5 Stones of Grace

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. 1 Samuel 17:40 (NIV)

It’s the classic Bible story of David and Goliath. There is a battle planned between the Philistines and the Israelites. The Philistines giant warrior measures six cubits and a span (roughly 9ft 3 inches) Goliath wears extreme armor and carries powerful weapons.

The Israelites put a call out for a brave soul to fight the giant. This is where David comes into the picture. He overhears the threats of Goliath, the giant, and replies:

“Who is this uncircumcised Philistine that he should defy the armies of the living God?” 1 Samuel 17:26b (NIV)

As we unpack this story in more detail, I point out our five stones of grace and ways we can use these same truths to slay our own giants.

Humility

Whoever can be trusted with very little can also be trusted with much, and whoever is dishonest with very little will also be dishonest with much. Luke 16:10 (NIV)

The first stone we remove from our bag is this truth found in Luke. I have found that if you want God to use you, you have to be willing to do the little things first. David got to the battlefield by following his father’s orders to deliver lunch to his brothers.

Now Jesse said to his son David, “Take this ephah of roasted grain and these ten loaves of bread for your brothers and hurry to their camp.” 1 Samuel 17:17(NIV)

We have to be willing to do the little things, because we can never be too small for God to use, only too big. (Greg Laurie)

Responsibility

The second stone we pull out of our bag is about responsibility. I have a job, and I am a writer. I do not have a job writing. I spend almost as much time in my ministry and volunteer activities as I do at my job. I have to be responsible to make both of these worlds work together, neglecting nothing.

Early in the morning, David left the flock in the care of a shepherd, loaded up and set out as Jesse had directed. 1 Samuel 17:20a (NIV)

David first covered his day job before he marched into battle for the Lord. He got a substitute shepherd to tend his sheep so he could go.

The degree of responsibility you take for your life determines how much change you can create in it. (Author unknown)

Trust

When David tells Saul he wants to be the one to fight the giant; Saul replies that David is too young and small. David responds to Sauls doubts by listing his resume of qualifications. He tells of the many times he defended his sheep from the lions and bears (oh my). But most importantly, he speaks of the Lord, his rescuer!

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. 1 Samuel 17:37 (NIV)

Stone number three is trust. David had no doubt God would come to his rescue as he faced the giant. David put’s his trust in the Lord, not in his own abilities.

Confidence

Saul then dressed David in his tunic and armor and gave the boy his sword. It only took David a short time to realize he could never face a giant wearing someone else’s helmet or carrying another person’s weapon.

We are that way too. God has equipped each of us with unique gifts and abilities that fit us well and prepare us for our battles.

Sometimes it is tempting to try to use somebody else’s equipment, but it does not take long to realize we are not able to use tools that are not ours.

Our fourth stone is confidence. Be confident in the abilities God has equipped you with. The gifts God gave you will be just what you need to slay your giants.

Victory

David was victorious because he was humble. He took his responsibilities seriously, he trusted God and confidently used his God-given talents. David’s epic fight against Goliath was the first of many victories in his life.

We will also enjoy many victories in our lives, when we remember to grab our five stones of grace as we run into the battle.

It only took one stone for David to have victory over the Philistine. God had indeed fought with David to slay a 9 foot tall giant who had brought fear to the entire nation!

In the Kingdom of God, the number five represents God’s grace.

But he said to me, My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness. Therefore I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, so that Christ’s power may rest on me. 2 Corinthians 12:9 (NIV)

Our 5 Stones of Grace are:

1. Humility – Being faithful in the small will allow God to increase our influence.
2. Responsibility – We cannot neglect our daily tasks just because we have some big battles ahead of us. God’s grace will help us cover our obligations.
3. Trust – We can trust God will rescue us from the bears, lions, and giants we face.
4. Confidence – Be confident that God has equipped you with everything you need to slay your Goliath. The gifts God gave you will be just what you need to slay your giants.
5. Victory – David’s victory over Goliath was the beginning of a journey to many more achievements. Likewise, whatever giants you face can become your most significant victory as you use your five stones of grace to do battle.

Are you ready to slay your giants? Which of the five stones encourages you the most in your current battles?

Heavenly Father your grace is more than sufficient for us to slay our giants. We humbly seek to be obedient in the small things. Thank you for the opportunities you have given us to serve others. Help us to know how you have uniquely equipped us. We believe you will always be with us in our battles and look forward to the many victories we will celebrate in our lives. In Jesus’ name. Amen

Come back next week as we start a 4 part series on the book of Jonah!