I am not an expert on things like how to set odds for sporting events. I have no idea which teams are favored in the upcoming NFL games. I do know what commentators say when a team that wasn’t given any chance to win overcomes the odds and comes out on top. They talk about it being a “David versus Goliath story.”

The story of David and Goliath is an event that has captured the imagination of every little boy and girl who has ever sat in a circle of small wooden chairs in a Sunday School class. What little boy or girl has not imagined themselves standing there in the bottom of that valley with sling in hand when they’ve sung… “And one little stone went up in the air and the giant came tumbling down.”

Have you had to face any giants lately? Not a REAL giant. Not even a New York or San Francisco Giant. I am talking about situations and yes even, people that seem impossible to deal with. There are times when the odds against you seem so overwhelming that you don’t stand a chance of coming out on top. The good news this story brings to us is that even when the odds seem impossible God can help you overcome.

The first thing we must learn to do is focus not on the size of the enemy but on the size of God. That’s what David did. He didn’t fall into the trap the rest of Israel’s army had. HE didn’t look at the size of the problem and compare it to himself. Instead he compared Goliath’s size with God’s size! His eyes weren’t on the giant. They were on God. David faced his giant with unshakable confidence in God.

Lesson number two is to rely on methods and weapons we know and not those we haven’t used before. When King Saul finally decided to let David fight, he wanted to send him out in his armor. My guess is that Saul thought that at least he would be somewhat protected. But keep in mind that armor is usually fitted to the soldier who will be using it. I can just imagine David in a helmet that is falling down over his eyes and body armor that is so heavy that he isn’t able to walk in it. David chose not to wear the King’s armor. He knew what he was doing. He decided to use weapons he knew better than anyone; the weapons he had used while out tending his father’s flocks. Even then, God was preparing those skills to be used on this day.

The final lesson David teaches us is to learn to rely on God long before you are facing a giant. Where do you suppose David got his overwhelming confidence in God? The answer is pretty simple. He had experienced with God working in smaller battles in his life. When he was trying to convince Saul to let him go out against Goliath, he shares the results from some other battles in his life. He told Saul about defeating wild animals who were after his father’s sheep. These victories allowed David to trust God in this larger battle.

Sometimes these three lessons are difficult for us to apply in our lives. It’s easy for us to get so focused on the size of the enemy facing us that we lose sight of God, to try and fight with weapons we haven’t tested out, and to wait to trust in God until the crisis comes.

Whatever giant you may be facing would you please remember that the God you serve is bigger and stronger than any giant in your life? God CAN overcome impossible odds.