In front of me stands something incredibly large. Invincible, in fact. It appears to be a tank, shroud entirely in heavy armor–a tank with eyes. He stands more than nine feet tall. His armor weighs 125 pounds, more than my entire body weight, which doesn’t even account for the fifteen pounds just for the tip of his spear. Champion. That is his title and no doubt he has properly earned it. Me? Well, I’m a shepherd. That qualifies me, doesn’t it? What, you find that ridiculous? You think me silly to stand in front of this enormous beast? Oh, you want to know where my weapons are. Well, I’m not used to walking around in armor, so I took it off and I decided to carry my good ol’ sling and a few stones instead of those cumbersome swords.

“Am I a dog, that you come at me with sticks? Come here,” he jeers, “and I’ll give your flesh to the birds of the air and the beasts of the field!” (I Samuel 17:44) Silly man. He thinks his size will save him. He puts his trust in the metal that covers his body. In God I trust; I will not be afraid. What can mortal man do to me? (Psalm 56:4)

I hear the shouts coming at me from every direction, both from those in my camp and those in my enemies’. They find me incredulous to face this giant, but I’ll tell you what is incredulous. This man. Who is this uncircumcised Philistine that he should defy the armies of the living God? (I Samuel 17:26b) My God is much bigger than any “champion.”

“Hey monster-man, you come against me with sword and spear and javelin, but I come against you in the name of the LORD Almighty, the God of the armies of Israel, whom you have defied.” He laughs and snorts, thinking my God to be as powerless as his. “This day the LORD will hand you over to me, and I’ll strike you down and cut off your head. Today I will give the carcasses of the Philistine army to the birds of the air and the beasts of the earth, and the whole world will know that there is a God in Israel. All those gathered here will know that it is not by sword or spear that the LORD saves; for the battle is the LORD’s, and he will give all of you into our hands” (I Samuel 17:45-47).

A hush falls over the land as I place one of my smooth rocks in my sling and aim at the only non-protected part of his body: his forehead. The earth shakes as his body falls to the ground. I triumph over the Philistine with a sling and a stone; without a sword in (my) hand (I) struck down the Philistine and killed him (I Samuel 17:50).

Friend, what are the giants in your life and what are you focused on? Do you see God’s supernatural ability, or do you see their fancy weaponry and compare it to the few “meaningless” stones in your pouch? Does the size of whatever you’re up against haunt you? Does that which you are called to seem too enormous? Are you overwhelmed? Feel unequipped? Ill prepared? Abandoned? I can’t promise every rock will bring your Goliaths down, but I guarantee there is one rock that will never fail you.

“There is no one holy like the LORD; there is no one besides you; there is no Rock like our God. I Samuel 2:2

Sure, I’m a biochemist by trade, but I falter greatly in the area of biology. To me, the only classifications of plants consist of those I like, those I don’t care for and, the unfortunate, yet ever-growing category of those I have killed. Yet, despite my extreme ignorance, there is one thing I know about biology that continues to fascinate me: trees have an amazing root system. Tree roots can extend up to 1½ times the height of the tree, providing a network that serves to transport vital, life-giving nutrients and provide strength in the face of horrible storms. Trees even strengthen neighboring trees, locking their roots together in a manner that enables them to withstand severe winds and rain.

The prophet Jeremiah tells us that the “man who trusts in the LORD, whose confidence is in him . . .will be like a tree planted by the water that sends out its roots by the stream. It does not fear when heat comes; its leaves are always green. It has no worries in a year of drought and never fails to bear fruit.” (Jeremiah 17:7b-18)

Are you like me and find yourself envying this man/tree? My worries are ample, and I can readily produce a list of fears. Yet, I can’t believe Jeremiah drew this analogy merely to make us jealous, for the prophets’ words contain a promise to you and me. As with many Biblical promises, it comes with a condition. What is this condition? Confidence in the Lord. Trust in the Savior. Total surrender to our Abba Daddy. It’s that simple, and yet that difficult. And the promise we’ll receive if we choose to accept this condition? Roots that extend to the stream. Unlimited water. Flowing nutrition. Safety. Protection. Security.

Is it worth trusting in the LORD and placing your confidence in Him? That is a question that only you can answer. I can merely tell you how my heart responds as it loudly proclaims, “Yes!”

Are you thirsty –parched from trying to balance your worries and fears? Jesus offered the solution to this when he spoke to the woman at the well. He said, “Everyone who drinks this water will be thirsty again, but whoever drinks the water I give him will never thirst. Indeed, the water I give him will become in him a spring of water welling up to eternal life.” (John 4:13-14) Let’s trust our Maker more intimately and stretch our roots to this living water!