Lessons from David: How to Be a Giant Killer (7 page)

Many times this criticism comes through the people who know you the best, like your family. After Jesus’ own brothers mocked him, He said:

A prophet is not without honour, but in his own country, and among his own kin, and in his own house.

Mark 6:4

The people who know you the best have a hard time believing there is really anything special about you because they know you. They know where you have been and what you have done. They know your mistakes and immaturity. They know everything about you. Since they are basing their judgment on outward appearances, it is hard for them to really see what God has done in you.

You’ll Be Challenged

When I was first turned on to the Lord, some of my family were the very ones who said negative things toward me. They didn’t do this maliciously. I‘ve always loved my mother, brother, sister, and in-laws, and have enjoyed a pretty good relationship with them. But when I was first turned on to the Lord, I was fanatical! I started believing for miracles and confessing that I could receive the power of God. Some of my family members were critical of this—not because they hated me, but because they didn’t understand it. When they looked at me, I was exactly the same as before. I was telling them that I’d had this special encounter with the Lord and He had spoken to me, but they weren’t there. They didn’t know what was going on because they were only looking on the outward appearance.

I’m not saying that all the criticism is mean and malicious, or that you can’t overcome it. I’m just saying it’s natural. The people who know you the best are still going to consider you as their little brother, neighbor, co-worker, or whatever. They don’t know what God said, and they can’t see what happened on the inside of you. But after a period of time they will understand. My family now basically embraces me and approves of what has happened. They know that something happened because it changed my life. Now they see me differently. However, prior to this, it was just my word. They didn’t know everything because they couldn’t see what had happened on the inside of me.

If you’re going to become a giant killer, criticism will come. When you start trying to overcome your problems instead of just sitting down and being overcome by them, when you begin to believe and speak forth your faith instead of just running and hiding like everyone else, you’ll be challenged. Criticism will come, and sometimes it will come from within your own family. But you just have to get on with it. You can’t let criticism stop you. If criticism could kill you, I’d be dead!

Grasshopper or Giant Killer?

It doesn’t matter what other people say about you. It’s what you say about yourself that counts. This truth was clearly illustrated when Moses sent twelve men to spy out the Promised Land. Ten of them came back saying, “It’s a good land, but we can’t take it because there are giants there!”

We were in our own sight as grasshoppers, and so we were in their sight.

Numbers 13:33

Other people may criticize you because they don’t see you the way God does. They aren’t going to recognize your true power and potential. But it doesn’t really matter what other people say. The opinions of others might be a factor, but it’s not the determining factor. What really counts is how you see yourself. Do you see yourself as a grasshopper or a giant killer?

People have mocked, criticized, and railed on me over all kinds of things. They hadn’t seen the power of God in my life and they didn’t know what the Lord had spoken to me. But by the grace of God, I’ve been able to see differently than what people say. I know God has touched my life. I know He has done something on the inside of me. So it doesn’t really matter what other people say about me. What matters is what I say about myself based on what God has spoken to me.

This is a tremendous lesson from the life of David. You need to find out who you are. You need to discover what God has called you to do. Then no matter what criticism you might face, go on in His power and do it!

Stay On Track

My good friend, Joe Nay, has made a huge impact on my life. He’s the one who actually helped stir me up to seek the Lord. Immediately after I was turned on to Jesus, I started receiving criticism from both my family and my church. The leaders in my church would just rail on me. Due to my fanaticism, one of them wanted to excommunicate me, kick me out of the church. Even though I was still going on with God, all this criticism was beginning to wear on me. So I went to one of Joe Nay’s meetings.

Joe called me out in front of everyone and started prophesying, “Andrew, I see you like a runner on a track. You’re running a race and doing good, in fact you’re out there leading the pack. But the people in the grandstands are criticizing you. They’re yelling at you and telling you that you’re doing it all wrong. I see you getting off of the track and going up into the grandstands to argue with the spectators. But even if you win the argument, you’re going to lose the race. Don’t worry about what other people say. Get back on track and finish the race. Do what God has told you to do!”

That was a powerful word that really ministered to me. I’ve even given it to other people in the form of a prophecy. If it worked for me, I believe it’ll work for them. That’s a powerful truth. God really spoke to me through that.

When you start going for it, Satan will raise up people to criticize you. His purpose is to divert you from doing what you’re supposed to do. The devil wants to get you off track, get you arguing with spectators in the grandstands, justifying yourself to other people, and trying to gain the approval of men. However, even if you win the argument, you’ll still lose the race. You need to get to the place where you don’t let criticism change you. Stay on track, and don’t let criticism change your message.

Who Cares?

This is exactly what David did. After his brother said all of these things, he responded:

What have I now done? Is there not a cause?

In other words, David said, “What are you on my case for? I haven’t done anything wrong!”

And he turned from him toward another, and spake after the same manner.

David just turned to the next guy and repeated the same words, “Who is this uncircumcised Philistine?” He didn’t let his older brother’s criticism slow him down one bit.

If you are going to be a giant killer, you’re going to have to get beyond criticism. If you’re going to start overcoming problems and bring deliverance to yourself and others, you’re going to have to get to where you aren’t so touchy. Who cares what other people have to say about you? David overcame this criticism and continued to speak forth his faith.

And when the words were heard which David spake, they rehearsed them before Saul; and he sent for him. And David said to Saul, Let no man’s heart fail because of him; thy servant will go and fight with this Philistine.

Chapter 8
A Confident Testimony

And Saul said to David, Thou art not able to go against this Philistine to fight with him: for thou art but a youth, and he a man of war from his youth.

After David received criticism from his own family, King Saul, the most powerful and influential man in the entire nation said, “You can’t fight against this Philistine giant. You’re just a youth, and he’s a man of war. You don’t stand a chance!”

David was bold because he believed God and was aware of his covenant. He recognized that this Philistine was uncircumcised and had no relationship with God. But even though David’s faith was in the promises contained in God’s Word, what he said next reveals where his confidence came from.

And David said unto Saul, Thy servant kept his father’s sheep, and there came a lion, and a bear, and took a lamb out of the flock: and I went out after him, and smote him, and delivered it out of his mouth: and when he arose against me, I caught him by his beard, and smote him, and slew him. Thy servant slew both the lion and the bear: and this uncircumcised Philistine shall be as one of them, seeing he hath defied the armies of the living God. David said moreover, The LORD that delivered me out of the paw of the lion, and out of the paw of the bear, he will deliver me out of the hand of this Philistine.

David was saying, “Look! I’ve already proven God to be faithful. I have a history! This isn’t the first time I’ve ever believed God. I’ve trusted Him and seen Him work miracles through me before. Because of this past experience, I have confidence and hope, and I believe that it’s going to happen again!”

Faithful in the Least

One of the reasons David was able to overcome the giant when the others couldn’t was because he had been faithful and proven God in the small things.

Jesus said:

He that is faithful in that which is least is faithful also in much: and he that is unjust in the least is unjust also in much.

Luke 16:10

In other words, if you aren’t faithful in a small thing, you won’t be entrusted with the great things. Most people are waiting until they get into a crisis situation to believe God. However, they aren’t trusting Him on a daily basis. They’re taking the easy way out. Either they’re learning to cope with things or they’re not fighting for their God-given rights. They’re taking a shortcut to get their needs met, but they aren’t believing God.

In the area of health, some people plan to trust God if cancer ever knocks on their door. However, they pop a pill just as soon as they get a headache and they rely on medication to treat their colds. They take something to wake them up and something else to put them to sleep. They aren’t trusting God for their health in the small things, but when the big thing comes like cancer, they think they’re going to trust Him then. Right!

Don’t misunderstand what I’m saying. God isn’t mad at you if you take aspirin or cold medicine. I’m not saying you cannot take medication or that you’re evil if you rely on those things. But I am asking: When are you going to start trusting God with your health? Are you waiting until something tragic happens and the doctors can’t do anything about it, and only then will you begin to trust Him? If that’s the way you’re thinking, your faith isn’t going to work.

The Growth Process

Your faith has to grow and increase with use. You do not go from zero to a thousand miles per hour in the Spirit instantly. You have to accelerate. You have to build up momentum and speed.

Jesus gave this illustration to help us understand the kingdom of God:

As if a man should cast seed into the ground; and should sleep, and rise night and day, and the seed should spring and grow up, he knoweth not how. For the earth bringeth forth fruit of herself; first the blade, then the ear, after that the full corn in the ear.

Mark 4:26-28

The kingdom of heaven works like a seed. You don’t just plant an acorn and then—BOOM!—instantly it becomes a full-grown oak tree. It takes time and many seasons for the seed to go through the growth process to maturity.

First the blade, then the ear, after that the full corn in the ear.

Mark 4:28

This is a principle of God. It’s how everything works. You don’t just go from never having trusted God to all of a sudden killing a giant. You must start trusting the Lord in smaller things and then progress and increase.

A Big Vision

Once, I shared this truth with one of our Bible college students. This man had some problems. He had previously lived in a mental institution. He had been declared completely unable to work so he derived his total income from welfare. I really liked this guy. He was kind and had some great qualities, but he had never really trusted the Lord before in his finances.

As I ministered God’s Word on prosperity and told the students they should be givers instead of takers, this guy really became excited. He came to me some time later and shared how he had found an old hotel, a historic building that was mostly stone. It was a beautiful building, but it had burned awhile back and become derelict. It was water damaged, the roof was caved in, and in a number of ways, it was just structurally unsound. Anyway, the building was for sale for $1.5 million. This man talked to some builders and found out it would take between $2 million and $2.5 million to restore it. This would be a total of $4 million for both the purchase and restoration.

The man had it all worked out: how many rooms there were, what he could charge if he rented them all out, and other events he could host there to make money. He showed me on paper how he would pay off all of the loans, cover the expenses, and make a profit. It was a great idea. After telling me all of this, he asked, “What do you think about it?”

At first, I complimented him for the fact that he was breaking out of the poverty mentality and trying to believe God. I encouraged him and told him, “There are some really good things here, but I can guarantee you that this is not God. The Lord will not do this through you.”

You might be thinking that I was terrible for discouraging him. I will admit, he was discouraged. In fact, he even became a little upset with me. But I told him that according to Mark 4, the kingdom of God works like a seed. There has to be a growth process! You can’t go from never believing God for a quarter to make a phone call, right into raising $1.5 million. You can’t jump from never having earned a dime in your entire life, to financing and pulling off a $2.5 million construction project. That’s just not how the kingdom works.

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