Five Smooth Stones

Have you ever wondered why David chose five smooth stones from the brook as he went to face the giant Goliath? David had already killed a lion and a bear when it attempted to take a sheep from his father’s flock, and his accuracy with a sling was very nearly perfect. What if David had missed? He might not have even had time to reload his sling before the giant would have been on him with that great sword.

Well, with the Lord guiding his arm, David didn’t need five stones to kill Goliath; one was enough to do the job! David had no fear of Goliath, because his faith in God had given him great courage in every life-threatening challenge that he had faced. Though Goliath was over nine feet tall, he was no scarier to David than the bear or the lion he had killed. David’s said to King Saul, “The Lord, who delivered me from the paw of the lion and from the paw of the bear, He will deliver me from the hand of this Philistine” (1 Samuel 17:37).

David approached the giant as Goliath kept coming closer to David … Goliath cursed David. Goliath was insulted that “only a youth” would come against him! David told Goliath, “This day the Lord will deliver you into my hand, and I will strike you and take your head from you” (1 Samuel 17:46).

David ran quickly toward the battle line to meet Goliath. (It was already settled in David’s heart that the giant was as good as dead.) David loaded his sling and twirled it around and around, but God put the power behind David’s arm. God guided that stone to its mark and it sank deeply into the giant’s forehead and Goliath fell face down on the ground. David then did as he said and took the giant’s sword and cut off his head! Wow! What a story that was.

Now let me see, didn’t David choose 5 smooth stones? What were the other four stones for? Well … did you know that Goliath had FOUR BROTHERS? Perhaps David wasn’t overlooking the possibility of having to fight his four brothers, so he would have needed four stones to kill them too.

The message for us is FAITH. Not faith in our own abilities or our own strength, because God’s strength is made perfect in our weakness. David is a great example for us that we need to put our faith (confidence & trust) in the Lord Jesus Christ.

God wants us to see that we are sinners. “There is none righteous, no, not one” (Romans 3:10). “For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God” (Romans 3:23). “The wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord” (Romans 6:23).

Dear reader, if you die in your sins you are hopelessly and eternally lost and will be punished for rejecting Jesus Christ, your only hope! But, remember God loves you, and He does not want you to perish (2 Peter 3:9). He sent His Son, Jesus Christ, to die for your sin and rise again. Will you repent of your sins and receive Jesus as your personal Savior and Lord today?

“For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life” (John 3:16).