One Smooth Stone Is Enough

I can only imagine what it was like for David to stand only a few feet from Goliath. A young shepherd who dealt with lions and bears now face to face with the best soldier from the Philistine’s camp. The fear that smote Israel’s bravest men was warranted; Goliath stood at about 9 feet 9 inches tall and had a track record of unthreatened victory. As he breathed threats repeatedly over the Israelites, they shrunk further in intimidation. The battle seemed lost already and hope was distant- until faith arose.

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

While Israel’s best men came with years of military training, swords, shields and heavy armour, David stood out like a sore thumb, coming with the experience of a shepherd, faith, five smooth stones and a sling. 

David’s audacity may have seemed absurd, especially since he did not have prior knowledge of the duel he found himself in. 

Yet he had faith.

1 Samuel 17:45 NKJV: “Then David said to the Philistine, “You come to 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.”

We are in the last few days of December. Perhaps there are things that have not panned out as you had prayed or hoped. It could be that you have held on to faith with what you feel is nothing to show for it. Maybe you have been told to give up on certain things because it’s too late or too impossible to receive break-through. It could be that you are on your last straw. You may be holding on to the thinnest thread of Christ’s garment.

You may be like David who had all odds stacked against him. He was young, untrained, ill-equipped for battle and grossly smaller than his opponent. But He had God and faith. The odds ceased to matter where the will of God had ordained victory.

In light of his exceedingly intimidating opponent, David exalted the name of the Lord, whom he depended on for victory. The people around must have been tense, wondering what was going to come next in this unprecedented scene.

1 Samuel 17: 49-51 NKJV: “Then David put his hand in his bag and took out a stone; and he slung it and struck the Philistine in his forehead, so that the stone sank into his forehead, and he fell on his face to the earth. So David prevailed over the Philistine with a sling and a stone, and struck the Philistine and killed him. But there was no sword in the hand of David. Therefore David ran and stood over the Philistine, took his sword and drew it out of its sheath and killed him, and cut off his head with it.”

Who defined David’s success was the God he was in covenant with. On that day, the Philistines knew that He was the only God to be worshipped, and the faith of the Israelites was renewed. They understood afresh that victory does not come by power, nor does it come by might, but by the empowering Spirit of God.

The God who does not fail.

The God who is faithful to His promise.

The God who remains seated on His throne.

What Goliath is facing you right now? 

And is your mind focused on the God of your story or the odds stacked against you?

My encouragement to you today is that God can be trusted. Just as one smooth stone was sufficient to take down Goliath, so is the God-given strategy you have to overcome the challenge weighing you down.

As we draw the curtains on 2025, my desire for you is that your faith in the God of the impossible may rise again. It does not matter how many times you have tried and failed. With God, the ‘one in a million’ window of opportunity is enough. The 1% chance of recovery is enough. The ‘one more shot’ is sufficient for Him. 

Try God again.

Your weapons may seem few. They may not make sense in light of your circumstance, but God’s strategies by far outweigh human methods. 

One smooth stone is enough. Hold on to God long enough to see His victory through your life.

With love,

Jackie Ngigi.