We're Losing Our Heads When Goliath Should Be Losing His

By Gobel Brockman


I post this week's devotional knowing that some may possibly disagree with it, or perhaps misunderstand my point. I hope to clearly articulate what I'm feeling in my heart.

In II Timothy 1:7, the Apostle Paul made this statement:

     "For God has not given us a spirit of fear, but of power, love, and a sound mind." (Emphasis mine,)

I watch and listen to people speak about current events in their lives and in the world around them, and I notice a lot of fear, doubt, and worry. The sad part for me is many times this fear and worry is found in the hearts - and words - of born-again Christians who have the promise from God that "I will never leave you nor forsake you." (Hebrews 13:5) I see people chasing down every conspiracy theory they read on Facebook, and in the process they convince themselves that there's an antichrist under every rock. I see almost panic in some people as it relates to current events, and particularly when it comes to the upcoming elections in this country. Before I continue, I want to be clear:

YES, I believe Christians should vote.
YES, I believe we should be informed voters, knowing where candidates stand on key issues.
YES, I realize that we are indeed in, as the Bible says, "perilous times." (II Timothy 3:1)

However, I also believe in some simple yet profound truths:

NOTHING happens without God's foreknowledge.
NOTHING has ever caught God off-guard.
NOTHING - absolutely NOTHING - will ever cause God to lose control of this world or His plans for it.

There's a story that most of you reading this will be familiar with. (If you're not, it's found in I Samuel 17.) The Philistine army was prepared for war against the Israelites. Their greatest warrior was a giant named Goliath. He told the army of Israel to choose a man to fight against him, and the winner of that fight would determine who would reign. The Bible says that this went on for many days, and the Israelites were terrified at the thought of facing Goliath. But David - a young, ruddy shepherd boy - came to visit his brothers who were part of the army, and he was infuriated that this giant would dare defy the God of Israel. As I said earlier, most of you are already familiar with the story. With a sling, a stone, and a solid faith that God was with him, David killed Goliath and took off his head - all while the army of Israel was "losing their heads" with fear.

There's a lot of that going on today.

As I mentioned, I know that these are difficult times. I know the Bible tells us to not be "ignorant of the devil's devices." (II Corinthians 2:11) We are also told to "be sober, be vigilant, because our adversary the devil roams about, seeking whom he may devour." (I Peter 5:8) My point is simply that there is a substantial difference between being aware and being fearful. I want to be aware, but I refuse to be fearful. How can I say that? Because God has given me the Holy Spirit, who is NOT a spirit of fear, but IS a spirit of power, love, and a sound mind. Simply put, regardless of what's going on the natural and political world, I refuse to be afraid. Despite what may be going on in your life right now, rest in the knowledge that God's got this - because He's got YOU. You are in the palm of His hand, and you're safe there. No Facebook conspiracy post can change that. No election will ever cause God to abdicate His throne. If you're born-again, then whether you live or die, you are the Lord's, and nothing can take you away from Him.

So don't lose your head - live in the power of God and watch Him deliver the heads of the Goliaths in your life to you instead.