DAY 101

FIVE SMOOTH STONES

1 Samuel 17 & 18 and Luke 11:1 – 28  

Two HUGE parts of Scripture today: the story of David & Goliath, and Luke’s version of the Lord’s Prayer.

The story of David & Goliath is a well known story and the point of course is that David stands up for God and is victorious. There are a few things I want to share with you regarding this Old Testament classic. First, I have always been struck by the “set-up”. Two armies arrayed opposite each other on mountains yelling at each other for 40 days, not quite how I picture these battles. Then there is David; he is essentially bringing “cheese sandwiches” to his older brothers. I am the youngest, and I certainly can appreciate the sibling dynamic taking place.

My favorite memory of this story is reading it to my nephew when he was very little and staying over his “aunt and uncle’s house”. I was reading him this Bible story as he was getting tucked in for the night. When we came to the part of David getting ready, as I was reading, he began to recite the story, “five smooth stones” I remember him saying. I had never noticed that before in verse 40, that it was five stones and that they were smooth. I remember finishing the story and thinking, “Wow, at such a young age, he knows this story. I am so glad you are reading the Bible with me, we are planting these stories into our hearts and minds (and when we get to the Psalms you will be amazed at how many times that exact idea about us and God’s Word comes up).

What we have entered into in this part of the Scripture will prove to be a somewhat long episode between David and Saul. David won’t be perfect, but he will prove memorable. His relationship with Jonathan, his marriage, and his father-in-laws jealously will continue and so we will have time to discuss them in the future, and I am just going to skip over the whole 100 foreskin thing that we read.

In this section of Luke I want to get you to consider that it is all about prayer. Don’t pull the Lord’s Prayer out from the person knocking at the door. We move from “give us this day our daily bread…to someone asking for bread. And the point of course is that the person will give the bread, even if it is reluctantly. Yet do not think your Father is reluctant. Would a father give a serpent for a fish, or a scorpion for an egg? Can you see how they tie together…God is faithful and not only hears, but will answer our prayers.

God was certainly faithful to David; I imagine he was uttering some prayers as he approached Goliath.

A closer look at the Greek text reveals that the verbs “give, forgive, ask, seek, and knock” are all in the “imperative mood” – simply put they are given as “orders”. I can understand God ordering me to “forgive”, but I have a little trouble ordering him to “give”!

What do you make of these two parts of Scripture today? David’s story is replete with instruction. God is not inviting us to be foolhardy and run into any and all battles. He is however pointing out that the giants in our lives, especially those opposed to God and God’s people; they can be defeated by Him through ordinary, under-sized people like us. I am always reminded that David spent many a night with God in the pasture (sometimes facing wild animals). I am also reminded that David is contending for God and not himself. God is not some “genie” in a bottle that we pull out any time we face a bigger-than-us problem. Having said that, “What giants are in your life right now?” What giants, when defeated by God, would bring God glory? These are real questions to answer and then with that insight to take them to God.

Remember that when God does defeat them, to make sure we give him the glory (we get a little shy about this especially with our non-church friends). In the Old Testament they are constantly giving God the credit; we should too! In all, what are those giants in your life...I am thinking of two huge ones in my life right now…bring yours to God…ask, seek, knock…I think I need to bring mine again to Him.