Dealing With Giants

This morning I was continuing to read from 2 Samuel, and came across a brief section that I thought deserved a little reflection.  Here are the verses - 2 Samuel 21:15-22 NIV:

[15] "Once again there was a battle between the Philistines and Israel. David went down with his men to fight against the Philistines, and he became exhausted. [16] And Ishbi-Benob, one of the descendants of Rapha, whose bronze spearhead weighed three hundred shekels and who was armed with a new sword, said he would kill David. [17] But Abishai son of Zeruiah came to David's rescue; he struck the Philistine down and killed him. Then David's men swore to him, saying, “Never again will you go out with us to battle, so that the lamp of Israel will not be extinguished. ”

[18] In the course of time, there was another battle with the Philistines, at Gob. At that time Sibbekai the Hushathite killed Saph, one of the descendants of Rapha.

[19] In another battle with the Philistines at Gob, Elhanan son of Jair the Bethlehemite killed the brother of Goliath the Gittite, who had a spear with a shaft like a weaver's rod.

[20] In still another battle, which took place at Gath, there was a huge man with six fingers on each hand and six toes on each foot---twenty-four in all. He also was descended from Rapha. [21] When he taunted Israel, Jonathan son of Shimeah, David's brother, killed him.

[22] These four were descendants of Rapha in Gath, and they fell at the hands of David and his men."

As I was reading this section and reflecting on it a couple of thoughts came to mind.

1) Under the leadership of a King who has killed giants, his men can kill them too.

2) Because He had killed a giant, David likely had trained his armies on how to do it.  They clearly didn't use the same weapons, but they were successful nonetheless.

3) My belief is that it had more to do with faith, and knowledge that it could be done, than it did with any special strategy.

4) After they defeated the giants, their reputation increased significantly, and any other giants likely avoided them! :-)

5) If we apply this same logic to Jesus, anything Jesus did, we as His representatives can do, too.  It has to do with faith and knowledge that it can be done.  It might be accomplished in a different way, but there is still an anointing (If we want to call it that) for the killing of giants (sin, sickness, death, disease, disabilities) under Jesus.

One of my favorite authors, Graham Cooke, writes this about facing giants.

"If the enemy puts up a giant against you, the Holy Spirit declares to you, do you see the giant? That is what I am making you into. By the time this conflict is finished you will be his size and he will be reduced to the size that you have right now. Take a look at that giant because that giant is an open door to a whole new you."

So this morning I am encouraged that even though we might be facing a few giants, that the anointing for victory over them is present to us!  We have, in Jesus, the right and way to victory!  He demonstrated this, and as His representatives, we can do exactly the same, even greater.   He promised us the following - "Very truly I tell you, whoever believes in me will do the works I have been doing, and they will do even greater things than these, because I am going to the Father. [13] And I will do whatever you ask in my name, so that the Father may be glorified in the Son. [14] You may ask me for anything in my name, and I will do it." ( John 14:12-14 NIV).

Amen and Amen!