“None of the Anakim (giants) were left in the land of the children of Israel. They remained only in Gaza, in Gath, and in Ashdod.” Joshua 11:22
Joshua’s orders were directly from God, delivered by Moses. He was told to utterly destroy all the land’s inhabitants and take the spoils (Joshua Chapter Eleven). Yet, here we see that he let some giants remain.
Wait a minute? I thought Moses told him to destroy them utterly.
When standing at crossroads, one direction takes me towards a narrow, dull-looking path, the road less traveled, if you will. Still, it looks profoundly peaceful and tranquil. In contrast, the other direction looks broad and deliciously glamorous. If I ignore the congestion, conflict, and confusion, I can see the enticing lure of the twists and turns. Which way will I choose?
I can hear the words of my father ringing in my ears from the time spent with him. “Slay your giants. If you don’t, what you let survive today will destroy you tomorrow.” (you can listen here search- Stay the Course, A giant problem)
Giants are like demons. They will never make a deal. God told Joshua to kill them all. Let none remain. Why? Because the devil hates humans. God knew what we don’t kill; we leave for our children to fight. The age doesn’t matter- a newborn cry becomes an immediate target for the devil. An older man with the wisdom to spare becomes a mark of the enemy’s aim. A young, tired mother trying to wrangle her children through the checkout line draws a smile on the devil’s face as he sees his next victim.
The thief’s goal is to kill, steal, and destroy (John 10:10). To rob us of everything we hold dear. Giants will invade every area of your life; a giant problem costs Samson his eyesight and, in the end, his life. That’s always the end game for the devil. Be careful what you label “ok.” Delilah was from Gaza, one of the areas Joshua let the giants live.
“The trouble with GIANTS is they just won’t stay home.“
Jim Stockdale
The devil never carries a pitchfork- he adorns himself in beauty and serenity. He likes to portray himself in a sparkling piece of jewelry I cannot afford. Who cares that the family budget can’t carry the weight of the payments; it’s one of a kind, a must-have! Giants look like shiny slot machines promising financial freedom with one more pull or a cold beverage that says, “stay thirsty.” Of course, he doesn’t bother to tell you that what one generation does in moderation, the next will do in excess. No. No. He keeps invading until he consumes every area of our lives so that the once enticing lure of satisfaction has become an entangled web of debt, divorce, depression, and deception.
“Dad wasn’t all bad. She had some good memories of him, but they were few and far between. What she remembered well was the weight of carrying a full-grown man on her six-year-old shoulders as she dragged him home from the saloon while he stumbled and sang off-key. Not what a small child should have been doing.” Excerpt from Endless Mercy by Tracie Peterson.
Corrie Ten Boom’s father looked at her and said, “It would be a pretty poor father who would ask his little girl to carry a heavy load. It’s the same way with knowledge. Some knowledge is too heavy for children. When you are older and stronger, you can bear it. For now, you must trust me to carry it for you.”
It was Joshua’s job to conquer the giants, but years later, it was David who cut off Goliath’s head. Goliath was from Gath, another area where Joshua let the giants live. David would never have dealt with Goliath if Joshua had handled the giants as he was told.
Daddy’s demons are coming for our children. They show themselves in all forms: spending habits, addictions, procrastination, food, obscene entertainment, foul language, tempers, busyness, etc. It is up to us to cut off their heads, not push them back, but to utterly destroy them. Innocence is worth protecting in our children.
Don’t saddle your children with demons you didn’t have time to kill. Slay your dragons so your children won’t have to.
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