What to Do When Your Debt Looks Like Goliath the Giant

Well, you can defeat Goliath-sized debt! The answer is in the real story of David and Goliath. Your victory is in changing your thinking. In this post, we’ll challenge your thinking by expounding on:

4 Ways David Reacted Differently Which You Can Apply to Your Thinking About Your Personal Finances

• Difference#1: David Heard Differently
• Difference#2: David Believed Differently
• Difference#3: David Spoke Differently
• Difference#4: David Expected Different Results

In I Samuel, Chapter 17, the story unfolds. Let me paraphrase the epic event.

The Story of David and Goliath

The Philistines were an enemy to Israel. Both armies were lined up on opposite sides of a valley. It was common in those days to fight combat by champion. A single man is chosen to represent the many. This is a convenient solution. It avoids unnecessary bloodshed and loss.

Selecting their top man was easy for the Philistine army. They placed their confidence in a giant of a man who was almost ten feet tall. Goliath of Gath was the Philistine’s choice of champion. He had huge weapons and what looked to be impenetrable armor. And Goliath shouted to the ranks of Israel to select their own champion.

Goliath Shouts Insults

The stakes were high. The army of the defeated fighter would be slaves to the winner! Each morning and evening, for forty days, the Philistine Champion came out to taunt the King of Israel, Saul, and his army, saying “I defy the ranks of Israel this day; give me a man, that we may fight together.” The men of Israel were absolutely terrified.

Young David is Angered By Goliath’s Mocking the God of Israel

But, on the fortieth day, young David arrived on the battle scene. His father had asked him to bring food for his elder brothers who had followed Saul into battle. David had been away tending his father’s sheep. The Israeli army had been hearing Goliath’s taunts for days on end. The sound struck terror in their hearts. But, when David heard Goliath’s words he was incensed. He says in I Samuel 17:26,

26And David said to the men standing by him, What shall be done for the man who kills this Philistine and takes away the reproach from Israel? For who is this uncircumcised Philistine that he should defy the armies of the living God?

David describes Goliath’s words as a “reproach”, meaning to discredit or disgrace, not just Israel, but, Israel’s God! He already has a vision of defeating the enemy and getting a wonderful reward. David gladly becomes Israel’s champion.

David Expects the Lord to Deliver Israel

David speaks with great conviction about God’s ability to deliver Israel. He uses his words to create victory. David knows God’s delivering power on a personal level. The Lord had already shown Himself strong on David’s behalf. He used his strong faith in God to speak forth the words needed to activate God’s power to defeat his enemies.

45Then said David to the Philistine, You come to me with a sword, a spear, and a javelin, but I come to you in the name of the Lord of hosts, the God of the ranks of Israel, Whom you have defied.

46This day the Lord will deliver you into my hand, and I will smite you and cut off your head. And I will give the corpses of the army of the Philistines this day to the birds of the air and the wild beasts of the earth, that all the earth may know that there is a God in Israel.

God Delivers Israel Through David

David, a mere youth, defeats Goliath. God used the most unlikely person to achieve His purpose so that there was never any doubt who achieved the win. David used Goliath’s own sword to defeat him. He decapitated the Philistine champion. The words David prophesied over the situation he faced came to pass. David’s private victories gave him the confidence to take God at His word one more time, giving him a very public victory.

50So David prevailed over the Philistine with a sling and with a stone, and struck down the Philistine and slew him. But no sword was in David’s hand.

51So he ran and stood over the Philistine, took his sword and drew it out of its sheath, and killed him, and cut off his head with it. When the Philistines saw that their mighty champion was dead, they fled.

Not only did God give Israel victory, He did it in a big way. God brought victory in a seemingly impossible situation. He badly wants to do the same for you.

4 Ways David Reacted Differently Which You Can Apply to Your Thinking About Your Personal Finances

What I love about this story are its contemporary parallels. There are 4 Ways David reacted differently to the Goliath-sized situation. When you approach your financial circumstances with this kind of different thinking, things are bound to change for you.

Difference#1: David Heard Differently

For forty days, Goliath taunted the Israeli army. Even King Saul cowered at the words of defiance from the huge Philistine. When David first heard those same words faith, not fear, was produced in his heart. David heard the defiance of his God and took offense. He was not in the least concerned about Goliath’s size. David knew the Lord would fight for him in battle.

Your perspective determines your success or failure. Looking at your situation with doubt in your heart effectively shuts down the power of God to deliver you. Are you speaking doubt into your negative financial circumstances?

Difference#2: David Believed Differently

The Philistines placed all their faith in the giant Goliath. David placed his faith in the mighty God of Israel. You, when facing your Goliath, must depend on the strength of the Lord. If you feel you don’t have sufficient wisdom to handle your situation, God will supply the knowledge you need if you will ask Him.

You control how you interpret your surroundings. If you view your negative situation overcoming you, overpowering you, knocking you down and out, it will. Satan wants you to see only the Goliath-sized problem, not your Lord & Savior.

We must magnify God in our own minds. To magnify means to enlarge so as to increase visibility and understanding. If the size of your problem such as your debt, your utility bill, your foreclosure notice, your bad spending habits remains large in your own mind, God’s ability to be a gigantic deliverer in your life is limited. See God as more powerful, and mightier and greater than any kind of situation.

Difference#3: David Spoke Differently

David drew confidence from past victories. He had defeated a bear and a lion while out shepherding his father’s sheep. Each private battle expanded his courage. So, in the heat of battle, the maturing process he had undergone became evident to others. He spoke forth his confidence in God while under pressure. That’s the true test of maturity.

Difference#4: David Expected Different Results

David used Goliath’s own weapon against him. What’s was Goliath’s primary weapon? His mouth! He created so much fear in the ranks of Israel, that they were defeated before the battle ever began. Goliath’s words created fear. But, David’s belief in God created different words, faith words.

Dismantling the power of your Goliath is at the head. Your head, or your thinking controls your actions. As long as you are listening to the taunts of negative self-talk and defeated people, you grow weak. If you absorb the words of the naysayers, instead of deflecting their negative commentary, you grow weak in your thinking.

Change what you are saying to yourself and aloud. If negativity and doubt has escorted you to your current location, where do you think speaking God’s word in the atmosphere will take you? To victory! God’s word absolutely never returns void. It accomplishes what He sends it to do. The angels listen to the person speaking God’s word confidently and triumphantly. Keep your angels employed by constantly speaking God’s word over your circumstance A-L-O-U-D!

Go grab your Goliath by the neck. Using Goliath’s sword on him means you say God’s word to it. Many, many more swords are located in God’s word. Choose your weapon against your Goliath. Use it skillfully to eradicate your enemy debt. Memorizing it means it’s readily available to defeat your enemy!

Try these swords out! Hit the links and see the full scripture in biblegateway.com.

Mark 11:23-24 – Say unto this mountain, Be thou removed!

I John 5:14-15 – Whatsoever we ask, we know that we have the petitions.

Isa 54:17 – No weapon formed against you will prosper.

2 Tim 1:7 – God has not given us the spirit of fear but of wisdom power and a sound mind.

Psalm 34:3 – O magnify the lord with me, let us exalted his name together.

Your Action Plan:

1. Write out your top two debts that you want to eliminate. Be specific. Include dollars and bank names. For example, you may write “Citibank VISA $3,000”, or “Residential Mortgage with Citizens Bank $$200,000”.
2. Find two scriptures that you can memorize concerning eliminating your debts.
3. Read and say those scriptures aloud. Prophesy their defeat as David spoke of Goliath’s downfall.
4. Repeat this process until all doubt is removed from your mind.
5. Thank the Lord for being so large in your life. He’s greater than any debt in your life.

If you have other suggestions, please share them in the comments section.

Photo by Upside of Inertia