This is something that i've been blessed to recieve every week from my Pastor and friend Pastor Geronimo Aguilar or Pastor G as we call him. I'll be posting these devotionals here every week for the world to see. It's great stuff and somehow always very timely.
Pastor G.'s Weekly DevotionalAug 25, 2008
BE A GIANT KILLER
1 Samuel 17:31-36;49-50
31 And when the words were heard which David spake, they rehearsed them before Saul: and he sent for him.
32 And David said to Saul, Let no man's heart fail because of him; thy servant will go and fight with this Philistine.
33 And Saul said to David, Thou art not able to go against this Philistine to fight with him: for thou art but a youth, and he a man of war from his youth.
34 And David said unto Saul, Thy servant kept his father's sheep, and there came a lion, and a bear, and took a lamb out of the flock:
35 And I went out after him, and smote him, and delivered it out of his mouth: and when he arose against me, I caught him by his beard, and smote him, and slew him.
36 Thy servant slew both the lion and the bear: and this uncircumcised Philistine shall be as one of them, seeing he hath defied the armies of the living God.
49 And David put his hand in his bag, and took thence a stone, and slang it, and smote the Philistine in his forehead, that the stone sunk into his forehead; and he fell upon his face to the earth.
50 So David prevailed over the Philistine with a sling and with a stone, and smote the Philistine, and slew him; but there was no sword in the hand of David.
Time and time again in the Bible God’s people were faced with giants and every time, God’s people came out victorious. Moses faced the giant of Pharaoh and Egypt and won. Joshua and Caleb and the men of God faced the giants in Canaan and nobody thought they could beat those giants, but they did. Throughout the Bible there are accounts of David, Daniel, Job, Elijah, Elisha, Esther, Paul, Peter and others who faced giants and every one of them came out with victory.
Today we face giants that are after our family values by saying same sex marriage is okay. Satan knows if he can destroy our family values, he has America right where he wants us. Every generation has giants to face, and every person and family has their own personal giants to face.
Some of you face the giant of alcoholism or drug addiction, and because of that giant, it has wrecked your home, your family, and all your hopes and dreams. Many parents have lost their children to the giant of alcoholism or drug addiction. The sad truth is that everyone loses.
What is the giant in your life? Is it unbelief, fear, anger, unforgiveness, abuse, or is it a self-centered, selfish attitude that always puts you first? Is it the giant of divorce? Maybe it is a giant you have been facing for years or maybe it is a giant that has recently shown up.
What are you, as a born again, spirit-filled believer supposed to do when you find yourself facing a giant in your life? There is one right answer and it is simple: BE A GIANT KILLER.
The devil is a liar and will tell you that you can’t be a giant killer. God says you can. If you are part of The ROC, you are in good company, because you are hanging out with a whole bunch of giant killers. Our discipleship homes are filled with people who have defeated the giant of drug addiction. Our Set Free Addiction program is full of people who have defeated the giant of alcoholism and drug addiction. Our youth ministry is full of kids who have defeated the giant of failure. The ROC is filled with people who have defeated the giant of sickness, abuse, fear, unbelief, and unforgiveness. Don’t let the devil make you think you can’t be a giant killer. The same God who helped so many of us at The ROC slay the giants in our lives is the same God who will help you slay every giant you are facing.
Many times the giant you are facing is the same giant that has been after your family generation after generation. Many people who are alcoholics had one or both parents who were alcoholics. Many people who are divorced had parents who were divorced. Many who are abusive to their spouse or children were abused when they were growing up. It is time to stand up and put an end to the devastation and destruction that giant has been destroying your family with for generations and say. “In the name of Jesus, I am going to destroy that giant once and for all. I am going to be a giant killer.” For the sake of your life, the life of your family, and all the generations to come, it is time to say enough is enough and put an end to whatever giant is working havoc in your life.
We serve a giant-killing God and He specializes in giant killing. God specializes in raising up and training giant killers. It is time to stop running from the giants, or allowing them to have their way, and to say like David did, “I don’t know who you think you are, giant, but I am a child of God and you are going down!” The devil does not have the last word unless you let him have it. The Bible says in 1 John 4:4, “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.”
It doesn’t matter what big giant you are facing today, God is more big and bad than any giant. God has given us the ability to be a giant killer and end the vicious cycle of self-destruction and the endless cycle of failure and defeat in your family.
What is God’s plan for how we are to be a giant killer?
1) Accept the challenge. David accepted the challenge. We have two choices, Church, with the giants in our lives: run from the giant and lose or stand up and face the giant. We can run from the giant and lose the battle every time, because the giant is not going away. He will keep destroying you till he kills you, and then he will go after your children and all who come after you.
God gives us everything we need to defeat the giant and it is called the Word of God. It contains every promise of God and is filled with the power of God.
Hebrews 4:12 says, “For the word of God is quick, and powerful, and sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing even to the dividing asunder of soul and spirit, and of the joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart.” David used the weapon he had in his hand which was one he was familiar with because he used it daily in practice and application. He had killed a lion and a bear with it, so he knew it was dependable and true. The same is true of God’s Word, Christian. God wants us to read it, be familiar with it, and use it daily in practice and application. David was confident of his sling shot, just as we need to confident of God’s Word.
2) Remember it is not you, but it is God in you. Too many Christians are trying to defeat giants in their life on their own strength. They wonder why they are burned out and still not successful at defeating those giants. They wonder why they are still miserable and nothing seems to work. David didn’t defeat Goliath in his own strength and power. Do you think Goliath was intimidated by David? No, David didn’t look like a threat to the giant, but the surprise factor was that David was not depending on his own power, but he went up against the giant in the NAME OF THE LORD.
It is the name of JESUS that will defeat every giant you face in your own life. Not you – but the name of JESUS – the name above all names. Everything we do at The ROC is done in the name of the Lord and under the banner of JESUS. There is no other answer in the world today. Jesus gets all the credit and all the glory, because apart from Him, we can do nothing. It is not by might nor by power, but by His Spirit. The battle is the Lord’s and He wants to defeat the giant in your life more than you do. He wants to use you to do it and He does leave it up to you to make a choice to stand up to the giant in the name of the Lord.
3) We represent God. Christians, we need to realize we represent God and can say to every giant the same words David spoke in verse 45: “Then said David to the Philistine, Thou comest to me with a sword, and with a spear, and with a shield: but I come to thee in the name of the LORD of hosts, the God of the armies of Israel, whom thou hast defied.”
It is time for Christians to stand up and be counted as representatives of God Almighty. It is time for us to say “No more, Satan. No longer is it okay for you to keep God’s people in bondage. No longer is it okay for you to pass a law that says it is all right to kill babies. No longer is it okay for you to take prayer out of schools. No longer is your plan acceptable. I represent my Father – the Most High God -- and He uses His people to stand up to you and put a stop to your mess.”
Do you think God could have killed off Goliath himself? Of course, He could, but He was looking for a man who would say, “God, I will represent you.” God is looking for a witness. He is looking for a follower who will stand up and be counted and represent God as the Almighty Powerful God that He is. We are called to be His ambassadors and we present Christ to the world. Christianity is not about being a passive, wimpy Christian. No, it is about a battle between good and evil and God uses His people to do the fighting in His name and under His banner. The world needs to see Christians who are not afraid of giants. The world needs to see Christians who are giant killers.
4) Make sure you are on God’s side. We can try everything in the world to defeat the giants in our life, but if we are not on the side of the Lord, all our fighting is in vain. We can try to defeat those giants with a good job, lots of money, promotions, with religion, fame and power, or who we think are the right people and relationships, but the only thing that will take down the giants is a person and His name is Jesus Christ. The only way to get on God’s side is to put our trust in His Son. That starts with us realizing we are all sinners and in need of a Savior.
Church, no matter what giants you are facing, let today be the day you draw a line in the sand and say to the devil that enough is enough. Pick up your sling shot – the Word of God – and go against that giant in the name of the Lord. With God on your side, you can live as a victor and not as a victim any longer.
Pastor Geronimo Daniel 12:3
http://www.theroc.com/
