Focus: 5 Smooth Stones (Pt.2)

Text: 1Sam.17:40

"And he took his staff in his hand, and chose him FIVE SMOOTH STONE out of the brook, and put them in a shepherd's bag which he had, even in a scrip; and his sling was in his hand: and he drew near to the Philistine"

Let us list the STONES here again.

*The NAME of the Lord

*The WORD of God

*The SPIRIT of God

*The BLOOD of Christ

*The DEITY of Christ

These are supernatural stones believers can effectively hurl at the giants from the pit of hell. We have looked at the NAME of the Lord as the stone David used to defeat Goliath. Peter and the others used it to work miracles. And according to Solomon, the name of the Lord secures us, and those who call upon it are saved.

Now let us look at the WORD of God as a winning stone in the believer's life. The word of God in all its forms work wonders and gives victory.

We have the Living Word, Christ Himself. Revelation 19:13 says, "And his name is called The Word of God." John 1:1 says, "In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God." Jesus is the living, incarnate, personified, the embodied or enfleshed Word.

We have the written Word, inspired by God in its entirety. We have the indwelling Word of God that enables the believer to live a victorious life. The psalmist says, "Thy WORD have I hid in mine heart, that I might not sin against thee" (Ps.119:11). Also, we have the spoken Word that renders the devil inoperative. Hebrews 11:3 tells us that the spoken word (the rhema) was instrumental to the making of the universe, and it is still instrumental in running and sustaining it. Hebrews 1:3 tells us that Christ is upholding all things by the word (rhema) of His power. In John 17:8, Jesus says, "For I have given unto them the WORDS which thou gavest me…" Words here is rhema in the Greek. In verse 14, Jesus says, "I have given them thy WORD…" Word is logos in the Greek. In Eph.6:17, Paul tells us that the word (rhema) of God is the "sword of the Spirit" - our offensive armor. In the wilderness temptation of Christ, the Living Word dismantled and dislodged the devil with the stone of the written word. He won by using the word. He was the Living Word, making use of the written word, and speaking forth the rhema word, and Satan couldn't stand it. It is written, "And they OVERCAME him… by the WORD of their testimony" (Rev.12:11). It is the smooth stone that knocks Satan down.

Our Lord Jesus says, quoting the written word, "It is written, Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every WORD that proceedeth out of the mouth of God." Word here is rhema in the Greek. Hebrews 4:12 says, "For the WORD of God is powerful, and sharper than any twoedged sword…" Word here is logos in the Greek. So you can see that the word is God's sword, whether as logos or as rhema. It has infinite power. The Lord Jesus hurled the stone of Scripture at Satan, and finished him off. One thing Satan hates with utter passion is the word of God. He wants the believer to doubt the word and to question its authority. He asked Eve, "Has God said?" In Mark 4:15, Satan made effort to take away the word sown in the heart. He can't stand or withstand the power and authority of God's word.

We win by the word of God. In Acts of the Apostles, we read that the word of God grew, increased, multiplied, and prevailed, and I pray that it shall be so in your life. One centurion said to Christ, "Speak the WORD only, and my servant shall be healed" (Mt.8:8). Psalm 107:20 says, "He sent his WORD, and healed them, and delivered them from their destructions." The word heals and delivers. By a word Christ stilled the storm, and the disciples felt the wonder of it. At another instance, the people wondered, saying, "What a word is this!"

I say to you here and now, use the word; it works. It's our stone of sure victory. Amen.

We'll continue with the next stone tomorrow.

by Bishop Moses E. Peter