The Shepherd's Bag

For forty days and nights, the giant roared his curses. For forty days and nights, a nation shook in paralyzing fear. The challenged had been issued and nobody dared to take a chance that could result in the enslavement of a nation. Nobody, that is, except a young boy. Sent to the field to bring a sack lunch to his three brothers, David hears the challenge and the proclamation of the king promising great rewards to the one who overcomes this terrorizing behemoth. The lowly shepherd boy dares to accept the challenge of a seasoned champion warrior.

Rejecting the armor and weapons fit for a king, he picks up his simple sling and his shepherd’s bag. Making a pit stop at a small brook, he picks up the weapons of his warfare – five smooth stones. Seemingly insignificant, but powerfully influential stones that would change the course of history, changing a shepherd boy into a king.

1. The Stone of Youth – “When the Philistine looked and saw David, he disdained him; for he was but a youth, and ruddy, with a handsome appearance.” (1 Samuel 17:42) Sometimes in life, we tend to think that the young have nothing of value to contribute. Paul even had words of encouragement to a young minister named Timothy with his own “five stones”: “Let no one look down on your youthfulness, but rather in speech, conduct, love, faith, and purity show yourself an example of those who believe.” (1 Timothy 4:12) Incidentally, I’ve somehow always misread this verse as “an example to those who believe.” What a difference two letters can make…

2. The Stone of Faith – “And David said to the Philistine, ‘You come to me with a sword, a spear, and 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 taunted.’” (1 Samuel 17:45) Even in the face of certain death, David held tight to his faith in His God. Examples of faith in the midst of trial range throughout the scriptures. The promise of life in the midst of that humble faith rings through every time. “Behold, as for the proud one, his soul is not with within him, but the righteous shall live by his faith.” (Habakkuk 2:4)

3. The Stone of Deliverance – “This day the Lord will deliver you up into my hands, and I sill strike you down and remove your head from you.” (1 Samuel 17:46a, emphasis mine) It wasn’t David that delivered Goliath to the Israelites; it was God who delivered Goliath into David’s hands. And David rightfully gave honor and credit to Him and Him alone, as he did through all of His victories. “When my enemies turn back, they stumble and perish before Thee. For Thou hast maintained my just cause; Thou dost sit on the throne judging righteously.” (Psalm 9:2-4, emphasis mine)

4. The Stone of Testimony – “…that all the earth may know that there is a God in Israel.” (1 Samuel 17:46b) What is the purpose of deliverance? To draw all men unto God. To turn the hearts of men back to obedience to His word. To declare His glory and His power. “Therefore, do not be ashamed of the testimony of our Lord or of me His prisoner; but join with me in suffering for the gospel according to the power of God.” (1 Timothy 1:8)

5. The Stone of Revival – “and that all this assembly may know that the Lord does not deliver by the sword or by spear; for the battle is the Lord’s and He will give you into our hands.” It only takes a spark to start a blazing inferno. The faith of one man can turn a nation on its head. George Whitfield, Edward Taylor, and Martin Luther are just of few such mavericks. Their fires still burn in the hearts of millions even today. “Restore unto me the joy of my salvation and sustain me with a willing spirit.” (Psalm 51:12)

As the stone flew through the air, the taunting continued until it struck deep into the temple of this raging giant. And the giant fell and lost his head. His comrades scattered in confusion and bewilderment. And a nation rose up and defeated its enemy. All because of one man who had the courage to pick up the stones that would become the building blocks of a new kingdom.

God still uses stones today to bring down the scourge of our enemies. Jesus is the chief cornerstone, he built the church on the rock of the proclamation of the truth of his deity, and the stone that held him in the tomb was rolled away to show us that not even death can destroy the hope we have in Him.

- Scripture passages excerpted from “The Greek-Hebrew Key Study Bible – New American Standard Version” © 1984, 1990 Chattanooga, TN

A New Creation

“Therefore if any man is in Christ, he is a new creation; the old things passed away; behold, new things have come.” – 1 Corinthians 5:17

What does it mean to be a “new creation”? Does God just snap His Almighty fingers and suddenly our lives are completely changed? Do we go from a life consumed by sin to a life engulfed in righteousness in the twinkling of an eye? Honestly, no. The apostle Paul likened the Christian life to a growth process starting with a spiritual re-birth and growth to maturity. But what is this process? What are the steps or phases of this growth? Surely there must be markers along the way to show us how far we have come on this new road. Like a growth chart in crayon on the door frame of life, God has indeed given us a picture of where our life has been and where it will eventually be. We have but to look no further than the first chapter of the Bible itself to find the steps that God takes us through in the act of re-creating our lives.

Day 1: Illumination – “And the earth was formless and void, and darkness was over the surface of the deep; and the Spirit of God was moving over the surface of the waters. The God said, “Let there be light”; and there was light. And God saw that the light was good.” (Genesis 1:2-4a) Before we come to faith in Christ, our sinful lives are in darkness. We wander aimlessly through life not seeing the truth of where we are or where we are going. “For God who said ‘Light shall shine out of darkness’ is the One who has shone in our hearts the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Christ.” (2 Corinthians 4:6)

Day 2: Separation – “…God separated the light from the darkness…God separated the waters which were below the expanse from the waters which were above the expanse.” (Genesis 1:4b, 7b) Once we see the light of the truth of salvation in Him, we are called to a new life, separated from the life that we once knew. We are called to a life of obedience to God’s Word, rather than obedience to the world’s point of view. "If you were of the world, the world would love its own; but because you are not of the world, but I chose you out of the world, because of this the world hates you.” (John 15:19)

Day 3: Foundation – “…let the dry land appear…” (Genesis 1:9b) One can’t be expected to “walk on water” from the moment of salvation. It just doesn’t work that way. You must have a firm foundation to build your spiritual house upon. Otherwise it will sink under the long haul of life. That foundation is the life of obedience to His Word, the Bible. “Therefore, everyone who hears these words of Mine, and acts upon them, may be compared to a wise man, who built his house upon the rock. And the rain descended, and the floods came, and the wind blew, and burst against that house; and yet it did not fall, for it had been founded upon the rock.” (Matthew 7:24-25)

Day 3 – Day 5: Vegetation for the Population – “Let the earth sprout vegetation [day 3]…let there be lights in heavens…for signs…and seasons [day 4]…le the waters teem with swarms of living creatures…birds fly above the earth…[day 5]” (Genesis 1:11a,14, 20) We must have food in order to survive in the physical world. We also need direction to know which way to go. Both of these hold spiritual connotations as well and both are found in the local body of believers. “Do not forsake our own assembling together as is the habit of some…In pointing out these things to the brethren, you will be a good servant of Christ Jesus, constantly nourished on the words of the faith and of the sound doctrine which you have been following.” (Hebrews 10:25a, 1 Timothy 4:6)

Day 6: Sanctification – “and God created man in His own image, in the image of God He created him, male and female He created them.” (Genesis 1:27) Created in the likeness of God. Born in the likeness of Adam – fallen in sin. Recreated in the likeness of the new Adam – Christ. “So also it is written, ‘The first man, Adam, became a living soul.’ The last Adam became a life-giving spirit. However the spiritual is not first, but the natural; then the spiritual…put on the new self, which in the likeness of God has been created in righteousness and holiness of the truth.” (1Corinthians 15:45-46, Ephesians 4:24)

Day 7: Eternal Relaxation – “and God saw all that he had made and behold it was very good…and He rested on the seventh day from all His work which he had done.” (Genesis 1:31a, 2:2b) The ultimate reward for a hard week of work is a day of rest. The ultimate gift following a life of devotion to Christ…eternal rest instead of torment. “In my Father’s house there are many dwelling places…for I go to prepare a place for you…I will come again and receive you to Myself; that where I am, there you may be also.” (John 14:2-3)

The process of re-creation is found in the original process of creation. God’s plan never changed from the beginning. He is always in the work of re-creating to make you into his likeness. “But the vessel that he was making of clay was spoiled in the hand of the potter; so he remade it into another vessel, as it pleased the potter to make…Like the clay in the potter’s hand, so are your in My hand, O house of Israel.” (Jeremiah 18:4, 6b)