I remember being in the changing rooms waiting to run out to play football for my works team when someone popped their head round the dressing room door and said “have you seen the size of the centre forward?” I was 16 or 17, loss and heavy loss overtook my every thought before I had kicked a ball.

It must have been an incredible sight. The Philistine army on one mountain, Saul and the army of Israel on another mountain, beneath them a valley soon to become a blood-ridden battle ground. (1 Samuel 17:1-3) Until, a Philistine champion Goliath of Gath lays down a challenge. A challenge that would not be picked up by Saul or Jonathan his son who had previously defeated the Philistines (1 Samuel 14)

What a description:

And there came out from the camp of the Philistines a champion named Goliath of Gath, whose height was six cubits and a span.  He had a helmet of bronze on his head, and he was armed with a coat of mail, and the weight of the coat was five thousand shekels of bronze. And he had bronze armour on his legs, and a javelin of bronze slung between his shoulders.  The shaft of his spear was like a weaver’s beam, and his spear’s head weighed six hundred shekels of iron. And his shield-bearer went before him.  1 Samuel 17:4-7

I too would have run, he’s a big bloke and he is fully loaded. It is all too easy as Christians to let fear rule our lives and shape our decision making. There seems to be so much in our world that feeds fear. We are conditioned by our culture to fear, we see the problems first.

For fear to be legitimate it must be perceived as imminent and powerful.

Two of God’s attributes make him the governor over our fears. He is omnipresent (always present) and omnipotent (all powerful). To worship God is to trust in these attributes and the many others he has. These two attributes give us the perspective on anything we have to fear, even our big fully loaded Goliaths should be referenced back to these two attributes. God is with me and bigger.

Remember though we have someone ready to rob us of faith and trust.

Be sober-minded; be watchful. Your adversary the devil prowls around like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour. 1 Peter 5:8

Be careful that our minds are not running away with us, but let’s renew our minds with truth.

Peace I leave with you; my peace I give to you. Not as the world gives do I give to you. Let not your hearts be troubled, neither let them be afraid. John 14:27

John starts the chapter with these words:

Let not your hearts be troubled. Believe in God; believe also in me. John 14:1

Jesus encourages the disciples at a time when Judas had just left them to believe or keep on believing in God. Not in a general sense but specifically in relation to His (Jesus) departure and their hope for the future. Jesus says, you can trust me with what lies ahead, and we can too.

Why don’t you spend just a few minutes saying that back to your Heavenly Father “Lord I trust you for what lies ahead”