Brown's Daily Word 8-30-11

Good morning,
As we are all aware by now, Hurricane Irene visited new York and then moved on. Where we are we experienced rain, for the most part, and some wind. The Lord spared us from any flooding or any damage. The Lord gave us the most brilliant and beautiful day yesterday, and it is going to be another gorgeous day here in New York today.
Alice and walked about 4 miles between 8:45 and 10 PM last night. The stars were out in full splendor glorifying the Lord, the maker of Heaven and Earth.
While driving in down town Binghamton yesterday I noticed a sign in front of one of the Oldest Churches in the city. The outdoor sign read, "Five Shining Stones". I read the account of the story of the Five Stones for victory as it is recorded in the Word of God in 1 Samuel 17:34-47.
By any earthly standard, the outcome of this battle would be "sure thing." However, when God enters the picture the entire outcome becomes quite different because of faith. It is interesting that David chose five smooth stones from the brook when only one was needed. Why did David do this? There is no reason given in Scripture. It could have been in case full battle was joined.
The important aspect is that when it came time to fight Goliath, David took just one stone from his shepherd’s bag (1 Samuel 17:49). This action reveals his faith. When it came time to act on his faith, David took only one stone rather than having several in his hand to re-load if he missed. As we read the story, this remarkable event becomes an extraordinary expression of faith in the way that David attacked Goliath. He apparently hurled the stone while at a full run!
Judges 20:16 tells us that Israel slingers were extremely accurate. Think of the logistics of aiming and throwing a stone while both parties are rapidly approaching each other. By faith, David knew one stone was all he needed for Goliath. James tells that "faith without works is dead, being alone" (2:17-18). David showed his faith by using but one stone when he had a bag full of stones.
1 Sam. 17:46-47: "This day the LORD will deliver you up into my hands, and I will strike you down and remove your head from you. And I will give the dead bodies of the army of the Philistines this day to the birds of the sky and the wild beasts of the earth, that all the earth may know that there is a God in Israel, *and that all this assembly may know that the LORD does not deliver by sword or by spear; for the battle is the LORD’S and He will give you into our hands."
David may have taken the four extra stones to either attack or defend himself while the Israelite army joined the battle. This is, however, purely conjecture.
We have probably all grown up hearing the story of David and Goliath and how David’s faith allowed him to slay the Philistine giant but there is more to this story than meets the eye. One minor detail is often overlooked. We read in 1 Samuel 17:40 that David picked up and hand chose five smooth stones for his sling to use as ammunition to kill the giant.
One cannot help but wonder what was going through David's mind as he selected those five stones. There is a reason for the other four stones and why David picked five stones specifically. Looking at 2 Samuel 21:16 - 22 we find the armies of Israel, now under King David’s command, battling the Philistines yet again and with other giants involved, including one who had six fingers and six toes! In verse 19, we read that Jaareoregim slew the brother of Goliath. There are four giants mentioned in this passage and the bible lists them by name: Isbibenob (found in verse 16), Saph (in verse 18), the brother of Goliath the Gittite (verse 19), and a giant with six fingers and six toes! (verse 20). Verse 22 concludes with "these four were born to the giant in Gath and fell by the hand of David and by the hand of his servants."
Goliath was not the only giant living in the land of the Philistines. There were four others, perhaps Goliath's brothers. David knew that families stick together and that Goliath’s brothers would either come to Goliath’s aid to avenge him or he knew that he would have to face them in other battles, which he eventually did. Each of those five stones most likely had a name of one of those giants on it. David was ready to defeat his enemy and his whole monstrous family if need be and he had both the faith and the skill to do so.
Whatt are the giants in your life? What is the greatest problem (or problems) facing you that challenges you each day? What is the obstacle that may seem too big and too much for you to conquer that comes and picks a fight with you (like Goliath when he challenged the Israelite army)? Whatever that problem is, rest and stand still, knowing that the battle is not yours, but God’s. The victory is already won. David said it best when he told Goliath, "the battle is the Lord’s".
David was witnessing to Goliath and all of the Philistine army about this point. They could have turned and repented, and walked away at this point, but they didn’t get the message. God used that giant as a huge exclamation point in history to illustrate well the fact that, "the battle belongs to the Lord."
The same is true for each of us and our giants, problems, trials, and difficulties. We must not run from our problems but, instead, stand still, hold our ground, and watch the Lord fight for us and slay our giants. If we run from the giants in life, they will surely defeat us. Walking away in defeat is never a part of God’s plan for us. We must put our trust in God and watch the deliverance of the Lord. Each of us has glimpsed God’s deliverance when we asked Him to be Lord of our life. He has rescued us from our sins and an eternal death in hell.
Now let us stand, wait, and watch Him deliver us yet again from life’s challenges and difficulties. In doing so, our confidence, our faith, and our walk with Him will grow so that we will mature in Christ so that during both good times and bad. Our faith will be unwavering, focused and consistent, and the devil will no longer be able to defeat us, but run from us as we claim the authority of Christ and stand in the victory that is already won.
http://youtu.be/Yk8U58vfOoc
Saturday Evening Worship Service

Location: First United Methodist Church
53 McKinley Avenue
Endicott, NY
Sponsored by: Union Center United Methodist Church
Time: 6:00 PM gathering for Coffee Fellowship
6:30 PM Worship Service
Date: Saturday, September 10, 2011
Speaker: Rev. Earle Cowden
Ministers from First Baptist Church in Owego, Crossroads Church in Binghamton, Cornerstone Christian Church in Endicott, and Hawleyton United Methodist Church will be participating in this worship service. Special Music will be led by various praise teams. Information : call 607-748-6329

Come! Share! Rejoice!