Five Smooth Stones
“You don’t have to put on Saul’s armour. I have given you 5 smooth stones.”
Niki heard this in her spirit while travelling on the Let Us Worship bus this summer, determined to stand and advance with the Holy Spirit on the Canadian tour, denying the giants of fear, hate, and anger the power to silence the freedom to worship Jesus openly in Canada.
David, the Covenant, and the Battle
This refers to the history of David’s battle against Goliath in 1 Samuel chapter 17. David was the youngest son in his family, left to keep the sheep while his brothers went to battle to defend the nation. He was bringing supplies to the front lines when he saw the army representing God's people cower and hide at the sight of the enemy's champion.
He was disgusted and inquired how he might join the fight. His brothers tried to laugh him down. But his confidence was not in the approval or the protection of man but in the covenant with his God.
It was the covenant that God had established with Abraham about 500 years before. As a Hebrew boy, David would have been very aware of this foundation of his people.
God called a man named Abram from a pagan people to Himself and made astounding promises to him. He was to be called Abraham, the father of many nations. But he was old. Very old. And childless. His wife Sarah was very old, too. Oh, and barren.
Yet his descendants would be as numerous as the stars in the night sky? And through him all the nations on the earth would be blessed?! Crazy.
He would need something to hold onto as he believed God for it. So to give Abram a vivid visual of His commitment to follow through, God made a blood covenant with him.
“That covenant settled forever any question Abram could ever have about God’s love and loyalty. Once blood had been shed, he knew God meant what He said.”
- Kenneth Copeland, Faith to Faith Daily Devotional
God did the same for us through the broken body and shed blood of Jesus on the cross. We can rest in every situation on God and His every word, because He loves us without fail.
Stones, Strength, and Spiritual Battle
David knew this from experience. He had tested it and proved it fit perfectly. King Saul had offered him his very own royal armour. But to the shepherd boy it was ill fitting and untested.
In the wilderness tending his father's sheep he fully relied on God for his every need just as his sheep relied on him. This is how he could defeat a lion and a bear.
His weapon and his shield was the Covenant of God. The five smooth stones gathered into his shepherd's bag to sling at the battle champion Goliath represented his radical reliance on his relationship with his God.
Did he choose five stones just in case he missed a few times? Given his courageous character and brash faith another scenario is more likely (referenced in 2 Samuel 21:22). Perhaps there were 4 other gigantic elite warriors that had Goliath’s back and David was confidently ready to take them all, one shot each.
David never considered his size in comparison to Goliath as a thing of importance. Instead he saw how small the giant was compared to the God of Israel. With each arrogant word, Goliath set himself up against the God who created the Universe with His word. Could he take on God, resist His authority and power, and defeat Israel’s army?
David’s Bold Declaration
“You come at me with a sword, with a spear and with a javelin. But I come to you in the name of the LORD of hosts, the God of the armies of Israel, whom you have defied. This day the LORD will deliver you into my hand, and I will strike you and take your head from you.”
- 1 Samuel 17:45-46
There was no doubt about God’s faithfulness in his heart as he declared these words. Then he ran at the giant without hesitation to carry this conviction out.
The poisonous flow of fear, hate, and unbelief from Goliath’s mouth needed to be cut off. David stood his ground to defeat the lies and establish who God is and who Israel was in Him.
It is the same with us today. Goliath represents the lies and accusations the devil launches at us to immobilize us. It is a spiritual battle. We need to know who God is and who we are in Him. Then we can confidently stand and boldly advance.
When the Stones Speak
We find this assurance in His word, the Bible. It must fill our eyes, our hearts, our minds, and our mouths with truth so that there is no room for lies.
I often tumble God's word about in my thoughts, praying and singing them as I walk on the beach. The salty air and the roll of the waves inspire my soul. But the stones cry out to me.
Bits of speckled granite sparkling with mica, polished black volcanic basalt, translucent white and cream quartz, golden sandstone, swirly green serpentinite, jasper of various reds… an intriguing variety of colourful minerals and creative geological processes.
They are broken from the earth's bedrock then crashed about by the tides day by day, year by year until all the rough edges are smoothed away and their unique colours and markings are accentuated.
Sounds like the process of refining in our lives.
They catch my eye and stop me in my steps, and I am always picking them up, my fingers savouring their textures. I put them in my pockets until they are too heavy for just one more. I take them home and scatter them across my tables and counters and stand them in jars on my shelves.
Wild and serene, these stones are memory markers of playful adventures with family and friends, and meaningful moments with God.
Five Colours. Five Symbols. One Covenant.
A while ago the Holy Spirit inspired me to find specific colours of stones in all I had collected over the years: black, red, white, green, and gold. I emptied my jars and buckets on the floor and sorted through. 5 piles emerged. 5 smooth stones for each child I was to teach at the Burn 24/7 Canada Family Camp. Ammunition for knocking down their giants.
I asked the Holy Spirit what each colour meant. He showed me 5 symbols, with powerful yet simple truth.
Black Stone – Black is a common colour for sin, but the picture He said to draw on this dark stone surprised me. A heart. This is because even when we are running away from Him in our sin, Jesus loves us so deeply that He pursues us to rescue and bring us back to Himself.
Red Stone – The red stone was to display a drop of blood beside a cross. This is the ultimate price Jesus paid through His death to ransom us back from the clutches of the devil and wash away the sin stains.
White Stone – On the white stone was to be a heart with the cross inside it. Jesus rose from the dead to live in our hearts as we invite Him in. He will never leave us. He will not forsake us. His blood makes us pure and He will shine through us.
Green Stone – A leaf was to be drawn on the green stone. When we push our roots deep into God we will continue to grow and flourish and be fruitful.
Gold Stone – The final picture was a circle on the gold coloured stone. This is a wedding ring, symbolic of the unbroken eternal covenant God has made with His people. He will keep His promises to us.
One Stone at a Time
These stones tell a triumphant love story in 5 chapters. Encourage yourself with these words as you stand in the battlefield. Remember where your victory comes from: Jesus came bravely to fight for you.
Let His committed love for you cast all fear (Goliaths) out of your heart. Tell this story to the people around you with your words and actions.
The Lord put in Niki's heart more strongly than ever this summer that the Burn 24/7 team was to walk in the unconditional love of Jesus when faced with hate. No matter what was said or done the Holy Spirit stirred the heart of the team with compassion for the lost and empowered them to walk it out.
When cursed, they spoke blessing. When rejected, they offered generous hospitality. For those who breathed threats, they wept and prayed.
They knocked out hate and anger with love, one stone at a time.
