{"id":11193,"date":"2022-05-11T12:05:00","date_gmt":"2022-05-11T17:05:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.jfbelievers.com\/?p=11193"},"modified":"2022-05-11T12:05:00","modified_gmt":"2022-05-11T17:05:00","slug":"remembering-the-anonymous","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/blog.jfbduluth.com\/index.php\/2022\/05\/11\/remembering-the-anonymous\/","title":{"rendered":"REMEMBERING THE ANONYMOUS"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Long before King David had selected his \u201cThirty Mighty Men<\/em>\u201d, we see the young shepherd choosing \u201cfive smooth stones<\/em>\u201d. David\u2019s men<\/em> would eventually become the stuff of legend, remembered by name (II Sam 23), and revered for their heroism. By contrast, the stones <\/em>he chose are all but forgotten, left behind long ago in the Valley of Elah. And yet, it was through David\u2019s use of those five stones, that fear was vanquished, the foe was conquered, and God\u2019s people were liberated. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Much has been said about \u201cThe Thirty<\/em>\u201d; too little perhaps, about \u201cthe five<\/em>\u201d.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Scripture doesn\u2019t provide too many specifics about these unnamed stones, but the few details we\u2019ve got are adequate to provide us with helpful insight & encouragement into our own life & ministry. Let\u2019s remember what we can about these significant little chunks of geological anonymity:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cAnd David chose five smooth stones from the brook<\/em>\u201d -I Samuel 17:40<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

<\/p>\n\n\n\n

THERE WERE FIVE.<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

History verifies that one single stone was enough to slay the giant, yet David didn\u2019t have peace until he\u2019d chosen the fifth. He picked the amount he was comfortable with. Six would\u2019ve been too many, four, too few. David needed five. Confident of his selection, he was ready for the fight.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Which stone it was that dealt the fatal blow isn’t revealed. Was it the 2nd<\/sup> one taken from the brook? The 4th<\/sup>? Scripture keeps that detail a secret. All we’re told is that, as David ran toward the Philistine, he simply \u201cput his hand in his bag and took out a<\/u> stone<\/em>\u201d (I Sam 17:49). It didn\u2019t matter to David which one it was, for they were all equally suited for the task. He only needed to know that it was indeed one of the five. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Every stone serves its purpose, even the ones that are never taken out of the bag. Sometimes it\u2019s our collective solidarity, rather than our individual accomplishments that God intends to reward. The Holy Spirit isn\u2019t required to honor one above another who all serve the same Master (read the parable of the \u201cLaborers in the Vineyard<\/em>\u201d Mt.20:1-16).<\/p>\n\n\n\n

THEY WERE SMOOTH.<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

These stones had no rough edges. They had pushed against each other for so long now, that little friction remained between them. Sharing the same river for so many years had made them ready to serve the same mission. They fit well together in the shepherds\u2019 pouch. Each one fit snugly into his sling. They would serve his purpose, even at high velocity. They could be trusted.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Not all of those who serve the Great Shepherd will endure their time with the sheep. If we aren\u2019t willing to bear with one another long enough to knock off the sharp corners, we\u2019re likely to be overlooked at a time of special selection. Our Master won\u2019t send us out from His sling until He\u2019s sees that we\u2019re no longer jagged. He intends to hit His mark. If you don\u2019t suit His purpose, He\u2019ll pick a different stone.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The choicest servants that Christ can find are those who work together the longest. The current here is unapologetically swift at times, but there is only one surefire way to make a rough stone smooth.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

THEY CAME FROM THE BROOK.<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

There are countless stones, in numerous brooks, all over the face of the earth. Yet God, for thousands of years, had His eyes on these five. Specially designed at the beginning of Creation, and strategically placed at the time of The Flood, these 5 stones had a long wait for glory. Thousands of years would pass before they\u2019d finally be discovered by Jesse\u2019s youngest, and brought to center-stage. Until then, they\u2019d have to endure lifetimes of insignificance & anonymity.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Little is accomplished in the Kingdom of Heaven without great patience. A driving need for immediate gratification, recognition, & significance has led many of her servants into exile. But those who patiently remain in their place, are best positioned to be most useful to the coming King, whether we realize it or not.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

ANONYMITY PREVAILS.<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Those of us who crave recognition among our peers ought to be cautious. By chasing public acknowledgment, you may just forfeit your opportunity for true greatness. Be content with anonymity if that\u2019s what God\u2019s chosen for you.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Concentrate on unity, humility, & endurance instead. Only then will we become the mighty men and women we long to be. Only then will you live a life worth remembering.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cDavid prevailed\u2026with a stone<\/u><\/em>\u201d -I Samuel 17:50<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Long before King David had selected his \u201cThirty Mighty Men\u201d, we see the young shepherd choosing \u201cfive smooth stones\u201d. David\u2019s men would eventually become the stuff of legend, remembered by name (II Sam 23), and revered for their heroism. By contrast, the stones he chose are all but forgotten, left behind long ago in the … Read more<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":5,"featured_media":11194,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[3],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-11193","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-pastors-notes"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/blog.jfbduluth.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/11193","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/blog.jfbduluth.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/blog.jfbduluth.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blog.jfbduluth.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/5"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blog.jfbduluth.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=11193"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/blog.jfbduluth.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/11193\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blog.jfbduluth.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/11194"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/blog.jfbduluth.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=11193"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blog.jfbduluth.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=11193"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blog.jfbduluth.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=11193"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}