The Giant in Your Way, is What You Needed.
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And David said unto Ahimelech, And is there not here under thine hand spear or sword? for I have neither brought my sword nor my weapons with me, because the king’s business required haste.
And the priest said, The sword of Goliath the Philistine, whom thou slewest in the valley of Elah, behold, it is here wrapped in a cloth behind the ephod: if thou wilt take that, take it: for there is no other save that here. And David said, There is none like that; give it me.
Introduction.
What is David without Goliath? His path to becoming king lay directly through his confrontation with Goliath. so much so that the Sword he obtained from Goliath would become his personal weapon of choice.
David had a divine appointment with Goliath, to make him king. It is this obstacle which caused his promotion, without Goliath no one would have ever heard David’s name.
And it came to pass, when he had made an end of speaking unto Saul, that the soul of Jonathan was knit with the soul of David, and Jonathan loved him as his own soul.
And Saul took him that day, and would let him go no more home to his father’s house.
And David went out whithersoever Saul sent him, and behaved himself wisely: and Saul set him over the men of war, and he was accepted in the sight of all the people, and also in the sight of Saul’s servants.
And it came to pass as they came, when David was returned from the slaughter of the Philistine, that the women came out of all cities of Israel, singing and dancing, to meet king Saul, with tabrets, with joy, and with instruments of musick.
And the women answered one another as they played, and said, Saul hath slain his thousands, And David his ten thousands.
Goliath making his boast is what propelled David to the throne. satan making his boast will prove who the Bride is.
When David didn’t have any opposition, he backslid.
And it came to pass, after the year was expired, at the time when kings go forth to battle, that David sent Joab, and his servants with him, and all Israel; and they destroyed the children of Ammon, and besieged Rabbah. But David tarried still at Jerusalem.
15 Speaking of tension, I was praying about it this morning. What would you do if you didn’t have tension? Just think of it. Tension is part of living.
That kind of encouraged me when I thought that. If you had no tension, you’d be like a rag doll, you wouldn’t have no feelings.
There’d be nothing you could work on. Like a husband and wife, maybe if she wants to do something, and they’re trying to work together (especially Christians), and the other one wants…And then when you come together to…you find out what she’s done; she finds out…See, the tension really brings you closer together.
And somebody tells you that, “Well,” said, “just think of the little wife that went under a lot of tension when you wasn’t so good,” or “the husband went under some tension when you wasn’t so good. Then when it’s all forgiven, look how you feeled about him. My, you just…” See, you got to have tension. That’s all.
16 And just think, of feelings, what if you didn’t have any feeling, no pains or nothing? What if there be no pain at all? You’d have no feelings at all. See? And if you had no feeling, then one of your senses would be gone. See? So, see, everything’s just right anyhow.
So, “God, just give us grace to stand up to it,” that’s the thing. If we just stand up with that grace, and stand there and say, “We know that when this life is over, the great one’s on the other side where we’re looking to go to.” And now, we remember that all these things, that’s a tension.
17 That, some people tries to introduce Christianity, that “you’re free from worry. You’re…” No, you’re not. “You’re free from tension.” Oh, no! You add tension when you become a Christian, because you was kind of a slop-go, happy-go-lucky, whatever it was out there, not caring what you did.
18 But when you’ve become a real Christian, every moment you’re wondering, “Am I pleasing my Lord? If I could hear from Him!” It puts you on tension, puts you on guard. That’s what makes you what you are. So after all, tension is a blessing. It’s just the way you’re looking at it.
It’s just the way you’re looking at it. See? If you just look the other side, No matter how thin you slice anything, you still got two sides to it, you see. So you want to see both sides.
19 So tension…I think, “Oh my, it’s…What’s this tension? If I could’ve been born without this tension.” Well, if I wouldn’t have had this tension, I wouldn’t have been what I am. I wouldn’t have been a Christian, perhaps. It was this tension that drove me to Jesus Christ. See? So, it’s been a blessing thing to me. 63-0818 - The Uniting Time And Sign
And lest I should be exalted above measure through the abundance of the revelations, there was given to me a thorn in the flesh, the messenger of Satan to buffet me, lest I should be exalted above measure.
For this thing I besought the Lord thrice, that it might depart from me.
And he said unto me, My grace is sufficient for thee: for my strength is made perfect in weakness. Most gladly therefore will I rather glory in my infirmities, that the power of Christ may rest upon me.
Therefore I take pleasure in infirmities, in reproaches, in necessities, in persecutions, in distresses for Christ’s sake: for when I am weak, then am I strong.
20 So then, as Paul said, as though when he had a tension or something or another, he had consulted the Lord to take it away from him three times. And the Lord said, “Saul, My…Paul, My grace is sufficient.”
21 He said, “Then, I’ll glory in my infirmities. Then when I’m weak, I’m strong.” See? As long as it’s to the will of God, all right.
22 Now, I consulted Him one time when it used to bother me so bad, it scared me. And He told me, about eight or ten years ago, He said, “It’ll never scare you again.”
And it never has did it. No, sir; don’t worry about it. I just feel it, but I know it’s there; but I just go on because it don’t scare me no more, so thankful for that. Now, He could have said, “It won’t be no more,” just as well as, “You won’t be scared no more.”
23 So it’s His will that it happens, so I just embrace it and say, “Thank You, Lord, I’ll walk that way.” 63-0818 - The Uniting Time And Sign
Danny Henry’s prophecy. Because you have chosen the harder way.
Now these are the nations which the Lord left, to prove Israel by them, even as many of Israel as had not known all the wars of Canaan;
Only that the generations of the children of Israel might know, to teach them war, at the least such as before knew nothing thereof;
Namely, five lords of the Philistines, and all the Canaanites, and the Sidonians, and the Hivites that dwelt in mount Lebanon, from mount Baal-hermon unto the entering in of Hamath.
And they were to prove Israel by them, to know whether they would hearken unto the commandments of the Lord, which he commanded their fathers by the hand of Moses.
Goliath’s people were left in the land to teach the people war, so there would one day be a righteous king on the throne.
There hath no temptation taken you but such as is common to man: but God is faithful, who will not suffer you to be tempted above that ye are able; but will with the temptation also make a way to escape, that ye may be able to bear it.
When there is no adversary, look out.
Look at Solomon
But now the Lord my God hath given me rest on every side, so that there is neither adversary nor evil occurrent.
But king Solomon loved many strange women, together with the daughter of Pharaoh, women of the Moabites, Ammonites, Edomites, Zidonians, and Hittites;
Of the nations concerning which the Lord said unto the children of Israel, Ye shall not go in to them, neither shall they come in unto you: for surely they will turn away your heart after their gods: Solomon clave unto these in love.
And he had seven hundred wives, princesses, and three hundred concubines: and his wives turned away his heart.
For it came to pass, when Solomon was old, that his wives turned away his heart after other gods: and his heart was not perfect with the Lord his God, as was the heart of David his father.
For Solomon went after Ashtoreth the goddess of the Zidonians, and after Milcom the abomination of the Ammonites.
And Solomon did evil in the sight of the Lord, and went not fully after the Lord, as did David his father.
Then did Solomon build an high place for Chemosh, the abomination of Moab, in the hill that is before Jerusalem, and for Molech, the abomination of the children of Ammon.
All because there was no adversary, no Goliath to fight.
And the Lord stirred up an adversary unto Solomon, Hadad the Edomite: he was of the king’s seed in Edom.
The Prophet Samuel was born because an adversary provoked Hannah to desperate prayer. It was necessary for her to be ridiculed by her adversary in order to dedicate Samuel wholly to the Lord.
And her adversary also provoked her sore, for to make her fret, because the Lord had shut up her womb.
And as he did so year by year, when she went up to the house of the Lord, so she provoked her; therefore she wept, and did not eat.
Then said Elkanah her husband to her, Hannah, why weepest thou? and why eatest thou not? and why is thy heart grieved? am not I better to thee than ten sons?
So Hannah rose up after they had eaten in Shiloh, and after they had drunk. Now Eli the priest sat upon a seat by a post of the temple of the Lord.
And she was in bitterness of soul, and prayed unto the Lord, and wept sore.
And she vowed a vow, and said, O Lord of hosts, if thou wilt indeed look on the affliction of thine handmaid, and remember me, and not forget thine handmaid, but wilt give unto thine handmaid a man child, then I will give him unto the Lord all the days of his life, and there shall no rasor come upon his head.
And it came to pass, as she continued praying before the Lord, that Eli marked her mouth.
Now Hannah, she spake in her heart; only her lips moved, but her voice was not heard: therefore Eli thought she had been drunken.
And Eli said unto her, How long wilt thou be drunken? put away thy wine from thee.
And Hannah answered and said, No, my lord, I am a woman of a sorrowful spirit: I have drunk neither wine nor strong drink, but have poured out my soul before the Lord.
Count not thine handmaid for a daughter of Belial: for out of the abundance of my complaint and grief have I spoken hitherto.
Then Eli answered and said, Go in peace: and the God of Israel grant thee thy petition that thou hast asked of him.
And she said, Let thine handmaid find grace in thy sight. So the woman went her way, and did eat, and her countenance was no more sad.
She took God at His word, even though it came through a backslidden priest.
98 Hannah, a barren woman in the Bible, she wanted a son, and she got to fasting for him. And she fasted and prayed until even the priest at the temple thought she was drunk. She was in such desperation!
With the rest of the women watching what kind of a bonnet the other one had wore; and you know how it goes; and the other one seeing what kind of clothes they had on, and talking about the things going on on the farm.
But not Hannah; she stepped right through the whole crowd and went to the altar. She had been fasting. She wanted her reproach taken away. And she got on her knees. And she never noticed the dignity of the temple. She never noticed the dignified priest as he walked out. She was in such distress till her tears was rolling down her cheeks, and she was crying, in desperation, “O Lord God, give me a son. Give me a son!”
99 And, notice, she wasn’t selfish. When God heard her, and answered her prayer and gave her a son, she gave him back to God. And because that she was willing not to be selfish after God had answered her prayer, He gave her a prophet. Oh, that was a extra blessing. Oh, He’s just full of them, those little extra things that He gives. Not only a son, but a prophet.
And there had been no open vision for many, many years, in Israel. Samuel, the first prophet, for many, many years, because a mother got desperate; that she could have no children, and she was past the age of bearing, probably sixty, seventy years old.
And she prayed with desperation, she must have this child! What was it? God had spoke to her, no doubt.
100 You can’t be desperate till God speaks to you. Oh, Church, rise and shake yourself! Pinch your conscience, wake yourself up, in this hour! We must be desperate, or perish! There is coming forth something from the Lord!
I know it as THUS SAITH THE LORD. There is coming forth something, and we better get desperate. It’s between Life and death. It’ll pass through us and we won’t see it. 63-0901E - Desperations
Conclusion.
Maybe Covid is the giant that you needed, maybe sickness in the church, disappointment in a man, trouble at home, trouble in the church, something that will drive you to an altar praying fervently and desperately until He answers your prayer.
I’m going to step on the neck of Goliath on the way to the throne, that’s my ticket.
Unless we suffer with Him we cannot reign with Him. You have to suffer to reign. The reason for this is that character simply is never made without suffering. Character is a VICTORY, not a gift.
A man without character can’t reign because power apart from character is Satanic. But power with character is fit to rule.
And since He wants us to share even His throne on the same basis that He overcame and is set down in His Father’s throne, then we have to overcome to sit with Him.
And the little temporary suffering we go through now is not worthy to be compared to the tremendous glory that will be revealed in us when He comes.
CAB 04 - Smyrnaen