Thursday, May 10, 2012

A little faith will get you a long way

There is something that was brought to my attention, and the more I think about it, the more awesome it is. If you've grown up in a Christian household or have spent most/all of your life going to church, then you are undoubtedly familiar with the story of David and Goliath. You can find the story in I Samuel 17. There is one particular verse in there that is interesting:

"And [David] took his staff in his hand, and chose him five smooth stones out of the brook, and put them in a shepherd's bag which he had, even in a scrip; and his sling was in his hand: and he drew near to the Philistine."
I Samuel 17:40

In that verse, it just talks about how David arms himself before he goes to face the giant, Goliath. But did you catch what it said? It said he chose five stones. Yet it only took one to actually slay Goliath in God's name, due to God's strength.

So why did David pick up five stones instead of just one?

Was it because he was doubtful?Did he pick up four extras in case he missed the first time? I don't think so. It also tells us in another part of scripture that David knew Goliath had four brothers, who were also giants. So what if David didn't pick up four extra stones because he was doubtful, but because he had that much faith in God?

It tells us time and again in scripture how David was a true servant of the Lord and a man after God's own heart, even way back in the day when he faced a giant. Somehow I think that things might not have worked out for him quite the same way when he faced Goliath if he had been doubtful--kind of like when Peter sank because of his doubts.

No, I think David had total and complete faith in God that it would take one small stone, and one only, to slay Goliath in the Lord's name. And I think he picked up the other four stones because he was prepared to face his four brothers if need be--he knew beyond a shadow of a doubt that if God could kill Goliath with one stone, he could also take down each of his brothers with a stone.

How cool is that, when you really think about it?!
How amazing to think that little David had that much faith in God in the face of troubles, yet so many of us who are older and wiser (or at least, we'd like to think so), and are not facing literal giants who want to kill us, have so much trouble putting all of our faith in God.

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