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The word “Goliath” is derived from the Hebrew word galah meaning “captive”, “stripped bare”, “denuded” in a particularly disgraceful way; shamefully exposed and conspicuously uncovered..

The word “Philistine” is derived from the Hebrew pelesheth, and palash’ words meaning “migratory/exiled” those who “roll” (or wallow)…as grieving in the dust.
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So the Philistines were camped on one hill and the Israelites on an opposite hill with a valley in between. There was no way for the armies to attack each other without being seen from a long distance. It would have certainly been a brutal loss for the one who attacked first.

So the Philistines came up with what they thought was an unbeatable plan – they would put one Philistine up against one Israelite.

Since they had Goliath on their side, and he was almost twice the size of any of the Israelites, they must have felt totally confident that he would obliterate the enemy and they would win the battle.

I had never looked up the meaning of the word Goliath, and was very surprised when I read the definition above. The meaning of names was a huge thing to the Israelites, and I wonder if David somehow knew the meaning of Goliath’s name and it helped him to have the faith he needed for God to deliver him from this giant everyone was so terrified of.

Somehow God worked in his life in such a way that he was able to get past all the negativity and fear of the whole Israelite army and have the total conviction that God would give him victory over this giant that was at least double his size.

Imagine how many people must have tried to talk him out of this ludicrous thing he was about to do (at least it was ludicrous in their eyes.) Nothing about his actions made sense at all in the way they looked at the situation. I’m sure they were bracing for David’s death and sad and fearful that they would be defeated and have to live in bondage for an extended period of time to the Philistines.

No doubt they were bracing for the worst scenario, but they were greatly surprised when they got the best. All of a sudden, they had overcome huge odds to defeat the great giant and the grave situation had turned around in an instant.

The Bible is filled with stories such as this where things looked hopelessly impossible and God intervened in such an incredible way that even the heathens knew He was something special and much better than their gods.

The next time you are faced with a situation that looks gigantic and totally impossible, remember that God is the master of making a way where it doesn’t look like there could possibly be one.

Get on your face before Him, and ask Him for a miracle like the one He did for David. He is the same God yesterday, today, and tomorrow. He wants to give you the victory in a mighty way, so ask Him to give you a mighty faith to believe He will do the impossible.

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God just wants to be able to use you where you are planted right now. In the course of an ordinary day at work, you might have many opportunities to minister to others that you are not even aware of unless you are prepared for the important job of ministry.

It seems that there are at least a million ways to waste time and look as if you are really working – at least, convince yourself that you are accomplishing a lot of good things.

I decided to keep track of how I spent my time each day and found that even though I thought I was pretty disciplined, there were many areas where I could improve. It is hard to sit down and take a frank look at your habits because “pride” tries its best to get in the way of real and productive change.

It is not the easiest thing in the world to be able to concentrate for a long period of time without your mind starting to wander (BELIEVE ME I KNOW THIS FOR A FACT.)

I want to share with you something that has worked for me in the past and still helps me to stay disciplined:

Before you start a big project make up your mind that you will not be distracted by anything, but will ZERO in on what you are doing until it is finished. You can even break up a huge project into several smaller projects with a time line for each. Give yourself a certain amount of time to do each project and then take a short break to do something else that doesn’t require such intense concentration.

Discover how you work best and concentrate on improving that until you really are disciplined to get maximum work each day.

We all need times of rest and relaxation where we can kick back and enjoy the day or a few days without feeling guilty, but that shouldn’t be our normal daily activity. Those times should be like dessert, and when they do come we can enjoy them much better because we don’t have to feel guilty that we are wasting time.

Even Jesus had to get away every now and then for some “down time” to get refreshed and rejuvenated for the important work ahead. Totally enjoy your “down time” but then get right back into doing your very best for each thing you do during the day.

If you have asked Jesus into your heart, you need to set an example for others to see that you are different and every job you do is ultimately for God and not man. Just that one thing will make a huge difference in your work habits.

When you know that God is your ultimate boss, and He will be the one that measures your performance, you definitely won’t want to cut any corners or waste time doing meaningless things. You might be able to fool your boss or someone else close to you, but you will never fool God. He knows your innermost thoughts and attitudes. If you treat everything as extremely important because you are doing it for Him, you won’t have to worry about doing mediocre work.

Let God be THE BOSS each day and see how much more disciplined you can be.

Related posts:

1. What Do You Unleash By Doing Something For The First Time?
2. Let God Change your Life 2° at a Time
3. The Ultimate Hate Crime

One of them has been that Satan will be happy to offer you something really good to keep you from getting God’s Best. There are many people who are Christians, but don’t really seek God or read the Bible enough to know much about Biblical truth. They depend on their preacher at church, TV preachers and programs, or other Christians to tell them the truth. The problem is that sometimes the people we think have a lot of knowledge might be misled about some things or just be speaking their own opinion about the matter.

The fact is, it takes some time and effort to study the Bible and be committed enough to have a quiet time with God each day. He desires fellowship with His Children just as a couple in love desire to be with each other as much as possible. They miss each other terribly when they must be apart for any length of time. God also misses having a close relationship with each of His Children when they are too busy to spend time with Him.

There is a huge difference between getting very good and having God’s Absolute Best for your life (for each person His Absolute Best will be something different.) God never wants to have to settle for only giving you “good” in any form, but Satan will be happy for you to settle for something that looks really awesome to make you think you have chosen the best thing.

Absolute Best is where the real power lies in your walk with God and you won’t be able to have that power if you settle for anything less. Believe me, Satan is well aware of this fact and will work overtime to keep you from seeing this truth.

• Satan will try to tempt you with something you are already good at and will be able to do in your own power.

• God calls you to do things that you are not capable of doing in your own power because He wants to work through you and get all the glory for what happens. If you can’t do it in your own power, you won’t be tempted to try to take any of the glory for what God has done through you.

God works in ways that we haven’t usually thought of and His ways are always fresh and invigorating. Make the choice right now that you will wait on God to bring about His Plan for your life, no matter how long it takes.

It will definitely be worth it!

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People get frustrated and burnt out when they do things that are not what God has told them to do.

But… when you are in the center of His Will, and even if you are not a creative person, the Holy Spirit will pour ideas into your mind that you would never think of otherwise.

The Holy Spirit has led me down some roads recently that I would have never thought of going down on my own. When I look back on what has happened, I can say that the experience has been awesome; however I feel as if I have stepped into the unknown (which I have) and in some ways I still do not see the end of the path. I can absolutely say one thing, though – I HAVE NOT BEEN BORED!

I must say that even though I might not know exactly where I am going, God always does and I can count on Him to lead me down the right path.

Being creative is not a natural gift I have ever had, and I have always been amazed at people who have great ideas that pop into their head at a moment’s notice. I generally struggle to come up with one idea that turns out to be mediocre at best.

I have truly been amazed the last few years at how the Holy Spirit has given me guidance to do things that I truly would never have given a single thought to doing on my own.

I encourage you to start asking God to show you the next step in what you are to do, and take it; no, you probably won’t be able to see the end result at first, but you can trust God to lead you step by step in the right direction.

Get to the point that you consider obedience to Him the top priority in your life. Don’t choose to stay in a “comfort zone” and miss the awesome things God wants to do in your life.

I am continually amazed that God would choose to use me for anything at all, and I wish I had a much greater faith to believe for things that would be totally impossible without intervention from Him.

I think of how many times I have tried to go in my own direction, and traveled far too long down the wrong road before God finally had to close a door to get my attention. The things I was doing were not bad, but were good things that were keeping me off track in getting God’s Best for my life.

There really is a huge difference in getting God’s Best and settling for just “good” – even “very good”. Satan will offer you “very good” to keep you from getting God’s Best.

Decide right now that you will not settle for anything less than being in the center of God’s Will for your life. It is an awesome place to be!

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The God who created the whole universe wants to have a relationship with YOU.

You are so important to Him that He knows every thought, hurt, pain, or whatever it is you are going through; then He wants to be there to help you get through it victoriously.

You might be a very important person in your job or where you live, but compared to all the people in the world and the vastness of the universe, you are but a tiny speck.

God already knows everything about you, but it is His desire to have a very personal relationship with you. You might have a best friend or significant other that you can’t seem to get through the day without texting, speaking to on the phone, or emailing them. You might even talk over your problems with them or get their advice on important decisions you must make.

God is also concerned about every problem or circumstance that will come your way, and He cares much more than any other person ever could. He also has all the answers when others don’t know how to help you.

Matthew 10: 30

But even the very hairs of your head are all numbered.

You are a unique and awesome person to God, and He desires to work in your life to mold you into the person He desires you to become.

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God is:

Omniscient -  having complete or unlimited knowledge, awareness, or understanding; perceiving all things

Omnipresent -  present everywhere at the same time

Omnipotent -  almighty or infinite in power; having very great or unlimited authority or power

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He truly has all the answers and knows the outcome of every problem or circumstance. Let Him guide you through the storms of life and help you grow into a stronger and more mature Christian with every trial you might face.

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If you faint in the day of adversity your strength is small.

The Message version

If you fall to pieces in a crisis, there wasn’t much to you in the first place.

This verse is very powerful to me, because I can think back on many instances where a person has gone through a huge crisis of some sort. Some have handled it with dignity while others have completely fallen apart and never fully recovered.

Adversity comes in many forms, and sometimes what we think might be a terrible thing might turn out to be something we can look back on and see how God wanted us to run to Him and let Him handle it in His chosen way.

God has dealt with me about walking in His Strength each day instead of trying to do everything in my own strength. I have found that trying to fit everything into one day that I feel God wants me to do is totally impossible without His supernatural help and guidance; but when I tell Him first thing each morning that I will never be able to get everything accomplished without His help, He somehow supernaturally gives me the strength I need to do it.

When you are walking in His will for your life, you will find that He tells you to do things that you will never be able to accomplish in your own strength. God purposely places things in your life in order to help you to grow stronger and tougher as a Christian.

He even told some of the great men and women of the Bible to do some things that were downright hard. If they hadn’t trusted in a mighty way they would have probably been devoured by Satan.

God wants you to find out about His Character. Once you know even a few truths about Him, you will realize that He always has your best interest at heart and wants the absolute best for your life. He can see exactly how everything will work out, and wants you to rely on His sight and strength to work through you to accomplish what He desires.

If He tells you to do something hard, it is because He sees great potential in you and wants to develop it and use you in a mighty way for His Kingdom.

God sometimes puts you in a tough situation to teach you to lean on Him with everything in you. The next time things look impossible, claim Philippians 4:13 – I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me.

You will be amazed at how much more you can accomplish with God’s supernatural help. Try it and be amazed!

Related posts:

1. Is God Really Your Strength?
2. Does adversity change you for better or worse?
3. Who Does Your Strength Come From?

-Samuel Johnson-

Habits can be good or bad, and we tend to develop them without thinking about it much of the time. Good habits are just as easily developed as bad ones, though it might not seem that way.

No matter what wrong habits you have established, God can help you have the power to overcome them. You don’t have to be consumed by a bad habit that you feel can never be changed.

Satan wants you to think that you will always have to live a defeated, powerless life, but you don’t have to listen to him. He is a liar and it is his desire to always keep you in bondage so that you can never be used by God.

I certainly cannot say that it will be easy to break a habit or stronghold that has been there for years, but it is always possible to accomplish it with God’s strength. If you ask for His help, you will be amazed at how much extra strength and power He will give you to fight the battle.

Don’t be held in bondage any longer by the chains of a bad habit!

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-Harvey S. Firestone-

I ran across this quote in a marketing newsletter, so I know the context of it was written with regard to having enough money on hand to be able to always have a surplus for unexpected things that might arise.

I would like for you to think about this SURPLUS from the perspective of being disciplined to spend time with God each day, not in the sense that you can store up something you can physically touch or see.

If you don’t put God first each day, when something bad or unexpected happens you will have to ask forgiveness and get in a right relationship with Him before you feel you can ask Him to work on the situation that has arisen. That might take a lot more time than you can afford if your need is urgent.

God wants you to have such a personal relationship with Him that you never think of trying to handle any situation yourself without His help.

If you make the decision to put Him first, He will give you the exact amount of power, faith, and strength you need for whatever arises.

In the world in which we live, it can be such a comfort to know that you don’t have to depend upon your own strength to handle a situation that might have spiraled totally out of control. God knows exactly what to do and always works at exactly the right time to meet your need.

Start working on your SURPLUS by being disciplined to spend time with God each day and put Him first in everything you do. Then it will be easy to pour your heart out to Him in time of need.

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I can do all things through Christ who strengtheneth me.

Below are the Greek meanings of the key words in the verse above:

can do – to have or exercise force, literally or figuratively

all things – all, any, every, the whole

through – primary preposition denoting a fixed position in place, time or state; implies instrumentality; a relation of rest

strengtheneth – to empower, enable, increase in strength, to make strong

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I have probably read this verse thousands of times during my life, but when I studied the Greek meaning of these words I realized that whatever God tells me to do He will give me the power, wisdom and knowledge, plus He will give me an abundance of strength to walk in victory to carry it out.

The hard part about all this is that even though God has promised this strength, I still have to claim it and walk in it supernaturally on a daily basis.

The word “supernatural” means that you still work hard and probably will have the same amount of work to accomplish, but somehow when God is in control you are able to get everything accomplished without being totally overwhelmed and experiencing burn-out from frustration and exhaustion.

God opened two doors for me at one point and I was absolutely sure that I needed to walk through them both and step out on faith. These two doors represented different jobs that I was to do each day. They were both jobs that were intense and time-consuming, but it felt awesome to go to sleep at night knowing that I was in the center of God’s Will because I had been obedient to what He told me to do.

I started well, and things were great as long as I had no other outside interruptions (something tearing up, someone needing help, anything that might happen unexpectedly) to take up my time. But life is definitely full of interruptions, and soon they seemed to be taking over and started to rob me of my productiveness.

The more this happened, the more I started to panic about not being able to get everything done. Then I started to try harder and harder, but got less and less accomplished. All this time I was crying out to God that I just could not do everything He had called me to do.

One day I was begging Him to help me just as I had done for the previous two months. I was telling Him that there was absolutely no way I could do both of these jobs. I felt like an utter and complete failure even though I was trying hard to be a success.

He brought Philippians 4:13 to mind and told me that I was trying to do everything in my own power instead of depending on and walking in His Strength each day. He said the only way I would be able to accomplish everything was to let Him strengthen me in a supernatural way.  I didn’t hear these words audibly, but I heard them in my mind and spirit in an overwhelming way.

This revelation made a huge difference in my life that I have never forgotten.

God is supernatural in every way. He would have to be to create the world and everything in it by saying the Word and watching it happen. He works on a completely different level than you or I and if we are to accomplish what He desires, we must do it His Way.

In order to do the work of a supernatural God, you must let Him use you in a supernatural way.

I should have never tried to accomplish God’s plans with my own power, and I definitely found out it isn’t possible. I hope I will be much smarter the next time.

Why don’t you give God complete control and see how much more you can accomplish when you do the work totally in His Power?

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1. Is God Really Your Strength?

William Wilberforce was a man who fought 46 years in order to end slavery in England in the 1700s. God laid it on his heart with such a passion that he had no other choice but to continue the fight until there was victory – at least if he wanted to continue to live a life of obedience to God.

There was much opposition to ending slavery, so he probably had plenty of chances for people to rob him of his joy and keep him in a state of defeat and turmoil. I’m sure he thought of giving up numerous times, but God had specifically chosen him for this important job and he kept plodding day after day until the victory was achieved.

There are far too many times in my life that I have let the words or actions of others deflate me as quickly as sticking a pin in a balloon, watching all the air come rushing out, and seeing it fall to the floor.
There are many things in life that you have absolutely no control over, but you can control how you let other people make you feel. They might try to inflict wounds by the words they use, but you don’t have to let those words pierce you to the point of making you give up what God has told you to do, or what you feel you need to do.

There is always someone who will stick a pin in your balloon to watch it deflate if you will let them.

God can see the whole picture, so He usually works in a way that most of us haven’t even thought about. We plan things out in a way that is very logical to us, and He usually does not follow our plans because His are so much better.

The problem arises many times that you are following God’s plan, but someone else either can’t see it or doesn’t want to see it – sometimes they are not even capable of seeing it because of their own spiritual maturity.

If you “know that you know that you know” (my words for being absolutely, positively sure) about something, then you need to follow what God tells you to do and not let others make you give up no matter how persuasive they might try to be. Remember, though, that they key words here are KNOW and GOD.

I don’t mean that you know what YOU want to do, but that you know what GOD wants you to do. It is only then that you will have his power, strength and anointing to carry out the task.

We would have so much more power to win the world for Christ if every Christian would simply ask God what he wanted them to do and proceed with the business of doing it no matter what anyone else thought or said about it.

I can’t promise that what God tells you to do will be easy, just like it wasn’t easy for William Wilberforce, but at the end of the day when you go to sleep you will know that your actions have made a difference for the Kingdom of God.

Will you dare to ask God to show you what it is that you need to be doing in order to make a difference for His Kingdom?

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