One of my favorite stories from scripture is David and Goliath. I read it to strengthen my faith when I feel like I’m facing a big Goliath. Picture this scene: David, a young boy, is standing on a battlefield with nothing but a sling and a stone as he looks up into the face of a giant. He steps forward, facing not only his enemy but also the doubts of everyone around him. By the world’s standards, David seems completely outmatched. Goliath is described as over nine feet tall and clad in 125 pounds of armor. This big guy presented an ominous challenge, but David knew God was on his side and saw the odds in his favor.
David’s unwavering confidence in the Lord is truly remarkable. His words to King Saul resonate with a deep trust: “The Lord who rescued me from the claws of the lion and the bear will rescue me from this Philistine.” (1 Samuel 17: 37a). David’s focus wasn’t on Goliath’s size but on the greatness of his God.
David’s faith is inspiring. We all face “giants” in life—challenges that seem insurmountable. The question isn’t if these challenges will come but how we will respond when they do. Will we have the courage to face them like David, armed with faith and trusting in God’s greatness? Will we trust in His strength rather than our own?
In 2010, my mom and I came face to face with a giant I had previously only heard about. Cancer and autoimmune disease stood in front of us, staring Mom and me in the face. At that moment, my overriding feeling was fear. Those two diagnoses were my Goliath, and its goal was to make me doubt God was standing with us on the battlefield. This wasn’t a fair fight, and anyone could see we were outmatched. We only had a flimsy slingshot and a few stones in the face of this giant.
Except for one absolute truth: The Lord was on our side.
Even though it didn’t look promising, God gave my mom the strength to pick up that slingshot and prepare to slay the giant.
She knew what battles were in front of us, and it was as if she handed me a rock so I could get ready to slay that giant along with her. The day she picked up the rock was the day we began the nonprofit that is now Lisa Bain Ministries. And boy, did it take some slaying of big giants to get here. But Mom knew what was coming, and she was ready. She knew the outcome.
I’ve often read this story and pictured David on the battlefield, trembling and afraid. How could he not be? But the more I read the story of David and Goliath, the more I see his strength. I have heard people say, “Do it afraid!” And maybe sometimes that is the only way to face a giant. The battles we fight in life often don’t seem fair. Illness. Accidents. Trauma. Tragedy. Betrayal. But isn’t that the point? With God on our side, our battles become supernatural. When He is on the battlefield with us, victory is assured. I can still hear Mom saying, “Lisa, the battle is the Lord’s!” She raced onto that battlefield before the Lord with David’s confidence. She never wavered.
David’s trust in the Lord was justified, as it is for us today. Man’s extremity is God’s opportunity. When we reach our limit, God’s power takes over whatever challenge we face. When standing in the middle of the battlefield with only a slingshot and a few rocks, remember that the battle has already been won. That brings peace and strengthens our faith for the next fight, knowing all the battles belong to God.