New Beginnings Christian Fellowship

 

Pastor Nick's Blog

BIG BAD GIANT!

1 Samuel 17:1-3 NLT1 The Philistines now mustered their army for battle and camped between Socoh in Judah and Azekah at Ephes-dammim. 2 Saul countered by gathering his Israelite troops near the valley of Elah. 3 So the Philistines and Israelites faced each other on opposite hills, with the valley between themSo what I’m talking about today is fighting a war fighting those things that seem so strong to usI.                    Fighting the War                 A.      When your enemies are at a distance they don’t seem very big

B.      The Israelite army was located on a hill looking across at another army that was also located on a hill but, from their vantage point the Philistine army probably didn’t seem so big

               C.     When your on the mountaintop it’s great because you have the vantage point of sight, I can see my enemy and it’s not going to sneak up on me and I don’t need to fight it and if it does come you still have a way out                                      But…………………

D.       The war was to take place in the valley below at a much closer distance to each other, the war was about to become up close and personal. It was about to come to a place where it wasn’t easy to run or so it would seem

When we are in the valley there is strife, there is war, our vantage point isn’t as good as it was on the mountain top, because now it’s up close and personal, now it seems much bigger, now its not so easy to retreatThere was a major problem here, Goliath was challenging the whole Israeli army and he was challenging them from the valley, why is this important? Remember  what I said,                                               “In the valley there is strife, in the valley the storm is raging,

                              in the valley there is war, in the valley there is death”

  •  No warrior wanted to go by themselves to where the giant was and lets be honest none of us wants to go into the valley where the giant is waiting either
  • Maybe this giant for you is your selfishness, maybe this giant for you is bitterness, maybe this giant for you is hurt, maybe this giant for you is fear, well sometimes those things are shouting up at us.
  • These things cripple people. When the problem seemed to big- the Israelites were frozen because of this problem, from this giant
  •   If we don’t face the problem in the valley we will keep returning to the valley until it becomes our place of residence
  • GOD DOES NOT WANT YOU TO STAY IN THE VALLEY! GOD WANTS YOU TO BE ON THE MOUNTAIN TOP WHERE YOU CAN BE FREE! If you are walking through the valley today keep this in mind: There is One whom we serve who is greater then any giant, there is one we serve who is with you if you have to go,
1 The LORD is my shepherd, I shall not be in want.  2 He makes me lie down in green pastures, he leads me beside quiet waters, 3 he restores my soul. He guides me in paths of righteousness for his name's sake. 4 Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil, for you are with me; your rod and your staff, they comfort me.  Psalm 23:1-4 NIV

                            May the God of the universe lift your head!  Blessings, Pastor Nick

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