Dancing Around Goliath

We have always planned on doing something different someday, but someday has never come.
Until now.
David's someday began in the most mundane fashion. Thought to be too young to join the
army, he was going about his morning chores when his father Jesse asked him to take lunch to
his brothers. No big deal. Not too exciting of a task. Except for the fact that David's brothers,
along with the rest of the soldiers of Israel, were preparing to fight the dreaded Philistines. So
far, however, things were looking more like a baseball brawl - more shouting than actual fighting
taking place. A Philistine warrior named Goliath was challenging Israel to send their best man to
a mano-a-mano duel to the death- winner take all.

What is your Goliath? What is it that stands between you and breakthrough? What are you
ignoring? What are you denying? What are you hoping will just go away? What is it that rears its
ugly head defying any attempt you make to press into a deeper walk with God and experience
the abundant life Jesus Himself has promised you? Are you dancing around your Goliath?

Your someday is here. Your time is now. Answer His call.

Seize the opportunity. If you will dedicate yourself completely to God for the next days, pursuing
Him with all your energy, you will experience a very personal extreme makeover. No more
dancing around your giants, no more pretending and ignoring, no more wishin' and hopin', but,
finally, genuine transformation and victory.

The Jonah Experience

Jonah experienced life-changing transformation after being inescapably confined. He had been
sent by the Lord to prophesy to the people of Nineveh. Problem was, Jonah did not particularly
like the people of Nineveh they were the avowed enemies of his own people.
The end result of this fish story is that Jonah found himself in a place of confinement. Even if
God had made his accommodations as comfortable as a hotel room, Jonah
discovered it was just like Hotel California -he could check out any time he liked, but he could
never leave. There was no way he could get out on his own. The removal of options to leave
forced Jonah to deal with his Goliath.
Regenerate is your opportunity to face your
Goliath. Personal habits, hurts and hang-ups which you may have long ago given up on and
reluctantly accepted as unalterable are now back on the table as points of breakthrough. For a
mere fort if you are willing to face your greatest fears and give it a go one more time you will
experience total spiritual transformation. Jonah did.

Time spent in confinement had allowed Jonah to concentrate on the truly important
issues of his life.

When all hope seemed lost, God set Jonah free.

First, Jonah had to let go. He could no longer cling to his idol- the fantasy of a carefree
Spanish vacation far away from the challenging will of God. He was trying to escape life's
responsibilities. He was not so kuch pursuing his dream as he was trying to check out of his
obligations.

What are you running from? What is your idol of choice? What drug helps you to kill the hurt
from the past and numb the pain of today? Has it already turned into a nightmare? Sometimes
we can even take healthy things
and through our obsessions turn them into idols -career, hobbies, and relationships, to name a
few. We fantasize that the perfect job, or perfect spouse, or perfect locale will lead to stress-free
happiness. Unlike a God-given dream, following a fantasy only results in "forfeiting the grace
that could have been mine."

Second, Jonah adopted a grateful heart. There was so much to complain about inside that
stinky fish. He could have passed his last few hours consumed by what would have been, could
have been and should have been. He could have blamed God or others for his predicament.
Instead, Jonah wisely decided to embrace the proverbial attitude of gratitude. Before
anything changed for the better, he made the choice to rejoice.

Third, Jonah chose to have a sacrificial spirit. Whether time, talent or treasure, sacrificial
giving is beyond even most liberal of giving. Most of us give what we can afford to give, even
when the price is steep. Sacrificial giving is giving that costs us. It matters. It means
something. Itnot merely a generous tip. Why would someone ever up something so valuable to
them? Because they perceive
they are giving it to someone of greater value. David said it like this, "I will not take for the LORD
what is yours, or sacrifice a burnt offering that costs me nothing"
(1 Chronicles 21:24, NIV).

Like David and Jonah, I believe your someday is here. You have a date with
destiny. Doubt and fear are going to be driven out by faith and trust. Convenient
faith and conditional commitment will be replaced by steadfast belief and total dedication. For
forty days we are going to a new level of sacrifice and obedience, a new level of dying to our
own desires and allowing Him to live through us. Jesus said, "I have come that they may have
life, and that they may have it more abundantly" (John 10:10, NKJV). The time has come to
have that life right now.

Discussion Questions
1. Are you currently or have you ever danced around a "Goliath?" What do you believe held you
back or is currently holding you back from confronting this giant?

2. "It's been said that everybody wants change, but few want to make that change happen." Do
you agree with this statement? Why or why not? How have you personally experienced this in
your life?

3. Who would you like to be in Christ? What would you do for the Lord if you knew you would
not fail? What would you like to do on behalf of the Kingdom if you knew nothing could stop
you?