THE FIVE STONES OF YOUR VICTORY

And he took his staff in his hand, and chose for himself five smooth stones out of the brook and put them in a shepherd’s bag which he had, even in a pouch, and his sling was in his hand; and he drew near to the Philistine. 1 Samuel 17:40

Today, we will talk about one of the most well-known stories in the Bible, the battle between David and the giant Goliath.

We all have giants to defeat in our lives. The difference is that our giants don’t go by the name Goliath; instead, they have other names like cancer, kidney failure, adultery, scarcity, poverty, unemployment, debt, etc.

Regardless of the name of the giant we face, we can learn powerful lessons from the story of David and Goliath. David was advised to fight Goliath with a soldier’s weapons, to face him the way everyone thought he should (verses 38-39a).

But David chose not to fight as a soldier but as what he truly was: a shepherd. Instead of a sword, shield, or spear, he took what identifies a shepherd most: his staff. David did not change his identity to face the giant. He faced the problem as who he was, not as someone he was not. This teaches us a great lesson: when facing our giants, we should not lose our identity.

Often, as Christians, when facing problems that seem like giants to us, we abandon our identity as children of God and tackle them like non-believers, following the world’s ways. This is why we often fail in our battles.

David took his staff and five smooth stones from the brook. Tonight, we will talk about those stones. They will teach us how to face our giants as children of God.

How to Face the Giants in Our Lives Without Losing Our Christian Identity?

Use these five important spiritual stones:

1. The Stone of Faith (Mark 11:22) Faith is the master key to blessings in our lives. Many have faith, but not in God. Instead, they have faith in prayer, the pastor, the church, blessed or anointed items, etc.

2. The Stone of Prayer (Matthew 21:22) Prayer is the tool for Christians to put their faith into action. Prayer is the spiritual strike we make against our life’s problems. A boxer doesn’t defeat his opponent with one punch but with several strategic hits.

3. The Stone of Perseverance (Luke 18:1) Many life battles are lost not because the enemy defeated us, but because we gave up too soon. The Lord commands us to pray always and not lose heart, meaning we should pray with perseverance.

4. The Stone of Courage (Joshua 1:7) We need courage to face the giant, but as children of God, we must be brave to face our problems in God’s way, without straying from His Word. We need the courage to say no to easy, quick solutions that are not endorsed by the Lord.

5. The Stone of Patience (Psalm 40:1) Impatience marks the lives of those who do not know the Lord. Impatience comes from wanting to resolve things our way and not being able to, from not being able to change situations.

Concluding Prayer

Almighty God,

We thank You for the teachings of Your word and the lessons we learn from the story of David and Goliath. We ask that You grant us the faith to trust fully in You, the strength to persevere in prayer, the courage to face our problems according to Your will, and the patience to wait for Your perfect timing.

Help us maintain our identity as Your children, not allowing the giants in our lives to divert us from Your path. May we use the spiritual stones You have given us to overcome any obstacle before us.

Fill us with Your Holy Spirit and guide us in all our battles. We know that with Your power and love, no difficulty is insurmountable. Thank You for being our refuge and strength.

In the name of Jesus, our Savior and Lord, we pray. Amen.