As I sit down to write this month's column, I believe this just may be the shortest review ever. It could go something like this: You should read this book; it is really good. Short and sweet. Or it could be the longest one ever as I could go on and on about what I liked, why I liked it, and how there's so much useful and applicable information in it. So, please settle in and let's see how this goes.
It has been many, many years since I have read a Max Lucado book, and after reading Facing Your Giants, I wonder why that is. The book is subtitled:“A David and Goliath Story for Everyday People,” and the author takes us on a journey through David's ups and downs while showing us how we can face our giants.
David's giant was a nine-and-a-half foot Philistine. Our giant comes in countless forms: bills, revenge, remorse, fear, depression, parents, children, work, school . . . The one thing we need to know is that we can overcome our giants the same way David did his, by focusing on our God. As Lucado points out, if we focus on our giants, we will stumble, but if we focus on our God, our giants will stumble. And really, if you can remember that, why read the book, because that is pretty much all you need to know, isn't it? But I would recommend reading the book because as Lucado goes through David's life, we see sometimes how David does it right and sometimes how David does it wrong (and how we might avoid similar pitfalls when facing our own giants).
There are times when Lucado feels he needs to share what he imagines would be the thoughts and actions of David and others in the Bible. If I have one complaint about the book, it would be this. I found this bothersome, partly because I don't see that the Bible needs to be modified in order to be relevant. But some may enjoy these vignettes and maybe even find them helpful in relating the Biblical account to their own lives. They were a distraction to me. This is just one technique the author uses as he digs deep into David's life, into his struggles and successes, as he helps us to see how to apply what he finds.
The book is well written, the ideas clearly presented and incredibly thorough, covering many topics. I found it to be an easy read that drew me in and kept me interested throughout. There are familiar David stories as well as new (to me) David stories. Lucado follows a simple, effective formula in each chapter as he covers many episodes from David's life. There are the highs (Goliath, Brook Besor) and lows (grieving, family), victories and defeats. Like Lucado says “In David's good moments, no one was better. In his bad moments, could one be worse? The heart God loved was a checkered one.”
And then in the end, Lucado leaves us with five stones (like David had picked up) we need to overcome our giants. Pick up the book and check it out, even if you're not facing any giants at the time, it is always good to remember who our God is and what He has done, just in case!
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