Trust Is the Fifth Stone

“The Lord that delivered me out of the paw of the lion, and out of the paw of the bear, he will deliver me out of the hand of this Philistine.”
- 1 Samuel 17:37

Never Trust A Wounded Enemy

David knew that the only good enemy is a defeated one.  With a slingshot and sword, David slew Goliath and secured his future against the giant’s threats of bondage.  Through his obedience to God’s plan for his life, David set a nation free to enjoy God’s grace.

Before meeting Goliath, David had seen God deliver him from smaller enemies.  Then, his opponents grew larger, he saw that God’s power proved to be unchanging.  By the time he faced this giant, he could boldly declare, “The Lord that delivered me out of the paw of the lion, and out of the paw of the bear, he will deliver me out of the hand of this Philistine.” (1 Samuel 17:37)

David had a powerful perspective on the problem.  His motivation to see the Israelites set free was greater than his temptation to run away from the enemy.  David understood the big picture and he didn’t want to be a slave to the Philistines.  He was convinced that faith in God would bring deliverance for his family and nation.  David had knowledge of God’s unfailing power, and trusted that his obedience to God would get results.

Trust Is the Fifth Stone

David’s trust was in God.  Knowing that he needed no other shield of protection, David laid aside the weight of Saul’s armor and marched to war with weapons he could trust from previous experience.  Saul wanted David to wear a bronze helmet and a coat of mail, but David took them off.

What weapons are you using against your giant?  The five symbolic stones of motivation, understanding, conviction, knowledge, and trust we’ve been talking about WILL defeat your enemy.  This is a “transferable truth,” which you can always carry with you into future battles.  Keep your slingshot of power, which is faith in God, and arm yourself with the following stones to prepare yourself for your next war.

STONE #1: Be MOTIVATED by the truth of God’s plan for you.

STONE #2: UNDERSTAND that your actions expedite His plan.

STONE #3: Be CONVINCED of God’s victorious power.

STONE #4: Act on the KNOWLEDGE of the truth.

STONE #5: TRUST that your obedience to God will get results.

God wants you to enjoy the abundant life, which includes good health.  We glorify Him through our life, not through our premature death as a result of poor living habits.

Since the time you first believed on Jesus Christ as your personal Savior, how many times have you seen Him deliver you?  Do you believe that an eating disorder is more difficult for God than the changes you have already seen Him perform in your life?  God’s own Son bore your sickness and infirmities, so God wants you to enjoy health.  Trust that your obedience to God will bring results.

In Whom Have You Placed Your Trust?

Have other people tried to arm you with weight-loss programs that have only brought you into more bondage?  Some programs can keep you so preoccupied with what you are eating that you can’t think of anything else.  You are not free as long as someone else is deciding what you should eat.  You need to know what is good for you and what isn’t, so you are in control of your own health.  Knowing the truth will set you free.

Many diet plans and weight-loss programs succeed through your dependence on them.  They want you to keep coming back to them so that they can sell you their literature and food.

But if you understand the food process, you can ultimately become independent of pre-measured, processed foods.  When you have knowledge, you are able to enter a grocery store and restaurant and make intelligent choices that are good for you.

When you understand how your body operates, you can maintain your ideal weight without paying a program fee.  Unfortunately, most of us know very little about the body we live within.

For example, most don’t understand food as fuel or associate its value in terms of having enough energy for daily performance.  Many see food as a pleasure or stress breaker.  We see it as everything but fuel.  We don’t understand the practical design of our bodies.  All we know is, an isolated event of giving up a second helping isn’t going to make us drop the pounds, so we go ahead and eat it.

Now we can understand that while an isolated sacrifice does not make much difference, a lifestyle committed to eating healthy food and exercising our bodies does impact the way we feel and what we are able to enjoy.  God always gives you something to pull you out of a trap.  Even though you might be overweight and out of shape physically, you can be in shape spiritually and mentally.  You can use your strengths to defend your weakest parts.

There comes a point at the end of various diets, pills, stomach stapling, and numerous crazy attempts at weight loss that you finally say, “If there’s going to be any hope for me at all, Jesus, You’re going to have to do it.”  When you commit your giant to prayer, the devil gets terrified.  When you release the gifts of the Spirit and engage your spiritual warfare against a physical problem, you get to the root of the issue.  Wouldn’t it be great if we all prayed a little sooner, before all the suffering?

Next time we’ll talk about a man who sat beside the road begging, and then fought for his healing.  He is an example to us all.

Until tomorrow, be blessed!

Remember to DREAM!