I have set the Lord continually before me. (Psalm 16:8 NASB)
The Devil is a liar. Lying is what he’s been doing since the beginning. Jesus said about him, “When he lies, he speaks his native language, for he is a liar and the father of lies.” (John 8:44 NIV)
One of the things he’s lying to you about is the size of your giant. Goliath, mind you, wasn’t a shrimp of a guy. He was nine feet tall and towered over the best of Israel’s fighting men. Like Goliath, it’s likely your anxiety looks a lot bigger and more powerful than you.
The Devil is quick to agree. He’s telling you: You will never win. You don’t stand a chance. This black hole is too powerful, it’s going to suck you into its vortex of doom and you’ll never get out. He’s actually telling some of you right now that this seven-day journey “thing” is not going to work either. He’s saying, “Don’t get your hopes up, friend. Things are never going to change for you.”
But, you must remember that when the Devil speaks he never speaks the truth. Admittedly, your giant may have the upper hand. But your giant is not bigger than Jesus. Let’s just say that again:
Your giant may be big, but your giant is not bigger than Jesus.
Today, Jesus wants to break the power of the lie that says otherwise, and tell you again that he is bigger than whatever you are up against. The question today is which voice will you choose—the liar or the One who speaks truth.
You have the power, no matter how helpless or broken-down you feel, to choose what you set before you today. You can fix your eyes on the giant, or you can lift your eyes higher to the God of heaven and earth. If you only have the giant in view you will be convinced that you are tiny and powerless. But if you set the Almighty in view, your giant will be resized by God’s greatness.
When Moses led the people of God out of bondage in Egypt, God brought them toward the land of promise. Once they were close, Moses sent twelve men to spy out the land and assess the situation. They returned to report that the land was, in fact, amazing, filled with bounty and provision just as God had said.
But, there was a problem. Warriors filled the fortressed cities. As well, they saw the Sons of Anak, giants that made them say, “We seemed like grasshoppers in our own eyes, and we looked the same to them.” (Numbers 13:33 NIV)
The issue wasn’t the size of the giants that inhabited the land. The problem was that they failed to remember the size of their God. After all, God had parted a sea and destroyed the powerful charioteers of the Pharaoh, surely He could manage whatever giants they would face.
They allowed the size of the giants to get between them and their God.
If you’re going to put an “X” in your anxiety you’re going to have to get God in view. That doesn’t mean that you ignore the problem, just that you begin with God.
Multiple times God reminded the people, “I am the Lord your God, who brought you out of Egypt.” You would think they would never forget. But they did. And we do too.
We forget about the powerful work of Jesus on the cross to defeat every giant, destroying once and for all the power of sin, death and the grave. We forget that He created the universe with just a word and sustains all things by his mighty power. We forget that he has promised to lead us through the valley and to fulfill his purpose for our life.
So, do whatever you must today to move Jesus into view. Put him in front of your anxiety, depression, panic or worry. Let him stand in front of them all. And when he is there, worship him for who he is. Praise him because he is greater than all. Let worship become the new soundtrack to your story, replacing the dirge of dread that’s been playing in the background all this time. Say again, I will not die, but live, and will declare what the Lord has done! Choose to see Jesus and make your giant stand to the side. Tell of God’s might and make your giant sing along.
No, I’m serious. Get songs of praise playing right away. Set a playlist on your phone or computer. Put a worship CD on in the room. Get your headphones plugged in and ready for when that 2 a.m. wake-up comes. Drown out the taunts of the giants by lifting up the praise of God.
The results will astound you (and probably amaze the doctors). David writes: I keep my eyes always on the Lord. With him at my right hand, I will not be shaken. Therefore my heart is glad and my tongue rejoices; my body also will rest secure, because you will not abandon me to the realm of the dead, nor will you let your faithful one see decay. You make known to me the path of life; you will fill me with joy in your presence, with eternal pleasures at your right hand. (Psalm 16:8-11 NIV)
When anxiety is all you see, your songs of God’s praise will cease. But when God is in view, worship can flow in spite of your circumstances. When worship flows, things change, because worship is a weapon that pierces the darkness. I know this to be true, because a song of praise in the darkest of nights marked the turning point in my battle and ultimately led me into the light.
The Enemy wants you to keep praising the giant; keep telling everyone in earshot how powerful anxiety is. But, it’s time to pump up the volume on true worship, telling God and anyone listening that you believe that he is greater.