FACING GIANTS CONCLUSION

Several weeks ago, we began a series of articles on overcoming the giants we face in our daily lives. As we have considered these, we have discussed the dangers they present and some ways of dealing with them. When we began, we looked at the Israelites as they were preparing to enter Canaan. When Moses sent out the twelve spies they came back with a disturbing report.

31 But the men who had gone up with him said, “We are not able to go up against the people, for they are stronger than we.”32 And they gave the children of Israel a bad report of the land which they had spied out, saying, “The land through which we have gone as spies is a land that devours its inhabitants, and all the people whom we saw in it are men of great stature.33 “There we saw the giants (the descendants of Anak came from the giants); and we were like grasshoppers in our own sight, and so we were in their sight” (Numbers 13:31-33).

I think it is important to note both what is said and what is not said in this passage. First, they said they were grasshoppers in their own sight, then they were such in the sight of the giants. Someone has said no one can make you feel inferior without your permission. Part of their problem was how they saw themselves. If you think you can, you are right. If you think you can’t, you are right. The human mind is a very powerful thing. It can help bring about victory or defeat in any situation. Be careful of what you think.

Second, notice what is not said. Where is any mention of God? Look again at verse 31. “We are not able to go up against the people.” You know what, they were right. Listen to the words of Joshua and Caleb in 14:8 - “If the Lord delights in us, then He will bring us into this land and give it to us, ‘a land which flows with milk and honey.’ Their confidence was not in their own abilities, but in the Almighty God. In Deuteronomy 9, Moses assures the people victory in possessing the Promised Land. The question was, “Who can stand before the descendants of Anak?” (9:2). He gives the answer in verse 3: “Therefore understand today that the Lord your God is He who goes over before you as a consuming fire. He will destroy them and bring them down before you; so you shall drive them out and destroy them quickly, as the Lord has said to you.” It was necessary that they were obedient, but they slew the giants because they trusted in God.

What about us? As we face these giants today, do we face them alone? Do we rely on our own strength and intelligence to slay the giants? Yes, we must be obedient; we must do everything in our power. However, we will never be able to slay the giants alone. It is only when we place our confidence and trust in God that victory is assured.
--Lamar

FACING GIANTS DENOMINATIONALISM

When I was growing up, eating out at a restaurant was a treat. It was a special treat to go to a restaurant in Rossville, GA known as “Bea’s.” It was a buffet restaurant with very reasonable prices. You went in and sat at a round table with a “lazy susan” in the middle and they brought the food to the table. It was my favorite place to eat. I still enjoy buffet restaurants. There is a great variety of food. You can pick what you want and pass over what you do not like. Aren’t buffets great?

We have a spiritual buffet in the religious world. There are all kinds of churches to choose from. Pick and choose from what you like and don’t like. Some of the differences are of no significance: where they meet, size of the crowd, time (on Sunday) when they meet. Other differences do matter because they are not in following God’s will. Not all religious people are right with God. Jesus says, “Not everyone who says to Me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ shall enter the kingdom of heaven, but he who does the will of My Father in heaven. “Many will say to Me in that day, ‘Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in Your name, cast out demons in Your name, and done many wonders in Your name?’ “And then I will declare to them, ‘I never knew you; depart from Me, you who practice lawlessness!’(Matthew 7:21-23). Paul warned that some would depart from the faith (1 Timothy 4:1). He urged Timothy to preach the word because the time was coming when Christians would not accept sound doctrine and would turn away from the truth (2 Timothy 4:2-4). Many people today base their “church preference” on likes and dislikes rather that the Word of God.

Over the years, more and more people drifted away from God’s will. This departure from the truth has resulted in a divided religious world. This is the opposite of what Jesus wanted. He prayed, “I do not pray for these alone, but also for those who will believe in Me through their word; that they all may be one, as You, Father, are in Me, and I in You; that they also may be one in Us, that the world may believe that You sent Me” (John 17:20-21). Some estimates suggest there are over 20,000 religious denominations in the world today. How is that fulfilling the Lord’s prayer that believers be one? The word “denominationalism” refers to the divided religious world that has adopted the philosophy of “live and let live.” Co-exist with one another, accept one another’s differences, and agree to disagree, because one church is as good as another.

Not only has Satan used this giant to cause unbelief, he is also using it to influence the church of Christ. Some congregations are mimicking the denominations by using musical instruments in worship, serving the Lord’s Supper on days other than Sunday, permitting women to take leadership roles over men, teaching falsely on baptism and salvation, and other practices and teaching not found in Scripture. We need to search out what the Bible teaches and make sure what we are believing, practicing, and teaching is based on the authority of our Lord (Colossians 3:17).
--Lamar

FACING GIANTS LAZINESS AND BUSYNESS

Who doesn’t like to rest? Even Jesus sought rest and refuge from the hustle and bustle of everyday life (John 4:6). A part of God’s instructions to Israel concerning the Sabbath was that they do no work (Exodus 20:8-11). Heaven is described as a place of rest from our labors (Revelation 14:13). Yes, there is a time and place for appropriate rest.

Laziness, however, is a serious problem. It is an evil addiction to inactivity. There are many admonitions in the book of Proverbs dealing with this problem.
Proverbs 10:4-5 - He who has a slack hand becomes poor, But the hand of the diligent makes rich. He who gathers in summer is a wise son; He who sleeps in harvest is a son who causes shame.
Proverbs 10:26 - As vinegar to the teeth and smoke to the eyes, So is the lazy man to those who send him.
Proverbs 13:4 - The soul of a lazy man desires, and has nothing; But the soul of the diligent shall be made rich.
Proverbs 21:25-26 - The desire of the lazy man kills him, For his hands refuse to labor. He covets greedily all day long, But the righteous gives and does not spare.
Proverbs 26:13, 15 - The lazy man says, “There is a lion in the road! A fierce lion is in the streets!” The lazy man buries his hand in the bowl; It wearies him to bring it back to his mouth.
The question for the lazy person is not, “Are you smarter than a fifth grader?” but “Are you as smart as an ant?” (Proverbs 6:6-8). The answer is no.

God calls us to be workers, not couch potatoes. “Whatever your hand finds to do, do it with your might; for there is no work or device or knowledge or wisdom in the grave where you are going.” (Ecclesiastes 9:10). We need to learn to work as if we were working for the Lord (Colossians 3:23). This applies if we are doing school work, chores around the house, developing a new product that will change the world, or flipping burgers for minimum wage.

Busyness is a giant of a different breed. Time management is an important skill to learn. Ephesians 5:15-17 – “See then that you walk circumspectly, not as fools but as wise, redeeming the time, because the days are evil. Therefore do not be unwise, but understand what the will of the Lord is.” We can become involved in too much, become too busy. We all have 24 hours in a day, 168 hours in a week. We cannot do everything. We must learn to prioritize. It worries me when someone responds to a request to be active in a work of the church by saying, “I don’t have the time; I’m just too busy.” Too busy doing what?

Satan does not have to get us involved in things we think of as awful sins: cursing, adultery, drunkenness, stealing, etc. He can simply convince us to do nothing or do too much. Either one is spiritually draining and will bring about spiritual weakness and even death. How are you doing facing these giants?
--Lamar

FACING GIANTS ADVERSITY AND PROSPERITY

These two concepts sit at opposite ends of the spectrum. In the simplest of terms, adversity represents the worst life has to offer and prosperity represents the best. “My brethren, count it all joy when you fall into various trials, knowing that the testing of your faith produces patience. But let patience have its perfect work, that you may be perfect and complete, lacking nothing” (James 1:2-4). The trials and problems of life can help us become better people. However, it is also true that they can cause a great deal of harm. The same fire that can warm us on a cold night can burn us beyond recognition.

Sometimes life hits us hard, and it is not always fair. Think about Job in the Old Testament? Did he de­serve what he experienced? Read and see how much he suffered. His wife was unable to deal with the situation and told him, “Curse God and die!” (Job 2:9). She was overcome by the giant of adversity, but not Job. But he said to her, “You speak as one of the foolish women speaks. Shall we indeed accept good from God, and shall we not accept adversity?” (Job 2:10). Likewise, the devil can use various difficulties in our lives and produce heavy burdens to bear. It is so very important to trust in the faithfulness of God as He can help us be capable of bearing up under any burden we experience. “No temptation has overtaken you except such as is common to man; but God is faithful, who will not allow you to be tempted beyond what you are able, but with the temptation will also make the way of escape, that you may be able to bear it” (1 Corinthians 10:13).

Prosperity is also a powerful giant that can get the best of us. When everything is going well and life is good it is easy to credit ourselves and forget about the true source of all our blessings (James 1:17). At the conclusion of the parable of the rich fool Jesus says, “So is he who lays up treasure for himself, and is not rich toward God” (Luke 12:21). We can be rich in regard to this world’s goods but poor spiritually. Prosperity can make us arrogant and lull us into a false sense of security (1 Timothy 6:17). Some have destroyed themselves simply from a desire to be rich (1 Timothy 6:6-10). Jesus knew what was important when He said, “Do not lay up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy and where thieves break in and steal; but lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust destroys and where thieves do not break in and steal. For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also” (Matthew 6:19-21).

These two giants are polar opposites, yet, twin killers. How have you been doing facing these giants?
--Lamar