Wednesday, January 5, 2011

What Do Ministry Giants Look Like?

Gettysburg, PA is one of my most favorite places to visit. Back on the first three days of July in 1863, the bloodiest battle ever fought on American soil took place during the days of the Civil War. To go to Gettysburg and stand at those infamous sites - Little Round Top; The Wheatfield; The Orchard; Devils' Den; and the High Water Mark, always puts chills up and down my spine as I reflect on the thousands of Americans who died in those spots.

But as much as I love to visit Gettysburg, my favorite battlefield in the world to visit is actually the Valley of Elah over in Israel. It was there, that though two armies met, only two individuals actually fought. It is from this battle that we learn how to face giants in our lives and in our ministries yet today.

On either side of the Valley of Elah is a slope. On one slope camped the army of Israel led by King Saul. On the opposite slope was their arch enemy, the Philistines who boasted a warrior - his name was Goliath. 1 Samuel 17 calls him their "champion." This is a word that describes one who "stands in the middle" and that is exactly what Goliath did. He would walk down the slope where the Philistines were encamped, into the middle of the valley, and there he would taunt the army of Israel, challenging them to send down their best warrior for a one-on-one, winner take all battle.

And from the case of Goliath we see three descriptions of giants then and now. As you keep reading these next series of postings you may discover that your own personal giants are an awful lot like Goliath was. But take heart - you will also learn how to face those giants.

Feel free to leave a comment or email me at skdistler@gmail.com

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