Open Heavens 2 July 2016: Saturday daily devotional by Pastor E. A. Adeboye – Subduing the threatening giant

Topic: Subduing the threatening giant [Saturday 2, July 2016]
Memorise: The LORD is my light and my salvation; whom shall I fear? the LORD is the strength of my life; of whom shall I be afraid? – Psalms 27:1
Read: 1 Samuel 17:45-50 (KJV)
 45 Then said David to the Philistine, Thou comest to me with a sword, and with a spear, and with a shield: but I come to thee in the name of the LORD of hosts, the God of the armies of Israel, whom thou hast defied.
 46 This day will the LORD deliver thee into mine hand; and I will smite thee, and take thine head from thee; and I will give the carcases of the host of the Philistines this day unto the fowls of the air, and to the wild beasts of the earth; that all the earth may know that there is a God in Israel.
 47 And all this assembly shall know that the LORD saveth not with sword and spear: for the battle is the LORD'S, and he will give you into our hands.
 48 And it came to pass, when the Philistine arose, and came and drew nigh to meet David, that David hasted, and ran toward the army to meet the Philistine.
 49 And David put his hand in his bag, and took thence a stone, and slang it, and smote the Philistine in his forehead, that the stone sunk into his forehead; and he fell upon his face to the earth.
 50 So David prevailed over the Philistine with a sling and with a stone, and smote the Philistine, and slew him; but there was no sword in the hand of David.
 Bible in One Year: Acts 18:18-20:16, Song of Solomon 5:2-9
MESSAGE:
 There is a threatening giant mightier than Goliath that we must overcome if our lives will be meaningful and highly fulfilling. This giant is no other one than the devil. As a matter of fact, Goliath in our Bible reading for today was just an apprentice in the school of Satan. The Bible says that the devil is a roaring lion walking about, seeking whom he may devour (1 Peter 5:8). This was exactly what Goliath did, he roared at the children of Israel and they trembled before him.
“8 And he stood and cried unto the armies of Israel, and said unto them, Why are ye come out to set your battle in array? am not I a Philistine, and ye servants to Saul? choose you a man for you, and let him come down to me. 9 If he be able to fight with me, and to kill me, then will we be your servants: but if I prevail against him, and kill him, then shall ye be our servants, and serve us.” - 1 Samuel 17:8-9
 How did the children of Israel overcome the threatening giant of their lives? They overcame him through their representative, the young David, who knew the God that he served. The giant came, cursing David by the name of his gods and David returned the curses by giving a deadly prophecy against the uncircumcised Philistine in the name of his own God:
“This day will the LORD deliver thee into mine hand; and I will smite thee, and take thine head from thee; and I will give the carcases of the host of the Philistines this day unto the fowls of the air, and to the wild beasts of the earth; that all the earth may know that there is a God in Israel.” - 1 Samuel 17:46
 One lesson we learn from this story is that battles of life are beyond the physical. Even the giant did not rely on his strength alone; hence the reason he cursed David by his gods! David was up to the task, so he replied, not in the same way but in a greater dimension by condemning the host of the Philistine carcases to the beasts, not only the Champion’s. This is why the Bible says.
“For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places.” - Ephesians 6:12
 This is equally why we must put on the whole armour of God to be able to withstand the giants of our life, particularly in our Christian lives. Another lesson is that, since our weapons are not carnal, we must not attempt to fight against the giant with our senses or physical weapons. When King Saul gave physical weapons to David, he rejected them because he knew they would fail. He confidently challenged Goliath with his God. I encourage you to take hold of the Name of the Lord in your battle against the giants in your life and you will subdue them all. However, you must have a cordial relationship with the bearer of the Name through holiness and perfect obedience to His Word.
Prayer Point: Father, I come against all the giants of life threatening my destiny and I destroy them completely today in Jesus’ mighty name.
Open Heavens Daily Devotional guide was written by Pastor E.A. Adeboye, the General Overseer of the Redeemed Christian Church of God, one of the largest evangelical church in the world and also the President of Christ the Redeemer's Ministries.
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