Encouragement

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GOD Vs GOLIATH 5 - 1 Samuel 17:40

“Then he took his staff in his hand, chose five smooth stones from the stream, put them in the pouch of his shepherd’s bag, and with his sling in his hand, approached the Philistine.”

In "God Vs Goliath 4" we looked at how Saul put his armor on David as he prepared to step out and fight Goliath. However, David knew the calling and anointing that were his. He knew that he could not walk in the covering or ministry which belonged to the king. He chose instead to work with the weapons which were his – some stones and a sling!

David picked up five stones and this is significant, because the number ‘five’ is symbolic of grace and redemption. Because of God’s grace, he raised up David to redeem his people Israel from the threat of the enemy, and the damnation they represented. Many hundreds of years down the road, God’s grace gifted His only Son as a sacrifice, that the people of the world may know redemption and not the fires of hell.

David could not use just any stones. He looked carefully in the waters of the stream for the right stones. He deliberately chose smooth stones; ones that had been shifted over and over by the waters of the stream; stones which had lain in the stream for many years, allowing the waters to flow over them; they were stones which had been knocked time and again against each other, each knock and scrape painful, but another step towards perfection. These were stones that had known dryness when times of drought ate up the streams, and they sat parched in the desert sun, longing for the rain. And when the rains came, they were filled to overflowing and renewed, but pushed on to another place in the stream, where they would have to start again. A new place where they would have to learn once more to settle, placed against new unfamiliar stones to knock against them as they continued to be formed into those perfect stones the shepherd boy would use. Those stones probably thought their lives were just moving on from day to day, from sunrise to sundown, but there was a purpose for these stones. They were in preparation!

Friend, the Master is speaking to you today; receive His Word upon your heart.

1) You may be weary with your life and routine, and thinking that day follows day in a meaningless cycle. The Lord would have you know that you are in preparation. Every little thing that happens to you is a part of the training you have to complete for the assignment that is yours. Even the times of dryness, when you feel you are unable to experience the sweet rain of the Spirit are times when your hunger and capacity for the things of God are increased, as you long for more of the goodness of Jesus. This is so powerful, because those who hunger and thirst are always amply filled! (Matthew 5:6).

2) These stones were knocked about and bruised against each other, but it better equipped them for the future task. Proverbs 27:17 says “As iron sharpens iron, so one man sharpens another.” Yes, there are many situations in which you may have experienced pain through the words or actions of another – but the stones had to bang painfully against each other in order to move towards perfection. The disappointments and heartaches of life are opportunities to learn forgiveness, patience, endurance, faithfulness, giving, and the meaning of unconditional love. These hurts develop a resilience and a capacity to face the storms of life, and overcome. These are the training grounds for warriors and winners! Usable stones cannot be ones that fall apart the minute a rough stone knocks into them!

3) Those five stones did not become smooth overnight. As they lived in daily submission to the waters of the river, went where they were moved, and allowed the stream to flow, they grew daily more like the stones that David needed. We normally set out to get somewhere as quickly as possible, and see life through the ‘drive through’ mentality of the world; but God’s timing is very different. Each time we submit to His Spirit and allow Him to flow through us and soak into us, we are changed a little bit more into the likeness of Jesus. As the streaming waters of the Word feed us and grow us, there is spiritual fruit formed, and God’s purposes and plans brought to fulfillment within our hearts. All the days and nights David spent watching sheep and worshipping with his harp, he was soaking in the Presence, and God was shaping him into a mighty stone in the sling of the King. It takes time to ‘marinate’ in the Presence; to absorb the sweet fragrance and flavor of the Holy Spirit and become like Jesus! God is not in a hurry – He has all eternity!

4) Times of darkness may come just before times of great victory and overcoming. David picked the five stones he desired, but that was only the beginning. They had to sit in the darkness of the pouch, and rattle against each other, as he sized up the enemy and began to move towards him. Friend, it is always darkest just before the dawn. Know that although you cannot see the way ahead, God does, and He is setting you up for a wonderful victory, and a mighty testimony which will bring great glory to His name!

5) While focusing on the stones, we cannot forget the sling. We know from the Old Testament that the sling was a deadly military weapon made from animal hair. According to Judges 20:16 and 1 Chronicles 12:2, there were 700 Benjamites who were so skilled in the use of the sling that they could use their left hand and sling stones at a hair’s breadth and not miss. It is possible that David had his sling hidden in the palm of his hand, and that Goliath did not see it until he shot a stone like lightning from it. It was a simple weapon, but one which could bring about great destruction. Do not despise the familiar things which God has put at your disposal, whatever they may be. Give what you have to Jesus, knowing that He can make something powerful out of anything! Even your smile or a hug can be an infectious dispenser of joy that can break heaviness and bring freedom! 1 Corinthians 1: 27-29 say “But God chose the foolish things of the world to shame the wise; God chose the weak things of the world to shame the strong. He chose the lowly things of this world and the despised things – and the things that are not – to nullify the things that are, so that no one may boast before Him.” And verse 31: “Therefore, as it is written: Let him who boasts, boast in the Lord”.

6) You may look at yourself and wonder what you could do for the King and the kingdom. Those innocuous stones were lifeless and useless until they were picked up by David. In his hands, they became lethal weapons. The very first stone that David shot from his sling “struck the Philistine on the forehead” (1 Samuel 17:49). Goliath was brought down with one single smooth stone chosen out of the many in the stream! God has chosen you for His purpose and His calling. He has filled you with His Spirit. He has picked you up to be a lethal weapon in His hands, and a vessel for His honor! He has great plans for you. Hallelujah!

May you be a smooth stone for Jesus, and a powerful weapon in His hands. May the works of the enemy be broken in and through your life, and may you bring great glory and honor to the name of the King! You are a mighty warrior for Him!

Minoli Haththotuwa, 08 November 2010
www.wingslikeeagles.info

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