Five Smooth Stones

Read 1 Samuel 17


The story of David and Goliath has long entertained us as children, but I've always thought that if we don't reconsider biblical stories as adults they will always remain children's stories to us. This is not a story about a brash young lad acting well above his age. This story has deep threads that run throughout the bible and are vital to an understanding of David's vision for where God was calling the people of Israel.

Prior to this moment David had been anointed to be king of Israel. He was young and there was a slight problem with this. Saul was still king. David didn't allow that to bet in his way. Anointed in Hebrew is "messiah." In Greek it is "Christ." In English it is "savior." David was anointed to save his people. But from what? Or from whom? This is where the partnership between God and His people.

David had spent many hours sitting around a bunch of sheep and asking what it means to be the savior. He spent many lonely moments wondering if Samuel hadn't made a mistake in judgment by anointing him instead of one of his 7 older brothers, or anyone else for that matter. In the midst of those moments of meditation their was a lion. David took out the lion. And there was a bear. David took out the bear. David was not a particularly large man. It was a terrifying time, each time. There were about 4 choices at each attack. Run for help. Let the lion and bear eat their fill. Attack and lose. Attack and win. The last two weren't really choices, they were simply potential results of the same action. It would be a miracle if a young teen could take out a lion or a bear with only the help of a sling and a stone. Of course the miracle occurred, at least twice that we know of. And David began to believe that God was on his side. More than that, that he had a date with destiny; a destiny designed by God.

David began to understand that the promise of a holy land united under one kingdom, and one kingdom inspired by a God sized vision, was in his hands. It's this attitude that he takes to the battle ground. When David arrives with supplies for his brothers he hears that there is a barrier between God's people and God's promise. Everyone else saw a 9'6" 438 lbs. behemoth of a man who was bad mouthing God and God's people. What David saw was a barrier to attaining the larger vision. All the people saw was a wall of a man. David saw through Goliath to the vision God had given through the quiet times of meditation and the fearsome times of battle with the predators of sheep. Overcoming predators was training for a larger battle. This was another battle to be faced on the journey to living out God's promises. Where the others saw a wall David saw a bump in the road.

David had confidence that God would cause him to prevail. He also knew that he had all the tools he needed. He simply needed to put them to work in the way that was familiar to him. So he took hold of five stones. Smooth stones that would fly straight. No doubt he weighed them in his hand to assure they would leave his sling with the right force and cover the distance with adequate speed. Maybe he chose five different stones. One light for speed at close distance. One large to provide the most weight at the slower speed of a long distance flight. However he chose them, he chose them well. It wasn't a mindless grasp at a few rocks. It was a careful choosing of 5 smooth stones.

In the end it only took one stone. The other 4 were overkill, but David wasn't exactly sure which stone God would use to deliver His people, only that David was to prepare himself to do battle.


We have our own Goliath. It stands $2.6 million tall. It weighs $8,500 per month in deficit. It looms over us and causes us to focus on it rather than on the vision for what God wants to do through us. God wants us to make a difference. God wants us to reach the northland with His love, with the teachings of Jesus Christ, and with the power of the whole Spirit. On Sunday I began to share a part of that that vision might look like. A worship center that seats 1000 and a conversion of our current worship space to a multipurpose/gym. A food pantry and clothes closet, actually a whole ministry of caring for the hungry in the northland. In one or two of the services I also mentioned that I thought our VBS, Pre-school, and PDO were just the beginning of our ministry to the children of the northland.

Many were excited about the ideas. I'm sure some thought I was way off base. What concerned me the most is that, in person or second hand, I heard that there are many who are asking, "How does he expect to reach those goals on our budget and with our debt?" This concerns me because this is what happens to a people who are more focused on their own personal survival against a giant than they are on the mission of extending the embrace of Christ into our community. To these people I would say that we certainly do need to slay Goliath, but this Goliath is merely a bump in the road and not a wall we've hit.

I would like us to consider that we already have the resources we need to take on this Goliath. Those resources are our five smooth stones.

Please take time to hit "comments" below and share with me what you think are our 5 smooth stones for taking on such a Goliath.