So David triumphed over the Philistine with a sling and a stone; without a sword in his hand he struck down the Philistine and killed him.David ran and stood over him. He took hold of the Philistine’s sword and drew it from the sheath. After he killed him, he cut off his head with the sword.When the Philistines saw that their hero was dead, they turned and ran.
- 1 Samuel 17:50-51
 
And, just like that, the giant falls. And when he fell, his army fled. What seemed impossible now seems to us inevitable.
 
Giants fall all the time.
 
Don’t get us wrong, they’re intimidating when we’re face-to-face with them. We’re not claiming that we’re never intimidated by giants in our lives. But we cease to be intimidated by them when they’re in our hands.
 
David didn’t hesitate to approach the giant once the giant was on the ground. The giant’s own weapons ended up getting used against him. And David won.
 
Don’t knock your giants down and remain afraid of them. Don’t stay at a distance, continuing to toss rocks at a dead giant. Don’t keep repeating the old patterns ad infinitumeven after you’ve achieved victory. Press the offense.
 
The entire Philistine army fled after Goliath fell. They also had been taking their cues from their giant. They had placed their faith and hope in him. And when he went down, they went away.
 
With giants in our lives and communities, their fall often triggers a cascading series of change. When a kid gets to eat over the weekend, they do better academically and get into less trouble at school. When you start getting better sleep, you find it easier to exercise and watch what you eat. When you’re spending quality time with a partner or colleagues or friend, you press through conflict in healthier ways.
 
When the giant fell, the Philistines fled and Israel charged. Hope became confidence. Confidence became courage. Courage become action.
 
Take some time to pray for those in our community who are facing difficult personal giants in this season of life. Ask the Lord to help them. And ask the Lord to help us as a church community as we square off with the giant of childhood hunger in Chatham county. The battle is the Lord’s.