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"PREPARING FOR GREAT ENCOUNTERS." "David said moreover, The LORD that delivered me out of the paw of the lion, and out of the paw of the bear, he will deliver me out of the hand of this Philistine. And Saul said unto David, Go, and the LORD be with thee." (1 Samuel 17:37)This was young David, a champion for the Lord, who had won many victories before he faced Goliath. Make no mistake about it. Goliath was indeed a mighty warrior who was an imposing figure standing nearly 10 feet tall. But he made his final and fatal choice when he defied the God of Heaven and His people.Every morning, that big ole oaf, Goliath, would roll out of bed and begin his taunts aimed at the Lord's folks. Even king Saul, who was a fella that stood head and shoulders above his peers, wanted nothing to do with this giant. He probably felt he would be like a frightened little mouse trying to go toe to toe with King Kong.But when David got wind of all that had taken place over the last 40 days, we hear him say those words found in verse 29, ""...Is there not a cause?" I'm sure those 5 one syllable words of understanding have been preached around the world ever since they were first uttered by the man after God's own heart.You know folks, everything depends on how we approach the many conflicts we face in life. If we have been careless in those smaller combats, we will surely fail in the larger ones. But, if we come, wearing the spiritual trophies of victories we've won yesterday, the shout of victory is already ringing in the air for us today! Let's look at David’s conquering trophies before he removed Goliath’s head.First, he had to conquer his temper. His older brother, Eliab, made an irritating remark in the 28th verse saying, "...Why camest thou down hither? and with whom hast thou left those few sheep in the wilderness? I know thy pride, and the naughtiness of thine heart; for thou art come down that thou mightest see the battle." David could have fired back at his elder brother, but the conquest of his temper helped him greatly when he won the victory over Goliath! There is nothing like a calm and controlled temper to steady our heart when dealing with conflicts. For David, a controlled temper certainly steadied his hand when one smooth stone found its mark!Then we find that David had to conquer his fear. “Let no man’s heart fail because of him.” There was no panic, there was no feverish and wasteful excitement. There was no shouting “to keep the spirits up!” He was simply trusting God. The fear of man always brings a snare. Is it not better to trust in the Lord? A resounding AMEN is the answer. Fear not, for I will be with you is Heaven's Anthem for God's people!Last, but certainly not least, David had conquered his unbelief. He had a rich history God's promises and protection for him, so much so, that we hear his testimony of that fact in many of the Psalms he penned. His confident faith was now unclouded and serene. He had known the Lord’s power when he faced the bear and the lion. Now. that same Almighty Power will defeat and destroy Goliath.Friends, is there some area in your life that needs to be conquered? Maybe you've tried in your own strength to attain the victory only to know defeat and disgust. Let me say very kindly to you that you're trying to put water in a leaky bucket with a hole in the bottom of it. It's time to grab the bull by the horns and realize that it'd only through Jesus Christ that we are MORE than conquerors!