5 Stones

David vs Goliath.

Everyone knows this story. Even if you’ve never experienced it being played out using felt cutouts on Sunday morning, you have probably heard a derivation of it. You can probably pick out that David vs Goliath is a story of small versus big – pathetic versus overwhelming. I myself have heard this story many times because I was a sick kid when I was younger. David versus Goliath left me with the impression that asthma couldn’t prevent me from doing great things.

And then I read it a few days ago. I read it while I was right in the middle of raging waters of change and trouble. I read it when I really needed to feel like David felt when he saw Goliath fall. I could have used the victorious feeling of triumph through adversity. Instead, I came away with a strange observation. I’m still in the middle of the flood, and I can’t tear my mind away from that question.

Why did he grab 5 stones when he only needed 1?

The story is in 1st Samuel 17 if you want to read it for yourself. Go ahead, I’ll wait…Wasn’t that awesome! If you read it, were you inspired by bravery and courage? Verses 35 thru 37 tell of how David faced the predators when they came to take his sheep. “35 I’d go after it, knock it down, and rescue the lamb. If it turned on me, I’d grab it by the throat, wring its neck, and kill it. 35 Lion or bear, it made no difference – I killed it. And I’ll do the same to this Philistine pig who is taunting the troops of God-Alive. 37 God, who delivered me from the teeth of the lion and the claws of the bear, will deliver me from this Philistine.”

That’s phenomenal! It’s even more powerful when you understand that David wasn’t a mighty warrior. He was a KID! During your childhood, would you have had the fortitude to grab a bear by the neck and kill it if it took your stuff? I was fat and asthmatic with a fro and thick glasses. I would have been more likely to soil myself and play dead.

This is probably what caused the 5 stones to stick out in my view. This David that had seen the awesome power of Almighty God deliver death to a lion or bear through his little kid hands was the same David that was irate when he heard Goliath taunt God’s army. Courage and boldness were part of his character. He didn’t take the time to deliver some deeply spiritual prayer in preparation for what he was going to face. He just faced it – head on. He wasn’t going to allow some “Philistine pig” to taunt the reputation of God and His army.

He went to King Saul, and met opposition. He was informed of what the situation was actually made of. I guess that all of those wise men couldn’t think that David saw the  10 foot tall giant looming across the battlefield. They were probably trying to scare the kid back home to his daddy and out of harms way. They didn’t see the spared sheep or the broken necks of the bear and the lion.

He shook off the armor that was offered, and grabbed his sling and staff. Here’s where my question comes in. He then went down to the stream and gathered 5 stones. Why did he grab 5? Was he still not sure of God’s provision? Did he think that 5 would work better than 1? If so, then why stop at 5? I would have hauled back as many as I could carry…on second thought, I would have grabbed my inhaler and took a few puffs while on the sideline! Seriously, though. Why 5 stones?

I think it was because 5 stones made him comfortable. Just like his staff and his shepherd cloak made him comfortable, he was going on what God had equipped him with. He didn’t ask God’s permission before he decided to inform the giant that he was going to be vulture food that day. He didn’t spend days and weeks toiling over the situation.

Don’t tune me out – I definitely believe in praying about situations that seem larger than you. It’s just that my eyes have been opened over the last few weeks to see that action needs to be delivered when action is required. This action needs to be the result of your knowledge of God’s abilities, and this knowledge can only come as a result of a daily relationship with God. When David picked up the rocks, he was doing so with hands of faith. When you have that kind of faith, act when the situation calls for action. Pick up the rocks that you can pick up. Don’t expect to win a battle with weapons that you don’t know how to use. Know that God is aware of your limitations, and He will expand those limitations to meet the requirements ahead of you. He knows how many rocks you can carry, and He can work with that. My impression of God’s call is this: When God calls, bring yourself. He can handle the verification of your qualifications.

He saw the problem, and he knew that it needed immediate attention. He took the field with the knowledge of what God had done through him in the past. He used God’s flawless record as his action plan. He offered what he had to offer, because he knew that God would fill the rest of the requirement.

So, are you standing at the stream right now? If so, how many rocks are you gonna pick up?

If you are like me, maybe now is the time to drop the inhaler and pick up the sling…

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