Stand Up to Your Giants
Did you see the game? The Women’s World Cup final between the United States and Japan? It was a game of unbelievable will and grit. Going into the finals, the USA team was sure to win against the smaller and weaker Japanese team. Not only had the USA team defeated the Japanese team 25 times before, but the average height of the US players was 5’8”. The star forward, Abby Wambach, was 5’11”. What was Japan’s average height? 5’4”!
But on July 17, 2011, despite their best efforts, the USA team could not outscore the Japanese. What should have been a predictable and decisive win for the USA became an act of tight-rope walking, leaving nail-biting fans on the edge of their seats. In the end the USA team lost, and the Japanese stood as champions.
In the Bible, Goliath had the pedigree of a perfect warrior. He was 9’9” tall and wore at least 175 pounds of armor. He himself would have weighed approximately 600 pounds. There was no question as to the outcome of the battle between Goliath and David.
But David had a formidable attitude. He said to King Saul, “The Lord, who saved me from the paw of the lion and from the paw of the bear, will save me from the hand of this Philistine” (1 Samuel 17:37). At the end of the day, David remained standing.
When you're facing giants in your life, whether they are temptations which have toppled you before or trials that tower over you, don’t be afraid of what seems like the probable outcome. Have courage in the Lord, because He works against human logic and fulfills promises that seem impossible. Call out to Him in prayer, and then believe that He is able to deliver, for “With men this is impossible, but with God all things are possible” (Matthew 19:26). Faith brings miracles.
And in the end, you will remain standing.
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Pastor Seong Cho is currently an English Ministry pastor at Orange Central Korean Church in southern California. His children, Sean and Shannon, are his pride and joy and he is in perpetual honeymoon with his lovely wife Sohee. And he loves his heavenly Father!