DIGGING DEEP NO 984 – May 9, 2023            DEFEATING YOUR GIANTS

The Bible tells us in 2 Tim. 1:7 that our God has not given us a spirit of fear but power and love and of a sound mind. Too often in life, we forget the power we have as Christians when faced with giants in our life. 1 John 4:4 tells us that “Ye are of God, little children, and have overcome them: because greater is he that is in you than he that is in the world.” He is a consuming fire. A giant can be described as a legendary human-like being of great stature and strength: a living being of great size. A person of extraordinary powers. something unusually large or powerful. A giant can also be something that you are unable to control or conquer naturally with your own strength. It can be something that stands in your way of success or prevents you from reaching your full potential. A giant can be synonymous with a disease that has plaque your life and you cannot do anything because it has overcome all aspects of your life. It can be your situation in life, we all have different things that represent giants in our lives, to some, it might be their immigration papers, to others, poverty, family, barrenness, bitterness, unforgiveness, pornography, alcoholism, and different types of sins that we struggle with. As children of God, how should we react in the midst of our giants. We are called to stare down our giants for as long as we see giants, we will always live in defeat. David was a man “after God’s own heart” 1 Samuel 13:14. 1 Samuel powerfully presents the contrast between King Saul’s tragic fall and David’s life of victory. True success is defined by character, forged even in the fires of failure by a sincere, obedient, and abiding faith in the one true God. David faced many giants in his life, but none were greater than Goliath, he stared down his enemies. The story of the twelve spies sent to go Scout the promised land is instructive in understanding how we are to react to what we perceive as giants. 

QUESTIONS RAISED BY THE PASSAGE

1) What did Caleb and Joshua see that the other ten did not see? – Num. 14:6-9  (2) What is the significance of verse 30 in which Caleb silence the other ten and called for the people to go immediately and possess the land?—how does delay affect your ability to conquer your giants  (3) What can we relate verse 32 to—the giving of a bad report (4) The ten spies said the land they explored devoured those living in it, what evidence was there to support this conclusion if any  (5)Who told them they were grasshoppers (6) How did they know the giants saw them as grasshoppers (7) What is the consequence of seeing giants and yourself as grasshoppers-  Num. 14:1-4  (8) What are the effects of not trusting God – Num 14: 11-24

HOW DO YOU OVERCOME AND DEFEAT YOUR GIANTS?

1) Do not create a giant in the first place.—in what areas of your life have you created giants out of your challenges (2) Do not make yourself a grasshopper.—- in what area of your life have you made yourself a grasshopper (3) What part does your faith play in determining how you see yourself versus your challenges (4) How big is your God in the midst of your problems—(5) What giants has God slain in your life in the past and how should that motivate you to stare down and slay your giants— the children of Israel had seen their giants slain prior to this mission. Parting of the red sea, Manna from heaven, etc. (6) In what did Joshua and Caleb rely on to defeat their giants?