I Samuel 17:34-37
34 But David said to Saul, “Your servant has been keeping his father’s sheep. When a lion or a bear came and carried off a sheep from the flock, 35 I went after it, struck it and rescued the sheep from its mouth. When it turned on me, I seized it by its hair, struck it and killed it. 36 Your servant has killed both the lion and the bear; this uncircumcised Philistine will be like one of them, because he has defied the armies of the living God. 37 The Lord who rescued me from the paw of the lion and the paw of the bear will rescue me from the hand of this Philistine.”
John Wesley just reminded me that in our early days of marriage restoration, God had revealed to me our marriage trouble wasn’t the giant…
The giant was coming…
I still remember the surprise of that revelation then…6 years ago now. “God, what do You mean this isn’t a giant? Something bigger is coming?” As panic tried to creep in, the Holy Spirit came in like a flood to comfort me and let me know quickly that David was able to face that giant, because he had already fought the bear and the lion. So, I was able to forget about it, and not worry.
Then two years later, the Holy Spirit woke me up with the words, “smooth stone.”
It was when Ian had his eye surgery, and I was wondering why God didn’t just heal him. Why did we have to go through this? Why did his eyes cross to begin with? Why did we have to go through surgery? Why? Why? Why? The Holy Spirit’s words led me to study David’s five smooth stones. After studying them, He again reminded me a giant was coming!
There’s been many speculations of why David picked up 5 stones to face Goliath when it only took one to defeat him. I don’t believe David knew that it would only take a single stone. David just knew what he needed to go into battle. I believe our smooth stones are what we know we need for battle. Just like David, we must take up ammunition against the enemy…
I believe our smooth stones include prayer, fasting, saturating ourselves in God’s word, and the faith that comes from experience with what we’ve already seen God do in our lives.
Those are at least my smooth stones.
So here we are. Facing a giant. He’s really big and scary, but he defies what we know about God. God says that we will be the head and not the tail. God says that no weapon formed against us shall prosper. God says no one can pluck us out of His hand. And God says a bunch more stuff that Satan doesn’t want us to believe. So, that’s what we stand on (faith in Who God is), just like David.
We may be numb to the emotions of the story, since we’ve heard it so many times, but just because David talked big doesn’t mean he wasn’t apprehensive or have a tiny bit of trepidation. It was no small thing to swim against the current and stand up against the experienced warrior when absolutely no one else would!
His king doubted him. His brothers mocked him. And the giant laughed at him.
I imagine it was hard for him that day, as it is hard for me now. Not for lack of support, but simply facing a foe of this magnitude.
Yet, I cling to every shred of truth God has shown me: GOD IS GREATER!!
God bless,
Jenn
I Samuel 17:45-47
45 David said to the Philistine, “You come against me with sword and spear and javelin, but I come against you in the name of the Lord Almighty, the God of the armies of Israel, whom you have defied. 46 This day the Lord will deliver you into my hands, and I’ll strike you down and cut off your head. This very day I will give the carcasses of the Philistine army to the birds and the wild animals, and the whole world will know that there is a God in Israel. 47 All those gathered here will know that it is not by sword or spear that the Lord saves; for the battle is the Lord’s, and he will give all of you into our hands.”
Marriage is a Covenant 