When we are going through a trial, difficulty, pain, sorrow or grief, etc., it is so easy to focus on what we are going through. It steals our attention and will consume us. The agonizing pain I was in kept holding my thoughts captive. I couldn’t think clearly because of the pain. There was a battle raging in my body, but a war raging in my mind.
The mind is the battlefield. Whoever wins on the battlefield wins the war. When David went out to face Goliath on the battlefield, either he was going to win or Goliath. There could not be two victors on opposing sides. It is either all or nothing.
“Now the Philistines gathered together their armies to battle, and were gathered together at Shochoh, which belongeth to Judah, and pitched between Shochoh and Azekah, in Ephesdammim. And Saul and the men of Israel were gathered together, and pitched by the valley of Elah, and set the battle in array against the Philistines. And the Philistines stood on a mountain on the one side, and Israel stood on a mountain on the other side: and there was a valley between them. 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. 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. And the Philistine said, I defy the armies of Israel this day; give me a man, that we may fight together.” 1 Samuel 17:1-3,8-10
If you have read the story of David and Goliath you know who won—David. How was David able to destroy the giant? Goliath was bigger than David. He was older. He was trained as a man of war. He had all the right weapons. He was a fighting machine-- a one man army. He was intimidating. He placed fear in the hearts of those who saw him. David on the other hand had none of those qualifications. He was a young shepherd boy armed with nothing more than a slingshot and some smooth rocks. So, what made David win on the battlefield? His focus! He didn’t focus on the size of Goliath, like the Israelite army did.
“And all the men of Israel, when they saw the man, fled from him, and were sore afraid. And the men of Israel said, Have ye seen this man that is come up? surely to defy Israel is he come up.” (1 Samuel 17:24,25)
Instead he kept his focus on God. “ 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. 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 carcasses 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 17:45,46)
Had David continued to look at the giant, he would have only gotten bigger and bigger in his eyes/mind. Out of the 12 spies that went into the land of Canaan ten looked at the giants and the longer they did, the bigger the giants looked and smaller they looked to themselves. "we are like grasshoppers". (Numbers 13) Joshua and Caleb, on the other hand, brought back a good report because they focused on the Word/promise of God.
Am I saying that we deny what we are going through like it isn’t real? Of course, not. David did not deny Goliath's presence or size, but he didn't focus on it.... it had not captivated or consumed him. He focused on the victories that the Lord had already given him and knew that the Lord would do the same now-- this giant was not bigger than his God. When I was going through such intense pain there was no doubt my body was in pain—there was no denying that. What I am saying is that we have to work to stay focused on the Lord. I called out many times for Him to help me and give me the grace to keep my focus on Him and the pain in my body. Had I not, I would have lost my mind the pain was so horrific.
Whatever you are going through, keep your focus more on the Lord. Don't act like your problem isn't real, but keep renewing your mind, keep bringing those thoughts captive, keep reminding yourself of the promises of God, call upon Him for grace and help.
Have a great day. It may feel like you are losing the battle but if you stay focused on the Lord, you will win the war.
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