Day 6 “Six Fingers” – the Giant of Slavery to Sin
Scripture Reading: 2 Samuel 21:20-21. There was war at Gath again, where there was a man of great stature who had six fingers on each hand and six toes on each foot, twenty-four in number; and he also had been born to the giant. When he defied Israel, Jonathan the son of Shimei, David's brother, struck him down.
I Peter 5:8 Watch out – for your enemy the devil is prowling around like a roaring lion, looking for someone to destroy.
I read about “Six Fingers” when I was doing research on the story of David and Goliath. In studying the book, Giant Killers, by Dennis Jernigan, I discovered that Goliath wasn’t the only giant in the Bible. There were whole tribes of these huge monsters who went around terrifying everyone. “Six Fingers” was a guy with six fingers on each hand and six toes on each foot. (Nowadays they call this rare phenomenon polydactyly, meaning multiple digits). Anyway, imagine getting into a fight with Six Fingers – boy, would he have a tight grip on you! You would not make it out alive if you fought with Six Fingers because he would have more strength in each hand and foot.
Six Fingers didn't make it out alive, though, when he came up against Jonathan, the son of Shimei, who was one of David’s sons – so Jonathan was David’s nephew. David at this point is older than when he killed Goliath as a teenager. So now he is surrounding himself with younger, stronger warriors. He could not fight these giants by himself anymore. He needed help to fight giants such as this one who had some bonus fingers and toes. This guy was super strong! Powerful!
Do we see the parallel between that guy’s power and the power of sin? It enslaves us, does it not? When sin gets its ugly chokehold around our neck, we are in the fight of our lives. Think about someone you know who just cannot seem to break free of a destructive habit. They feel powerless under the heavy weight of the sin. Every time they manage to break free, it seems they no sooner get a taste of that freedom when suddenly they are snatched back into the pit of slavery to the sin.
Like the verse above says – the devil is like a roaring lion or, as in the above verses, a guy with six fingers on each hand and six toes on each foot, looking for someone to enslave in his grip. We really do need to watch out for this giant. He loves to repeatedly bring us back into bondage. He likes it when we are deep in that pit, for the deeper the pit, the harder it is for us to pry our hands free and crawl out of it.
Who then can help us? Our hero today is a meek little guy named Submission. Like the younger David versus Goliath, Submission doesn’t seem to stand a chance against Six Fingers. That seems weak! But James 4:7 tells us to “submit yourselves, then, to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you.” What power will come from that simple action of submission! If we submit our total will to God, He will give us the strength we need to resist the devil’s temptations. When we do that, the Bible says that the devil will flee and let us out of his six-fingered grasp. Praise God for the power He gives us through submission to His will!
Prayer: Oh Lord, how we need your power. We need your power so that we may submit our will to Your own. Only through submission to You can we break free of the chokehold that “Six Fingers” has around our necks. Give us the power to submit to an All-Loving, All-Powerful God. Amen.
Slay that Giant: Do you have a problem with a sin that seems to have a six-fingered grasp on you? Does it seem to be more powerful than you? Sometimes we need to just “pick up our mat and walk” away from that sinful area of our lives, as the paralytic did in the book of John Chapter 5. Other times, we really need a professional to help us. To ask for help is not a weakness. It is instead a sign of strength. There are godly counselors in most geographical areas who can help. Ask your pastor for references if that is where you find yourself struggling at this time.
Thursday, May 14, 2009
Wednesday, May 13, 2009
Those Giant Stormy Seas of Life
Day 5 Those Giant Stormy Seas of Life
Scripture Reading: Then he got into the boat and his disciples followed him. Without warning, a furious storm came up on the lake, so that the waves swept over the boat. But Jesus was sleeping. The disciples went and woke him, saying, “Lord, save us! We’re going to drown! He replied, “You of little faith, why are you so afraid?” Then he got up and rebuked the winds and the waves, and it was completely calm. The men were amazed and said, "What kind of man is this? Even the winds and the sea obey him!" Matthew 8:23-27
Do the stormy seas of life tend to drown your spirit? Do you lack the spiritual strength to stand on mountains? Do you have an insatiable hunger for something that threatens to engulf you? Today we battle the giant that we call the “stormy seas of life.” This giant could actually be the weather itself, or it could be the metaphorical “weather of life” with all of life’s storms, the winds of change that toss us to-and-fro spiritually, and circumstances which, like a blizzard or a white-out, can blind us to the truth of Jesus Christ.
We can get so disoriented by the shifting sands of others’ opinions or beliefs that we can just take a real nosedive ourselves, can't we? It’s kind of like what happened to John Kennedy Jr. several years ago, when the plane he was flying got caught in some haze upon his descent to Martha’s Vineyard. He was not trained to fly by the controls and had to fly by sight – unfortunately he could not see the ground because of the ground cover! He got disoriented and thought “up” was “down” and he, his wife and their traveling companion perished when the plane crashed.
We get disoriented too, don’t we? The stormy seas of life can make maneuvering very treacherous for us. So let’s reflect for a moment on the Great Enemy of the Giant of Stormy Seas. It’s the very Hands of Jesus Christ – who calms the seas and makes the trees bow down to Him.
Today we reprint the lyrics from that beautiful song, “You Raise Me Up.” Consider these words as you prayerfully ask the Lord to remain constant throughout the storms of your life, whether they be situational, interpersonal, or spiritual. Praise God as we allow His loving arms to “raise us up” to more than we can be.
You Raise Me Up (lyrics by Brendan Graham)
When I am down, and oh, my soul, so weary – When troubles come and my heart burdened be
Then I am still – and wait here in the silence. Until you come – and sit awhile with me.
You raise me up – so I can stand on mountains. You raise me up to walk on stormy seas.
I am strong – when I am on your shoulders. You raise me up – to more than I can be.
There is no life – no life without this hunger. Each restless heart – beats so imperfectly
But when you come – and I am filled with wonder – Sometimes I think – I glimpse eternity.
You raise me up – so I can stand on mountains. You raise me up – to walk on stormy seas
I am strong – when I am on your shoulders. You raise me up – to more than I can be.
Prayer: Dear Heavenly Father, thank You for raising us up to more than we can be. Thank You for never leaving us through the storms of life. Help us to defeat this giant! We cannot change the weather or life’s unexpected storms, but we can ask you to hold us up, to help us stand on mountains, and to give us a better foothold – because we’re standing in your footprints, and resting in your arms. Amen.
Slay the Giant: Stormy weather can be treacherous, but it also reflects the power of a mighty God. As winter bears down on us and threatens never to leave, look outside and consider how beautiful this snowy season can be. Get a magnifying glass, go out and scoop up some snow, and look at a pinch of snow through the glass to get a glimpse of those individual snowflakes. God made every one of them different and unique. How amazing is our God!
If it is spring or summer when you read this, check out a group of tall trees during a storm. Watch how they bend and wave during the storm. Their roots are strong and deep. They know who their maker is. All of nature during a storm – the winds – the trees – it is as if they are all genuflecting – bowing – in obedience and worship to their Lord! Praise God! Even the winds obey him!
Scripture Reading: Then he got into the boat and his disciples followed him. Without warning, a furious storm came up on the lake, so that the waves swept over the boat. But Jesus was sleeping. The disciples went and woke him, saying, “Lord, save us! We’re going to drown! He replied, “You of little faith, why are you so afraid?” Then he got up and rebuked the winds and the waves, and it was completely calm. The men were amazed and said, "What kind of man is this? Even the winds and the sea obey him!" Matthew 8:23-27
Do the stormy seas of life tend to drown your spirit? Do you lack the spiritual strength to stand on mountains? Do you have an insatiable hunger for something that threatens to engulf you? Today we battle the giant that we call the “stormy seas of life.” This giant could actually be the weather itself, or it could be the metaphorical “weather of life” with all of life’s storms, the winds of change that toss us to-and-fro spiritually, and circumstances which, like a blizzard or a white-out, can blind us to the truth of Jesus Christ.
We can get so disoriented by the shifting sands of others’ opinions or beliefs that we can just take a real nosedive ourselves, can't we? It’s kind of like what happened to John Kennedy Jr. several years ago, when the plane he was flying got caught in some haze upon his descent to Martha’s Vineyard. He was not trained to fly by the controls and had to fly by sight – unfortunately he could not see the ground because of the ground cover! He got disoriented and thought “up” was “down” and he, his wife and their traveling companion perished when the plane crashed.
We get disoriented too, don’t we? The stormy seas of life can make maneuvering very treacherous for us. So let’s reflect for a moment on the Great Enemy of the Giant of Stormy Seas. It’s the very Hands of Jesus Christ – who calms the seas and makes the trees bow down to Him.
Today we reprint the lyrics from that beautiful song, “You Raise Me Up.” Consider these words as you prayerfully ask the Lord to remain constant throughout the storms of your life, whether they be situational, interpersonal, or spiritual. Praise God as we allow His loving arms to “raise us up” to more than we can be.
You Raise Me Up (lyrics by Brendan Graham)
When I am down, and oh, my soul, so weary – When troubles come and my heart burdened be
Then I am still – and wait here in the silence. Until you come – and sit awhile with me.
You raise me up – so I can stand on mountains. You raise me up to walk on stormy seas.
I am strong – when I am on your shoulders. You raise me up – to more than I can be.
There is no life – no life without this hunger. Each restless heart – beats so imperfectly
But when you come – and I am filled with wonder – Sometimes I think – I glimpse eternity.
You raise me up – so I can stand on mountains. You raise me up – to walk on stormy seas
I am strong – when I am on your shoulders. You raise me up – to more than I can be.
Prayer: Dear Heavenly Father, thank You for raising us up to more than we can be. Thank You for never leaving us through the storms of life. Help us to defeat this giant! We cannot change the weather or life’s unexpected storms, but we can ask you to hold us up, to help us stand on mountains, and to give us a better foothold – because we’re standing in your footprints, and resting in your arms. Amen.
Slay the Giant: Stormy weather can be treacherous, but it also reflects the power of a mighty God. As winter bears down on us and threatens never to leave, look outside and consider how beautiful this snowy season can be. Get a magnifying glass, go out and scoop up some snow, and look at a pinch of snow through the glass to get a glimpse of those individual snowflakes. God made every one of them different and unique. How amazing is our God!
If it is spring or summer when you read this, check out a group of tall trees during a storm. Watch how they bend and wave during the storm. Their roots are strong and deep. They know who their maker is. All of nature during a storm – the winds – the trees – it is as if they are all genuflecting – bowing – in obedience and worship to their Lord! Praise God! Even the winds obey him!
Monday, May 11, 2009
The Giant of Approval from Others
Scripture Reading: “How great is the love the Father has lavished on us, that we might be called the children of God! And that is what we are!” I John 3:1
Do you care too much about what others think of you? Do you need to be accepted by other people in order to feel good about yourself? Are you sort of “addicted” to approval? These are tough questions to consider.
Joyce Meyer has an interesting book called Approval Addiction. If you were to read it, you might end up thinking (like I did) that you need some kind of “approval intervention”! I just identified with so many areas in which we seem to crave others’ approval. If I had to play a tape recorder of my mind’s thoughts as I go about my insecure day, it might sound like: “Why did that person look at me that way? Is my sweater a bad color? Is my hair the wrong color? I don’t think that person likes me. I don’t even think my husband likes me very much right now. I don’t think my kids like me. And I know for a FACT that I don’t like me right now. Why didn't so-and-so call me back? Maybe she is mad at me. Maybe I said something that hurt her feelings. Why did that other person say …..” and on and on.
As the giant of approval accuses me of being not worthy for others’ approval, what gets drowned out is that clear message from my Lord and Savior that He gave me in I John 3:1 – how GREAT is the LOVE my Heavenly Father has lavished on me – that I might be called the child of God! And that is what I AM! I am a child of God – chosen, made, created, and loved – by my Heavenly Father. He made me – He knows me – He understands me – He accepts me – just as I am. Now, He loves me too much to want me to stay in this pit of approval addiction, so He gently nudges at me through the Holy Spirit. “I love you, Lisa. You are fearfully and wonderfully made. You are my child. Rest in that.”
Didn’t you just love it when your parents were proud of you for something you did? Wouldn't you have just loved it even more if your parents would say, “No matter what – we love you. We think you're GREAT!” That’s our Lord. He says that too. He says that to ALL of His children. He loves us because He made us, not because of good things we have done, but because we are His workmanship.
So why would I succumb to that giant – that nasty voice that says others don’t approve of me? Don’t we do this? Don’t we all seem to require that our circle of friends love and approve of us? Take heart, friends, for we have approval from the only One whose approval we require: God our Heavenly Father.
Prayer: Lord, I know you love me. Help me to believe that! Help me to know that Your love is so great that it doesn’t matter one stitch what another person may think of me. Your approval is all I need. And You give it to me through the Bible and through Your Holy Spirit. Thank You! Thank you for making me the way you did. Help me to be content in your Heavenly approval of me.
Slay the Giant: Just once today try to resist the urge to ask for someone else’s opinion or approval on something about yourself. Turn instead to the Lord in prayer and ask Him to guide you in this search for approval. See what happens!
Do you care too much about what others think of you? Do you need to be accepted by other people in order to feel good about yourself? Are you sort of “addicted” to approval? These are tough questions to consider.
Joyce Meyer has an interesting book called Approval Addiction. If you were to read it, you might end up thinking (like I did) that you need some kind of “approval intervention”! I just identified with so many areas in which we seem to crave others’ approval. If I had to play a tape recorder of my mind’s thoughts as I go about my insecure day, it might sound like: “Why did that person look at me that way? Is my sweater a bad color? Is my hair the wrong color? I don’t think that person likes me. I don’t even think my husband likes me very much right now. I don’t think my kids like me. And I know for a FACT that I don’t like me right now. Why didn't so-and-so call me back? Maybe she is mad at me. Maybe I said something that hurt her feelings. Why did that other person say …..” and on and on.
As the giant of approval accuses me of being not worthy for others’ approval, what gets drowned out is that clear message from my Lord and Savior that He gave me in I John 3:1 – how GREAT is the LOVE my Heavenly Father has lavished on me – that I might be called the child of God! And that is what I AM! I am a child of God – chosen, made, created, and loved – by my Heavenly Father. He made me – He knows me – He understands me – He accepts me – just as I am. Now, He loves me too much to want me to stay in this pit of approval addiction, so He gently nudges at me through the Holy Spirit. “I love you, Lisa. You are fearfully and wonderfully made. You are my child. Rest in that.”
Didn’t you just love it when your parents were proud of you for something you did? Wouldn't you have just loved it even more if your parents would say, “No matter what – we love you. We think you're GREAT!” That’s our Lord. He says that too. He says that to ALL of His children. He loves us because He made us, not because of good things we have done, but because we are His workmanship.
So why would I succumb to that giant – that nasty voice that says others don’t approve of me? Don’t we do this? Don’t we all seem to require that our circle of friends love and approve of us? Take heart, friends, for we have approval from the only One whose approval we require: God our Heavenly Father.
Prayer: Lord, I know you love me. Help me to believe that! Help me to know that Your love is so great that it doesn’t matter one stitch what another person may think of me. Your approval is all I need. And You give it to me through the Bible and through Your Holy Spirit. Thank You! Thank you for making me the way you did. Help me to be content in your Heavenly approval of me.
Slay the Giant: Just once today try to resist the urge to ask for someone else’s opinion or approval on something about yourself. Turn instead to the Lord in prayer and ask Him to guide you in this search for approval. See what happens!
Sunday, May 10, 2009
Day 3 - the Giant of "More, More, More"
Scripture Reading: “Be content with what you have, because God has said, I will never leave you or forsake you.” Hebrews 13:5
“Godliness with contentment is great gain” … I Timothy 6:6.
If you had to turn the giant of “More” into an actual living, breathing, person, what would he (or she) look like? This past winter our son was participating in youth wrestling, so we might jokingly call “More” an 8-year-old-boy who comes home after wrestling practice and asks for something to eat, and then five minutes later, returns and says “can I have some more” and then five minutes later it’s the same thing, and you start to wonder where the food is all going. It seems like it’s never enough! He just wants more and more and more.
We look at all the drugstores that have sprung up in the area over the last few years and wonder why they keep building more and more and more of them. Tom’s parents even have a drugstore in their area called “Phar-MOR.” We see all the new fast food restaurants and wonder if they will survive – and yes, they probably will, because they offer more and more and more and more. When I was a kid, a 12-ounce soft drink was typically offered with a fast food meal. Now – it’s 42 ounces, right? It’s the Big Gulp and it’s the humongous burrito from Chipotle and it’s the super-sized fries. Small just wasn’t enough, it seems.
Whoever “More” looks like, it’s safe to say he or she is never satisfied. The giant of “more” is a bottomless pit. “More” seems to taunt us that if this little bite is so good, then more of it will be even better.
I have read that with taste buds, it’s that first bite that is the best. Our taste buds are quick learners, it seems, and they rapidly adjust to that awesome first bite and nothing tastes quite as good after that. But we want to experience the awesomeness of that first bite and so we go after more and more and more and more … and it doesn’t satisfy. Next thing you know, you ate too much and feel awful. All because you chased that evil giant of “More.”
Take heart, though: More has an enemy, as all giants do, and his name is “Enough.” He is described in the verses above. His name is God, and He tells us that He is “Enough.” Like that great Chris Tomlin song we sang in worship service recently, entitled “Enough”: All of You is more than enough for all of me – For every thirst and every need – You satisfy me with Your love – And all I have in You is more than enough…”
Prayer: Oh God, help me to be content with what I have! Help me to not chase after “More”. More has lots of children and their names are all the same – More! I suspect that the only More that you wish I would chase after – is MORE of You. Because You will make me content. You will supply all that I need. Help me to be like Paul, who learned how to be content in all circumstances (see Philippians 14:11).
Slay that Giant: First, let’s consider the topic of food. If you like some kind of food too much – doesn’t matter what it is – try an experiment today of stopping after the first bite. Ask God to help you to be content with just a little bit of it. Warning - it might be difficult at first! But Praise God as He gives you self-control in this area!
Secondly, a word of general encouragement as you fight the Giant of More in any particular area of your life. Yes, I agree, this can be a real battle! But as Christian author Beth Moore says, “Plan your victories!” This means that as we ask Christ to help us in our fight against the Giant of More, we should also “pick up our mat and walk,” just as Christ told the paralytic to do. Don’t wait to succeed in this battle. Be confident that God, who has started a good work within you, will work it to completion. I am content with that!
“Godliness with contentment is great gain” … I Timothy 6:6.
If you had to turn the giant of “More” into an actual living, breathing, person, what would he (or she) look like? This past winter our son was participating in youth wrestling, so we might jokingly call “More” an 8-year-old-boy who comes home after wrestling practice and asks for something to eat, and then five minutes later, returns and says “can I have some more” and then five minutes later it’s the same thing, and you start to wonder where the food is all going. It seems like it’s never enough! He just wants more and more and more.
We look at all the drugstores that have sprung up in the area over the last few years and wonder why they keep building more and more and more of them. Tom’s parents even have a drugstore in their area called “Phar-MOR.” We see all the new fast food restaurants and wonder if they will survive – and yes, they probably will, because they offer more and more and more and more. When I was a kid, a 12-ounce soft drink was typically offered with a fast food meal. Now – it’s 42 ounces, right? It’s the Big Gulp and it’s the humongous burrito from Chipotle and it’s the super-sized fries. Small just wasn’t enough, it seems.
Whoever “More” looks like, it’s safe to say he or she is never satisfied. The giant of “more” is a bottomless pit. “More” seems to taunt us that if this little bite is so good, then more of it will be even better.
I have read that with taste buds, it’s that first bite that is the best. Our taste buds are quick learners, it seems, and they rapidly adjust to that awesome first bite and nothing tastes quite as good after that. But we want to experience the awesomeness of that first bite and so we go after more and more and more and more … and it doesn’t satisfy. Next thing you know, you ate too much and feel awful. All because you chased that evil giant of “More.”
Take heart, though: More has an enemy, as all giants do, and his name is “Enough.” He is described in the verses above. His name is God, and He tells us that He is “Enough.” Like that great Chris Tomlin song we sang in worship service recently, entitled “Enough”: All of You is more than enough for all of me – For every thirst and every need – You satisfy me with Your love – And all I have in You is more than enough…”
Prayer: Oh God, help me to be content with what I have! Help me to not chase after “More”. More has lots of children and their names are all the same – More! I suspect that the only More that you wish I would chase after – is MORE of You. Because You will make me content. You will supply all that I need. Help me to be like Paul, who learned how to be content in all circumstances (see Philippians 14:11).
Slay that Giant: First, let’s consider the topic of food. If you like some kind of food too much – doesn’t matter what it is – try an experiment today of stopping after the first bite. Ask God to help you to be content with just a little bit of it. Warning - it might be difficult at first! But Praise God as He gives you self-control in this area!
Secondly, a word of general encouragement as you fight the Giant of More in any particular area of your life. Yes, I agree, this can be a real battle! But as Christian author Beth Moore says, “Plan your victories!” This means that as we ask Christ to help us in our fight against the Giant of More, we should also “pick up our mat and walk,” just as Christ told the paralytic to do. Don’t wait to succeed in this battle. Be confident that God, who has started a good work within you, will work it to completion. I am content with that!
Saturday, May 9, 2009
Slaying Our Giants-Day Two. The Giant of PRIDE.
Scripture Readings:
To fear the Lord is to hate evil; I hate pride and arrogance, evil behavior and perverse speech. Proverbs 8:13
Pride goes before destruction; a haughty spirit before a fall. Proverbs 16:18
Also read Isaiah 13:11.
In the Sunday night women’s Bible study, “Living in Love with Jesus,” we have been looking at some of the things that get in the way of our walk with the Lord. One of the giants that presents a major stumbling block is Pride. Here are two examples of the Giant of Pride from our study.
Christian recording artist/author Kathy Troccoli, one of the leaders of this video-assisted study, said that one day she was sitting in her friend’s living room in October and was absolutely mesmerized by the colors of the leaves on the trees that gorgeous autumn day. Bold yellows and reds and oranges – just blazingly beautiful. She did some research on how leaves turn colors, and she learned (and maybe we all learned this in high school but I sure forgot it) – that it’s the chlorophyll in the leaves that makes them so green in the summer. When the chlorophyll dies in the fall, the beautiful colors of red and yellow and orange in the leaves can now be seen. They were there all along; they were just overshadowed by the green. Only when the green in the leaves dies can all the beautiful colors of the leaves come out of hiding.
That’s the way it is with the Giant of Pride – we have to bludgeon that nasty giant so that the true beauty of Christ that is in us can be seen. Pride simply has to die before Christ can shine in us.
The second example is in the Biblical story of Esther. A real-life embodiment of Pride is found in Haman, King Xerxes’ right-hand man. Haman the Prideful Giant is defeated by his nemesis, Humility, seen in the person of Queen Esther. Do you know the story? King Xerxes has been hosting a six-month-long party and tries to coax his wife, Queen Vashti, out of hiding so that he can parade her around in front of his court. Vashti refuses and is sent away. A contest to choose the next queen is arranged, and the Jewish Esther wins. She hides her ancestry from the king on the advice of her wise cousin Mordecai. The Jewish-hating Haman gets the job of second-in-command, much to the dismay of Mordecai, who refuses to bow down to the prideful Haman. Haman is incensed at this lack of respect, and concocts a plot whereby he convinces the king to execute all Jews. Esther must reveal her true identity to the king if she is to have any chance at saving her people. She does so, risking her life in the process, and in the end Haman is the one executed, while the Jewish people earn the right to defend themselves against the Persians.
So, Haman’s Pride is a one-hued giant that tries to dominate but falls, as Esther’s humility shines through in this dramatic story of a near-Holocaust. Esther is like all the beautiful colors of the rainbow that come out after the storm, when the prideful Haman is destroyed.
Prayer: Dear Lord, You are so beautiful. Only You in us can make us beautiful from the inside out. Help us, Lord, to dress ourselves in Your colors. Help us to wear the garments of holiness, of righteousness, of love, of kindness, of humility. Thank you for being with us as we disable the powers of the prideful giant in our hearts.
Slay that Giant: In worship services we have been singing a great song about being clothed in beauty on the inside. It is titled, appropriately, “Inside Out”. Consider these lyrics as you seek the Lord’s help in making you beautiful from the inside out.
To fear the Lord is to hate evil; I hate pride and arrogance, evil behavior and perverse speech. Proverbs 8:13
Pride goes before destruction; a haughty spirit before a fall. Proverbs 16:18
Also read Isaiah 13:11.
In the Sunday night women’s Bible study, “Living in Love with Jesus,” we have been looking at some of the things that get in the way of our walk with the Lord. One of the giants that presents a major stumbling block is Pride. Here are two examples of the Giant of Pride from our study.
Christian recording artist/author Kathy Troccoli, one of the leaders of this video-assisted study, said that one day she was sitting in her friend’s living room in October and was absolutely mesmerized by the colors of the leaves on the trees that gorgeous autumn day. Bold yellows and reds and oranges – just blazingly beautiful. She did some research on how leaves turn colors, and she learned (and maybe we all learned this in high school but I sure forgot it) – that it’s the chlorophyll in the leaves that makes them so green in the summer. When the chlorophyll dies in the fall, the beautiful colors of red and yellow and orange in the leaves can now be seen. They were there all along; they were just overshadowed by the green. Only when the green in the leaves dies can all the beautiful colors of the leaves come out of hiding.
That’s the way it is with the Giant of Pride – we have to bludgeon that nasty giant so that the true beauty of Christ that is in us can be seen. Pride simply has to die before Christ can shine in us.
The second example is in the Biblical story of Esther. A real-life embodiment of Pride is found in Haman, King Xerxes’ right-hand man. Haman the Prideful Giant is defeated by his nemesis, Humility, seen in the person of Queen Esther. Do you know the story? King Xerxes has been hosting a six-month-long party and tries to coax his wife, Queen Vashti, out of hiding so that he can parade her around in front of his court. Vashti refuses and is sent away. A contest to choose the next queen is arranged, and the Jewish Esther wins. She hides her ancestry from the king on the advice of her wise cousin Mordecai. The Jewish-hating Haman gets the job of second-in-command, much to the dismay of Mordecai, who refuses to bow down to the prideful Haman. Haman is incensed at this lack of respect, and concocts a plot whereby he convinces the king to execute all Jews. Esther must reveal her true identity to the king if she is to have any chance at saving her people. She does so, risking her life in the process, and in the end Haman is the one executed, while the Jewish people earn the right to defend themselves against the Persians.
So, Haman’s Pride is a one-hued giant that tries to dominate but falls, as Esther’s humility shines through in this dramatic story of a near-Holocaust. Esther is like all the beautiful colors of the rainbow that come out after the storm, when the prideful Haman is destroyed.
Prayer: Dear Lord, You are so beautiful. Only You in us can make us beautiful from the inside out. Help us, Lord, to dress ourselves in Your colors. Help us to wear the garments of holiness, of righteousness, of love, of kindness, of humility. Thank you for being with us as we disable the powers of the prideful giant in our hearts.
Slay that Giant: In worship services we have been singing a great song about being clothed in beauty on the inside. It is titled, appropriately, “Inside Out”. Consider these lyrics as you seek the Lord’s help in making you beautiful from the inside out.
Slaying Our Giants-Day One. The Giant of Shame
Day 1 Goliath, The Giant of Shame
Scripture Reading: Read I Samuel chapter 17.
Ephesians 6:11-17. Put on the full armor of God so that you can take your stand against the devil’s schemes . . . Stand firm, then, with the belt of truth buckled around your waist, and with your feet fitted with the readiness that comes from the gospel of peace . . . take up the shield of faith . . . (to) extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one. Take the helmet of salvation and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God.”
We all know the story of David and Goliath, how David took five smooth stones and slayed the giant Goliath. But do you know what the name “Goliath” means? It means “to be disgracefully stripped naked.” Yuck! Now, Goliath did not literally strip people naked, but he did it, figuratively speaking. For forty days, Goliath, a nearly ten-foot tall Philistine, strutted around and taunted the Israelite soldiers, to take him on. “Bring me a man to fight me – a real man!” he basically was saying. He was so sure that he could take down any potential foe that he taunted, “If you win, I will be your slave – but if I win – you will be MY slave!”
Isn’t that just like a bully? Walking around teasing and tormenting his foes. Daring anyone to fight him. Just the sound of his voice would be enough to send anyone packing, or running for the hills. Who then could imagine that David, the lowly shepherd boy, the youngest of eight boys, a teenager, would be able to defeat him? Even his bigger brothers did not dare go up against this Goliath. They were angry that he even showed up to bring them rations of cheese and bread. “What are you doing here?” they wondered. “Get out of here – this is a dangerous place! This is no place for a kid!” David was undaunted. He had fought bears – and won. He was familiar with rough terrain. “Who is this Philistine who is tormenting the soldiers?” he wondered. “Surely I can take him on.” His youthful inexperience worked as an advantage to him at this point in time. He was strong, courageous and confident – which is exactly the type of adversary that is needed to take down our first giant.
Goliath, the Giant of Shame, was defeated quickly by a surprising yet much more powerful adversary. Look at verse 45 to see what David possessed. He had something that Goliath lacked: true confidence, the kind that comes from the Lord. “You come at me with spear and sword,” he reminded Goliath, “but I come against you in the name of the Lord Almighty, the God of the armies of Israel, whom you have defied.” Whoa. What is David saying here? He is informing Goliath that no taunting, no threats, no attempt at shaming another, can even come close to the power that comes with the confidence we can have in an Almighty God.
Where did David get this confidence at such a young age? Not from big weapons like Goliath had. He wasn’t carrying spears and swords. He had only the slingshot and five stones. David’s confidence came from weaponry, for sure: namely, the armor of God. David, known as “a man after God’s own heart,” possessed the confidence that comes from being fully armed with the weaponry of God that is later described by Paul in his letter to the Ephesians: the belt of truth; the breastplate of righteousness, the shoes of peace; the shield of faith and the helmet of salvation and the sword of the Spirit – the Word of God. David possesses these weapons. He is fully armed. Confident, he was ready to face the giant Goliath. The more powerful man won. Praise God for His power! How great is Our God!
Prayer: Dear Lord, You alone are powerful! You are sharper than any two-edged sword or spear. How confident we should be in that Truth! Thank you for this example of Confidence – the Confidence that we can have, knowing that our strength, our power, is in You alone.
Slay that Giant: Do you harbor any shame toward anything that has happened to you in the past? Set up that event in your mind against the power of the Holy Spirit. He is stronger than that memory! He has conquered that shame! Now possess that confidence! Take up the sword of the Spirit, which is the Holy Bible.
Scripture Reading: Read I Samuel chapter 17.
Ephesians 6:11-17. Put on the full armor of God so that you can take your stand against the devil’s schemes . . . Stand firm, then, with the belt of truth buckled around your waist, and with your feet fitted with the readiness that comes from the gospel of peace . . . take up the shield of faith . . . (to) extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one. Take the helmet of salvation and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God.”
We all know the story of David and Goliath, how David took five smooth stones and slayed the giant Goliath. But do you know what the name “Goliath” means? It means “to be disgracefully stripped naked.” Yuck! Now, Goliath did not literally strip people naked, but he did it, figuratively speaking. For forty days, Goliath, a nearly ten-foot tall Philistine, strutted around and taunted the Israelite soldiers, to take him on. “Bring me a man to fight me – a real man!” he basically was saying. He was so sure that he could take down any potential foe that he taunted, “If you win, I will be your slave – but if I win – you will be MY slave!”
Isn’t that just like a bully? Walking around teasing and tormenting his foes. Daring anyone to fight him. Just the sound of his voice would be enough to send anyone packing, or running for the hills. Who then could imagine that David, the lowly shepherd boy, the youngest of eight boys, a teenager, would be able to defeat him? Even his bigger brothers did not dare go up against this Goliath. They were angry that he even showed up to bring them rations of cheese and bread. “What are you doing here?” they wondered. “Get out of here – this is a dangerous place! This is no place for a kid!” David was undaunted. He had fought bears – and won. He was familiar with rough terrain. “Who is this Philistine who is tormenting the soldiers?” he wondered. “Surely I can take him on.” His youthful inexperience worked as an advantage to him at this point in time. He was strong, courageous and confident – which is exactly the type of adversary that is needed to take down our first giant.
Goliath, the Giant of Shame, was defeated quickly by a surprising yet much more powerful adversary. Look at verse 45 to see what David possessed. He had something that Goliath lacked: true confidence, the kind that comes from the Lord. “You come at me with spear and sword,” he reminded Goliath, “but I come against you in the name of the Lord Almighty, the God of the armies of Israel, whom you have defied.” Whoa. What is David saying here? He is informing Goliath that no taunting, no threats, no attempt at shaming another, can even come close to the power that comes with the confidence we can have in an Almighty God.
Where did David get this confidence at such a young age? Not from big weapons like Goliath had. He wasn’t carrying spears and swords. He had only the slingshot and five stones. David’s confidence came from weaponry, for sure: namely, the armor of God. David, known as “a man after God’s own heart,” possessed the confidence that comes from being fully armed with the weaponry of God that is later described by Paul in his letter to the Ephesians: the belt of truth; the breastplate of righteousness, the shoes of peace; the shield of faith and the helmet of salvation and the sword of the Spirit – the Word of God. David possesses these weapons. He is fully armed. Confident, he was ready to face the giant Goliath. The more powerful man won. Praise God for His power! How great is Our God!
Prayer: Dear Lord, You alone are powerful! You are sharper than any two-edged sword or spear. How confident we should be in that Truth! Thank you for this example of Confidence – the Confidence that we can have, knowing that our strength, our power, is in You alone.
Slay that Giant: Do you harbor any shame toward anything that has happened to you in the past? Set up that event in your mind against the power of the Holy Spirit. He is stronger than that memory! He has conquered that shame! Now possess that confidence! Take up the sword of the Spirit, which is the Holy Bible.
Are You Ready To Slay Your Giants?
Hi everyone,
Sorry it has been so long since I have posted. Tom retired in June of 2008 and we have been in a sort of lifestyle tailspin. We have been just trying to figure out who we are now and what we should do and what GOD wants us to do, most of all!
Retirement is definitely NOT what Tom and I thought it would be. We should have prayed more about getting prepared for it.
The biggest thing I would say, after one year "in", is this: Life is still expensive, and life is still difficult, even after you retire.
If that is a disappointing conclusion, let me tell you something that I also know for sure: God is still with us retirees! He is our Giant-Killer! He is our Strength and our Redeemer!
Will you come along with us in these next few posts as we slay giants together? I have written a four-week devotional called "Slaying Your Giants" and I would like to share it on this blog.
What, you might ask, are the giants that need to be slayed in our lives? Oh, I'm glad you asked. There are so many! Giants represent the things in our lives that we battle. It could be another person. It could be a compulsion within ourselves. It could be an addiction. It could be just a nasty habit. It could be money. It could be an activity like shopping or eating. A giant is a foe - an enemy - a "something" that gets in the way of our living the life that God intended for us to live.
Remember David and Goliath? David fought the giant, nearly 10 foot tall Goliath, and killed him with just five smooth stones and a slingshot. He had the power of GOD in those stones. Goliath had his physical prowess and his verbal weapons of boasting, bragging and taunting. Guess who won? This true story is a powerful metaphor for the "giants" in our lives that threaten to take us down.
Come with me in the next few days as we battle giants. God is bigger than any of them!
Praise God! Sincerely, Lisa
Sorry it has been so long since I have posted. Tom retired in June of 2008 and we have been in a sort of lifestyle tailspin. We have been just trying to figure out who we are now and what we should do and what GOD wants us to do, most of all!
Retirement is definitely NOT what Tom and I thought it would be. We should have prayed more about getting prepared for it.
The biggest thing I would say, after one year "in", is this: Life is still expensive, and life is still difficult, even after you retire.
If that is a disappointing conclusion, let me tell you something that I also know for sure: God is still with us retirees! He is our Giant-Killer! He is our Strength and our Redeemer!
Will you come along with us in these next few posts as we slay giants together? I have written a four-week devotional called "Slaying Your Giants" and I would like to share it on this blog.
What, you might ask, are the giants that need to be slayed in our lives? Oh, I'm glad you asked. There are so many! Giants represent the things in our lives that we battle. It could be another person. It could be a compulsion within ourselves. It could be an addiction. It could be just a nasty habit. It could be money. It could be an activity like shopping or eating. A giant is a foe - an enemy - a "something" that gets in the way of our living the life that God intended for us to live.
Remember David and Goliath? David fought the giant, nearly 10 foot tall Goliath, and killed him with just five smooth stones and a slingshot. He had the power of GOD in those stones. Goliath had his physical prowess and his verbal weapons of boasting, bragging and taunting. Guess who won? This true story is a powerful metaphor for the "giants" in our lives that threaten to take us down.
Come with me in the next few days as we battle giants. God is bigger than any of them!
Praise God! Sincerely, Lisa
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