Pick Five Stones But You May Only Need One

My toddler boy is obsessed with David and Goliath. It is his favorite Bible story by far, and when he’s not requesting it specifically at nap time or bed time, he’s acting it out. Believe me, by this point I can do a mean “giant Goliath getting struck in the head and falling to the ground” impression.

My Emmy awaits.

As I’ve read, re-read, and now memorized this story, different aspects have started to stick out to me. As a child, all I perceived was the drama and the excitement. The under-dog victory and action scene were, and remain for my toddler, quite engaging. Yet, as an adult, knowing the living and effective quality of Scripture, new parts have come to life. Including these two small lines:

“Then he took his staff in his hand, and chose five smooth stones from the wadi, and . . . David put his hand in his bag, took out a stone, slung it, and struck the Philistine on his forehead; the stone sank into his forehead, and he fell face down on the ground” (1 Samuel 17:40, 49).

It’s All in the Details

In other words, David collected five stones from the stream, but the Lord only needed one stone to complete the miracle.

I have become fascinated by these small details. And there are never details too small or insignificant when it comes to Scripture. Everything happened and is recounted intentionally and purposefully, including these lines.

As I reflect on these two lines, I realize that often, there are situations in life with a two-fold dynamic of needing to trust the Lord to come through with His promises, while simultaneously doing our part to cooperate with His plan. God is the ultimate decider, but He allows our actions to play a part in laying out His will for our lives.

So, for example while we must pray for the Lord to guide us to a stable job that will provide for our family, we also must apply for and send out our resume. We should pray for and trust that the Lord will bring us into the vocation we are made for, and we also must be willing to say yes to first dates. This is true for other life situations, too, such as seeking better health or considering how many children to have.

His will is going to come about, and yet He also desires us to cooperate with Him.

Virtue is Found in the Middle

In many of these scenarios, virtue is found in the middle. We should never be lazy, but we must also never take matters completely into our own hands. We must be proactive, and yet not force our own will. We must discern, and also allow our minds to be changed. We must do our own work, but not grasp. We must struggle in the tension of remaining open while also surrendered.

David knew that defeating Goliath would not come from his own strength. It would take a miracle, a direct intervention from God, to bring about a victory. And yet, David still drew five stones, which represents his cooperation in God’s plan.

He had no idea exactly how the Lord would work, or whether God would use the first or fifth stone to defeat the giant. And yet, David’s efforts in choosing five stones does not insinuate a lack of trust. Rather, in his lack of complete understanding, he did what he thought was best. David didn’t go into the battle empty-handed, yet He still depended fully on God, not the stones.

To Cooperate, Not Control

For David, the Lord completed the miracle with the first stone; He didn’t even need the other four remaining in David’s sack. Yet sometimes, the Lord will wait until our fifth stone. Or maybe, He won’t even use the stones we collect in preparation.

For the most part, we can only do what we think and discern to be best. And then, we must trust that the rest is in God’s hands. We must remember that His plans are greater than ours and that at the end of the day, everything is in His power and not ours.

We can cooperate, but we cannot control. We can seek, but we must always surrender.

We can pick up five stones. But what He does with them is up to Him.

Gracie Muraski splits her time between Ohio and Colorado with her husband and kids. She is passionate about reading, writing, long-distance running, and intentional conversation.