Giants!

That’s a common experience for all of us at some point along the way in life. Like the little boy in the movie The Sixth Sense says to the psychologist, “I see dead people,” we open our eyes and there we see giants—BHAG’s: big hairy, audacious giants.

I remember the first time I saw a giant—a literal one. I was in seventh grade, playing a football game against Fleming Jr. High in Grants Pass, Oregon. I was all of about five foot, two inches tall, 120 pounds and they had a guy on their team who was a walking pituitary gland. He stood six foot, four inches tall and weighed in at a whopping 230 pounds—in the seventh grade for crying out loud.

Furthermore, he was their running back! This guy was a freak; he was huge—a man among boys, a giant among grasshoppers. And we were going to have to tackle this behemoth.

We looked over at him during pre-game warm ups and lost the game right there! We were intimidated. All except for one guy: the smallest guy on our team, a boy by the name of Lee. He was fired up and ready to go after this big lug. Lee figured that even though he was big, he’d be slow and easy to tackle if you hit him low. Sure enough, during the game, Lee was all over this guy, and he gained a testimony that day. He “made his bones” as a hard-hitting tackler and fierce competitor.

Lee went on to become a state champion wrestler, though he never weighed more than 120 pounds all through high school. I always wanted Lee around in a tight squeeze because he refused to be intimidated by anything!

Well, sure enough, during that game, the giant came running to my side of the field. I was a defensive end, and here came Goliath lumbering my way on an end sweep. I took Lee’s advice and hit him low. The guy didn’t have a chance. The bigger they are…

That was my first giant, but certainly not my last. Throughout my ministry I’ve seen them take the form of a medical diagnosis that sucks the wind out of you, as turmoil that threatens to destroy a marriage, as a family crisis, as an overwhelming financial challenge and as open hostility to ministry. Everywhere there are giants!

What I’ve learned is that giants never get any smaller, nicer or less intimidating.

As we move forward in the journey of faith, giants never get any smaller, nicer or less intimidating.

Everywhere you look, there are giants. But that’s not what’s important. The important thing is what you are going to do about them.

The context for this verse comes from the story of the twelve Israelites that Moses sent in to spy out the Promised Land. The writer points out that ten of the twelve were afraid when they saw these giants and retreated from possessing the land. They lost the game before it even began. They never gave God a chance! And they wandered in mediocrity for 40 years because they gave into intimidation and fear.

But the other two, Joshua and Caleb, had a different spirit. They were like my friend Lee. They saw the same giants, but their response was, “Let’s go take the land.” They made their testimony that day and they got to go into the Promised Land while the others wandered in mediocrity.

They gave God a chance—and the rest is history!

I think this story is really interesting not just because it explains the Israelites’ forty years wilderness wandering, but because giants are just as real today for you and me as they were back then. Giants still stand between you and God’s promises for your life. You and I face giants every day in our family, relationships, job, church, physical bodies, emotions and even in our own hearts.

And we face the same two choices that these twelve men faced:  Fear or faith.

We can either be consumed by fear and retreat—and wander in mediocrity, missing out on what God has for us, or step forward in faith and give God a chance. We can trust God for great things, experience the mighty hand of God that brings victory in our lives and get a testimony to boot!

Here’s something interesting: When Israel moved forward, they faced giants.  When they retreated, they faced no giants. The fact is, the life of faith means facing giants, but that’s okay, because it means you are just one giant away from a spectacular testimony of faith. David would have no testimony without Goliath! Joshua and Caleb would have no testimony without their giants! And you will have no testimony without your giant.

When Israel moved forward, they faced giants. When they retreated, they faced no giants. The fact is, the life of faith means facing giants, but that’s okay, because it means you are just one giant away from a spectacular testimony of faith.

Charles Spurgeon said, “Many men owe the grandeur of their lives to their tremendous difficulties.” Take heart in that because it is likely you are facing a giant today as a challenge at work or a difficulty in your marriage or a crisis in your family, or as a war with fear, doubt or perhaps sin in your personal life.

Just remember, God always goes before the one who steps forward in faith to face their giant—and a testimony gets born!

Prayer… God, there are giants along the journey of faith I’ve been called to walk. But I choose not to see giants. Instead, I look to the God who goes before me, the One who gives strength to the weak and turns them into giant-slayers. So as I face my giants, I will do so with courage. And I pray that the result will bring great glory to you and a testimony of faith from my life.