Overcoming Giants

I want you to think about something that will blow your mind.

Are you ready? 

Do you know that there is a land for YOU? Yes, a land that is YOURS. 

But… there are giants that are standing in YOUR land. You heard me, GIANTS. 

You might be thinking, “What giants? And what land are you talking about? I don’t own any real estate!” 

Here’s the truth: God has a plan for you. That plan is there whether you know it or are still trying to figure it out. The Lord is intentional in His creation; he hand-crafted a specific calling, diverse purposes, and a place for you to be who Christ created you to be. God had you in mind before you were born (Psalm 139:16) and prepared distinct work in advance for you to do (Ephesians 2:10). There’s no doubt in my mind that the time is NOW for you to pursue the purposes God has in store for you!

Here’s another reality: The enemy has a plan to stop you. That’s right; he doesn’t want you to inherit the land. If Satan cannot stop you from following Christ, he will do everything possible to ensure you’re an ineffective follower of Christ. That can mean there are seasons of doubt. It can result in discouragement. There might be a tendency to give into the fear of ‘what could be’ rather than walking in a future filled with faith. The enemy doesn’t want you entering YOUR promised land – that what God has called you to and prepared for you. 

And so, there are ‘giants’ that stand in the way of that specific promise for your life. What are you to do? 

The Israelites faced this head-on – they had been wandering in the wilderness for 2 years. God had miraculously sustained them and led them in the desert, yet they still seemed to complain about their living conditions. On their journey, they camped on the border of the Promised Land and sent 12 spies to survey the land. Thirty days later, they came back with a report:

There they reported to them and to the whole assembly and showed them the fruit of the land. They gave Moses this account: “We went into the land to which you sent us, and it does flow with milk and honey! Here is its fruit.” – Numbers 13:26-27

Praise God! What He had prepared for them as a nation had come to fruition. This is what they had been waiting for! The land had good soil. The land was prosperous. They had proof of God being faithful to His Word. They tasted and saw that the Lord is good… literally! (Psalm 34:8).  

So what could go wrong? 

“But the people who live there are powerful, and the cities are fortified and very large. We even saw descendants of Anak there. The Amalekites live in the Negev; the Hittites, Jebusites and Amorites live in the hill country; and the Canaanites live near the sea and along the Jordan.” – Numbers 13:28-29

In other words, they saw giants in the land. These giants were standing in the way, giants that were meant to be conquered. 

Sadly, only 2 of the 12 spies, Joshua and Caleb, believed God at His word that they could take out the giants and reside in the Promised Land. The other 10 spies spread fear into the camp, which resulted in the whole nation being denied access. If they did not have faith, they would not enter the Promised Land. If they cannot overcome the giants, they cannot possess the promise awaiting them. 

I realize that you may not be wandering in a literal desert and need to fight physical giants to acquire a piece of property ‘flowing with milk and honey’ – (what does that look like anyways?). But the concept is the same for each one of us in the Spirit – There is a land of promise, and giants are standing directly in the way of that promise. 

These ‘giants’ can be: 

  • The feelings of inadequacy that it takes to accomplish your God-driven goals 
  • The lack of resources you currently possess 
  • A repeated pattern of disappointments that brings doubt into your future 
  • A lack of initiative to get started because the ‘giant’ seems too daunting to overtake 

Giants are intimidating. They are big, scary, and have no rightful place to be there. Think about the fear, the insecurities, the lack of faith – all of this does not belong in your life! These ‘giants’ only paralyze you from your God-given purpose. They need to go! 

Here’s the most disappointing part for the Israelites – That generation of doubters died off, and the new generation came into the land to begin their campaign. Rehab, a foreigner who resides in the land, tells the spies inside her city of Jericho the ‘giants’ perception of the Israelites: 

“See I know that the Lord has given you this land and that a great fear of you has fallen on us, so that all who live in this country are melting in fear because of you. We have heard how the Lord dried up the water of the Red Sea for you when you came out of Egypt… When we heard of it, our hearts melted in fear and everyone’s courage failed because of you, for the Lord your God is God in heaven above and on the earth below. – Joshua 2:9-11

Wait, what? What the Israelites feared the most – the giants – had in turn, feared them? It didn’t matter how big they were; they didn’t dare to face a God who fights on behalf of those He loves. They were the ones in fear – if only the previous generation of Israelites had enough faith to find out that they could have defeated the giants and taken possession of the land rightfully theirs. 

And so, I bring this to you – I don’t doubt those ‘giants’ that stand in the way are real; the giants were real to the Israelites too. But do you trust that God will take care of those ‘giants’ that are looming large? Do you believe His plan is greater than the obstacle in front of you? 

Just like the Israelites, you may find out that your greatest fear was in fact, futile. Or you may find that the ‘giant’ that hindered your progress is actually a faith builder – you were meant to slay that giant like Goliath to get to your promise. Will you take a step of faith? Will you be consistent in the Word to increase your faith? 

Remember, that land is YOURS. God has prepared it for you – It’s time for you to fight for it! I pray that God will give you insight into your promised land and the courage to face the ‘giant’ head-on. Step out in faith past the fear – you are meant to be a giant slayer. 

Blessings in Jesus’ Name, 

Pastor Nathan 

4 comments

  1. Amen, thank you for the words of encouragement. Often time our image of these giants are much bigger than in reality. We can create a scenario that is so far-fetched but yet we can still believe it’s real. It is messages like this that can remind us that God is still on our side and available when we call.

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