Tuesday, 24 June 2008
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Our Priorities Versus God's Priorities
by mr pine
One of the very first stories I heard as a child was that of David and Goliath. I don't know why, but the detail of the story I remembered the most was not an image of a David swinging his sling over his head or a huge giant falling to the ground in a big thud. It was that David took five smooth stones out of the brook. Maybe it was the way the story teller was narrating or maybe I had an unusual liking for rocks at that stage of my childhood. Either way, I felt a little bothered by the fact that the story went through the trouble of mentioning the five smooth stones when David wound up using only one.
Why would the Bible mention David getting five stones? I mean, if he truly had faith that God would make his aim true, shouldn't he have only taken one? Wouldn't that show those nasty Philistines how great and powerful the God of Israel was even more? For that matter, why didn't David just use a very ripe strawberry instead of a stone? Did it mean that David didn't have as much faith as we give him credit for?
I don't think so. I think David was doing what David always did when he needed ammunition for his sheep-guarding duties. He chose more than he needed but not so much as to burden him. God had been training him for that moment his entire life. How strange would it be if he just changed everything this one time?
But I think we do this often. We choose one stone, whether it be a career, a future spouse, or a family, and we say, "God, bless THIS" and think that it is the only thing that will bring us happiness. We pick out our little rock and say, "I have complete faith that God will bless me with this ONE thing..." and think that we are somehow acting in faith. We are not. Most times it is more accurate to say that we are instead trying to impose our will on God and attempting to blackmail him by pinning our faith to it.
So we ignore the other four stones. We ask, "God, will you work with this one thing I really want?" instead of offering up our entire lives and asking, "God, what can you do with all of me?" We toss them aside thinking that they are not as worthy of our precious hope or our scarce time.
I'm not saying we should not have hope. We have the only thing in this world there is any true reason to be hopeful for. But we should be careful not to tie our faith in God to our hope of what we want for ourselves. God is faithful, independent of our expectations.
Do you get confused differentiating between what you want for yourself and what God wants for you?
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Comments (10)
That's really interesting. I don't know a lot about the Bible and I've never thought about the question about the five stones before. I'm sure there is meaning behind the number, and I think your analysis of the possible reasoning behind it, taking what you need but not burdening yourself, makes a lot of sense. I'll have to think about that one for a while. Yes, would it have been presumptous and confident in Ego/Self to just pick up that one stone? Does picking up five stones express our humanity and then eventual realization that we only need the one to succeed, but we must call on God to chose which one? That's very interesting.
I must say I don't call myself a Christian per se, but I am definitely interested in Bible stuff and also what Christians have to say about things.
Very interesting perspective. I have never deeply looked at this story, but this analysis provides insight and applications into our lives right now. Definitely something to make me think more and also contemplate where God is leading me in my life right now.
to answer your last question:: yes. :)
i once heard it explained that Goliath had four brothers - rather large ones like himself. I can't tell you honestly if that's true or not, just that my pastor said it ages and ages ago. :) Now I might see if I can find that out!Dude, that really speaks to my heart right now. Thanks for the entry, and God bless.
I could answer yes a million times to your question. That was an interesting perspective on the stones though. I've found in life though that the things God wants, work out. What I want, usually doesn't.
Thanks for sharing your very interesting and thought provoking post...and yes, many times over to your question. I always have to keep in mind what one of my friends told me, As long as you do everything within your power then things will work out if that is what God wants for you. It is the stepping back and waiting that is the hardest.
To answer the closing question, yeah I definitely get confused... al the time
Haha! The part about the stones was always the most vivid to me, too. Hooray for adjectives and stuff!
I figured that when David picked out those five smooth stones, he was just doing the sensible thing. As if fighting the giant was a sensible move to begin with! He was already stepping out in faith in a huge way- picking out the stones just seems like a move that made sure he was materially as prepared as he could be for whatever God had in store. David probably didn't know exactly how the confrontation would pan out and it only made sense to be adequately armed, but, like you said, not overburdened.yes.
and i really like your perspective on the 5 stones.. never heard it that way before! :)
@rachelserine@xanga - yeah, that's what i usually hear when people talk about the reason for David's choosing 5... something like he was ready to take on goliath's brothers after he killed goliath. hmm...
This is so true. We need to have faith in God as a whole, because He created us as a whole. He has so much in store for us, then we should not short change ourself of His blessings.