Scattering Stones
Key Verse to Read and Treasure
A time to cast away stones (Ecclesiastes 3:5, ESV)
For Insight
By now we are aware God has ordained time for every moment and season of life and He is the Author and sovereign over everything in and under heaven.
In the Old Testament we read many stories where armies used a strategy of throwing stones onto the enemy’s field to keep them from being productive in battle. The stones interfered with their moving forward and caused them to stumble or get bogged down. When the Israelites fought against the army of Moab, they destroyed the town by covering their fields with stones.
Think of times the enemy has thrown and scattered stones in your path and circumstances. Stones of various sizes for various purposes; whichever stone would keep you from being productive or making advancement. His stones may have come in the form of people, a mindset you adopted, as you dealt with institutions or systems, and through practices. His stones might be named discouragement, hopelessness, abuse, ungodly influences, a rebellious spirit, or any stone that would stop you. Have you noticed how he has been very artful, knowing exactly what kind of stone would render you helpless, weaken you or cause you to give up?
My cousin fought in Vietnam. Once he was back home, he often reflected on what he experienced. How the enemy would place landmines throughout a field so the soldiers would step on them. Sometimes a field would be covered with landmines, strategically placed. Unfortunately, he witnessed many of his friends blown up or lose their limbs this way.
The prophet Habakkuk rejoiced that “God the LORD, was his strength; and made his feet like the deer’s; making him tread on his high places” (Habakkuk 3:19). Just like Habakkuk, we can become artful in treading, artful in recognizing the stones the enemy has scattered over our field. We can become artful in knowing what to do with those stones meant to hinder and stop us, and we can become artful in prayer and studying God’s Word where we are strengthened and taught how to take those same stones and fling them back into the enemy’s territory, so they work against him!
Check Yourself
Are you becoming good at recognizing what stones has the devil thrown in your field to keep you from moving forward or being God what has ordained you to be? Once you do, how are dealing with them?
Praying Ecclesiastes 3:5
Lord, show me the stones scattered over my field and give me strength to either go around them or pick them us and toss them out. Amen
Digging Deeper
Devotionally Yours 