave me insight & I want to share it with you.
1 Samuel 17:8 says,"Goliath stood and shouted a taunt across to the Israelites. “Why are you all coming out to fight?” he called. “I am the Philistine champion, but you are only the servants of Saul."
The enemy loves to brag about how big & strong he is! His #1 trick is to make us feel small & insignificant: no matter how big our stature is or isn't. Goliath told the men of Israel that they were only servants of Saul. He made them feel insecure & made them doubt their own competence in God. He caused them to size up themselves to him. Once, he got the men of Israel to focus on their own weaknesses; they forget how powerful & strong God was compared to Goliath.
The enemy has 3 strategic plans to keep us from defeating the giants in our lives.
1. Insecurity
Once you begin to feel insecure in the abilities & talents God has given you, your insecurities will override God's track record of victory. Insecurities cause amnesia. The men of Israel forgot that their strength & abilities alone couldn't defeat this giant, but God was the one who'd fight their battles.
2. Comparing
The men compared themselves to this 9ft tall giant, so in their minds they looked like ants compared to Goliath. When you begin to compare yourself to others, it only leads to depression. Comparison makes us limit God's power & traps you into a mental pit of lies.
3. Fear
1 Samuel 17:25 NLT
“Have you seen the giant?” the men asked. “He comes out each day to defy Israel."
By the time David had reached the camp. Goliath's plan of instilling insecurity & comparison had worked. The last step was fear. He had these men & Saul so terrified & deeply shaken! That their fear blinded them of faith to see God perform the miraculous through their impossible situation. These men we're so afraid they couldn't see past how big & scary Goliath was. Fear causes us to only see our weaknesses or problems, and not the promises of God.
So, I understand more now how the enemy works... Insecurity, comparing, & fear are all ways the enemy causes us to loose sight of God's plan for our lives. We must arm ourselves like David did with the Word of God. Before David went to fight Goliath, he went to a stream to get 5 smooth stones. I believe, David didn't just go there to get 5 stones, but to spend time alone with God. A stream in the bible symbolizes the Holy Spirit. John 7:38 Whoever believes in me, as Scripture has said, streams of living water will flow from within them. When you have God's Spirit dwelling within you it's refreshing, encouraging, strengthening, clarifying, & inspiring. Consistent time spent alone in God's presence is your opportunity to collect your stones (God's Word) to defeat the giants that come your way.
Thank you for sharing :)
ReplyDeleteThank you Lupita for taking the time to read it.:)
Delete