Facing Your Giants was written by Max Lucado and currently is one of the New York Times best selling authors. This book is 181 pages with an additional 48 pages dedicated to a companion study guide.
Facing Your Giants is about the common everyday human bean facing his Goliath and experiencing triumph. This book was written around the story of David found in the old testament. David in the bible is known as King David, the boy who killed Goliath with a stone, the man who wrote and sang many of the Psalms, the David who shut the mouths of the lions in the lion's den, and the David who sought after God's heart. We often forget he was also the David who was the runt of the family, the man with many wives, the David who murdered to cover up, and the David who committed adultery. Nevertheless, in God's eyes, David was one of his. David was human and made a multitude of mistakes. Max Lucado wrote, "David fell as often as he stood, stumbled as often as he conquered." Yet, God saw David as a man after God's heart. Wow! That gives me hope!
This is a book for those of us who seem to get beat up daily, either by those around us and/or by ourselves. Max Lucado has a way of revealing the humanside of King David and show us that David is just David. Mr. Lucado takes his readers through David's life and paints pictures that we all have hanging in our own closets. Yet, when his last brush stroke has been made, you and I want to hang his painting in our living room in a place of honor. If David was a man who stumbled up and stumbled down, yet was considered a man after God's heart, I, too, can do great things for God. The message is simple yet down to earth.
One of most powerful quotes I found in this book was:
Facing Your Giants is about the common everyday human bean facing his Goliath and experiencing triumph. This book was written around the story of David found in the old testament. David in the bible is known as King David, the boy who killed Goliath with a stone, the man who wrote and sang many of the Psalms, the David who shut the mouths of the lions in the lion's den, and the David who sought after God's heart. We often forget he was also the David who was the runt of the family, the man with many wives, the David who murdered to cover up, and the David who committed adultery. Nevertheless, in God's eyes, David was one of his. David was human and made a multitude of mistakes. Max Lucado wrote, "David fell as often as he stood, stumbled as often as he conquered." Yet, God saw David as a man after God's heart. Wow! That gives me hope!
This is a book for those of us who seem to get beat up daily, either by those around us and/or by ourselves. Max Lucado has a way of revealing the humanside of King David and show us that David is just David. Mr. Lucado takes his readers through David's life and paints pictures that we all have hanging in our own closets. Yet, when his last brush stroke has been made, you and I want to hang his painting in our living room in a place of honor. If David was a man who stumbled up and stumbled down, yet was considered a man after God's heart, I, too, can do great things for God. The message is simple yet down to earth.
One of most powerful quotes I found in this book was:
"Focus on giants - you stumble.
Focus on God - your giants tumble."
All of my problems or overwhelming tasks are nothing more than a giant I need to face. Throughout the book, it is evident that when David focused on his giants (i.e. problems, overwhelming tasks) he stumbled. However, when he focused on God, his giants tumbled. This simple truth, if internalized, will have significant ramifications in my personal as well as professional life.
Lastly, Max Lucado leaves his readers with five stones to remember. Did you know that when David set out to take on Goliath, he grabbed five smooth stones? Why five stones? Interesting. At any rate, these five stones serve as five things to remember when facing your Goliath. The first stone is the stone of the past. A good memory of the victories of the past will make heroes out of us. Remember what God has said and what God has done in the past. The second stone is the stone of prayer. Dedicate time to prayer. David spent time talking to God, praying to God. Mr. Lucado said it best when he wrote, "When David soaked his mind in God, he stood. When he didn't, he flopped." Thus, soak your mind in God. The third stone is the stone of priority. It must be our priority to allow God to present himself to others through your situation, through your Goliath. Your problem, your delima, your misfortune, your circumstance is God's opportunity to show those close to you his grace, power, and unconditional love. The fourth stone is the stone of passion. No not that kind of passion but the passion of moving forward to tackle the problem. The passion of charging forward toward your giant knowing that God is with you. The fifth and final stone is the stone of persistence. David didn't take just one stone from the riverbed when he went against Goliath, he took up five stones. He went into the battle prepared to fight more than one fight. Goliath had four other relatives all about the same size as Goliath. He was ready to take each one out with a stone if the need arose. Be prepared. Be ready. But most of all, keep pressing on.
This was a quick read, insightful, and practical. I saw a side of King David that I didn't know existed. I am comforted that God saw him as "a man after God's heart" even though he made so many errors. David, though he was great, was a regular Joe. David was a man like me, yet, he picked up his stones and charged. For those of us who struggle with our giants, this is a good read. It is a read that will help you gather up your stones and use the sling to conquer your giants.
No comments:
Post a Comment