Garry brought the epilogue at tonight’s family service, reminding us that perspective is key to defeating giants. Goliath was dressed to impress: his armour weighed over 8 stones and his spear and javelin were powerfully heavy. He looked the part of a conquering warrior and talked the talk too. David, in comparison, was young (probably only a teenager) and did not stand out from among the crowd. He was victorious where others were fearful, however, because he had confidence in God (1 Sam 17:45). He realised that no matter the size of his enemy, his God was bigger. He probably didn’t disagree wit h the maxim ‘bigger is better’, but wasn’t fooled into thinking that the enemy was bigger than God. We too need to understand that no enemy is greater than God (see 1 John 4:4).

A similar need for a spiritual perspective is described in 2 Kings 6:15-16. Elisha’s servants could only see armies arrayed against Israel and was understandably daunted and afraid. Elisha’s prayer ‘open his eyes’ helped him to see the situation afresh, realising that there were horses and chariots of fire surrounding the people of God. We need to understand that the God of Angel Armies is always with us and that He is able to deliver us out of the hands of the giant. We may face different problems which threaten to overwhelm us and leave us feeling powerless and helpless, but if we fix our eyes on Jesus, He will lead us to the place of deliverance.