One major issue I deal with is stress. Not just because of my position as an attorney. I definitely feel like I carry a lot of stress because I feel like I have to carry around my client’s burdens with them. But I also have a lot of stress because of the different directions that I am pulled in an the many things that are competing for my time and energy.
The stress usually builds up because I don’t know what is going to happen. I begin to worry. Last year, while I was leading the law firm I was constantly faced with new experiences. Every time I went to court I experienced something new. Every prospective client brought a new hurdle or issue. I never felt comfortable because I never knew what to expect. I kind of felt like I was on an island because sometimes the stress just seemed so huge! I was becoming physically sick. My stomach was always in knots. It seems like it was like this day after day.
A few weeks ago I was doing my Bible study and came across a very familiar passage, but God spoke to me a new truth when I read it this time. I was reading through 1 Samuel and specifically the story of David and Goliath.
The verses that really spoke to me were from 1 Samuel 17: 10-11:
Then the Philistine said, “This day I defy the ranks of Israel! Give me a man and let us fight each other.” On hearing the Philistine’s words, Saul and all the Israelites were dismayed and terrified.
In the first verse here, Goliath “defied” the armies of Israel. My dictionary defined “defy” as to put under reproach or an expression of rebuke or dispproval. This was an unusually harsh word for Goliath to use to the Israelites. But they weren’t just against the armies of Israel, but also against God.
Now, in verse 11, King Saul was specifically called out along with the rest of the Israelites as being dismayed and terrified. The New King James version says they were dismayed and greatly afraid. I would like to point out that earlier in scripture, Saul was described as strong, handsome, and head and shoulders above the rest of the men. Basically, Saul and the soldiers were sick with dread over facing Goliath.
As an aside, the giants in my life were making me sick with dread. Physically and emotionally. I was stressed, frustrated, tired, and physically sick thinking about some of the things I was about to do at work.
The Message translation says that the Israelites were terrified and lost all hope.
The real problem is not Goliath but that God’s people had forgotten how God has delivered them in the past. These were the same people that were delivered by God out of bondage and slavery in Egypt, who were provided food and water to eat in the desert, God allowed Moses to part the Red Sea to allow them to escape the attack of the Egyptian army and on and on.
Our confidence is diminished in the face of present conflict when we forget how God has delivered us in the past.
The Solution. I read a little further to see how David reacted against the giant, Goliath. David was confident that God was going to deliver Goliath into his hands. His confidence was solidified by the past victories that God had given him against the lion and the bear. David was confident and believed in the tools God gave him and relied on God’s past assistance to lead him into battle.
The Moral: Don’t sweat it. Rely on God and remember how He has delivered you in the past. No matter what the situation is, whether it is professional or personal. The “giants” are the same and the faith in God is the same deliverance.