You catch the morning news and there it is again.
This week, another threat from Iran, spoken casually and repeatedly. Another round of ceasefire pressure tied to Gaza, even while the last remaining hostage has still not been returned. Another headline accusing Israel of cruelty, genocide, while excusing terror. Another cultural moment, even at the Oscars, where the story being told about Israel bears little resemblance to truth. Another university excusing Jew hatred and protecting the haters instead of the innocent.
It is relentless.
And if you are paying attention, it is not only Israel that is being tested. It is our moral clarity. Our courage. Our willingness to stand when the cost becomes visible.
British philosopher Edmund Burke once warned, “The only thing necessary for the triumph of evil is for good men to do nothing.” When twisted headlines and accusations multiply, it is tempting to disengage. To assume it will only get worse for Christians and Jews and there is nothing you can do.
Scripture tells us otherwise. Not by denying the danger, but by refusing to surrender the moment to fear. Scripture reminds us who stands in the midst of it.
Every morning, Goliath stepped forward and shouted.
He mocked Israel. He threatened violence. He dared them to respond. Day after day, the shouting continued. Israel did not choose that battlefield. It came to them.
David saw it clearly. And before he ran toward the giant, he bent down by the stream and picked up five smooth stones.
Why five?
Was one not enough if God was with him?
Or did David understand something we often forget. That giants rarely stand alone.
“The LORD is my light and my salvation; whom shall I fear?” Psalm 27:1
David knew the size of his God. But he also knew the nature of the threat.
Not One Giant. Many Voices.
Israel is not facing one accusation or one enemy. She is facing many fronts at once.
There is the military front, where terror groups and their sponsors threaten daily. There is the diplomatic front, where Israel is pressed to move on before truth and justice are complete. There is the cultural front, where films and awards recast terror as tragedy and erase October 7 entirely. And there is the moral front, where self defense is questioned while terrorism is reframed as grievance.
At the same time, the world pauses to mark International Holocaust Remembrance Day. Candles are lit. Promises of “never again” are spoken aloud. Yet antisemitism is rising openly, especially in places that once prided themselves on reason and restraint.
How does a people stand when the rules seem different for everyone else?
David answers without speeches or slogans. He prepared.
Five Stones in the Briefcase
There is an old story about a small lawyer who walked into a courtroom carrying an oversized briefcase. Across from him stood a towering opponent who laughed and asked, “What do you have in there?”
Without looking up, the lawyer replied, “Five smooth stones.”
The message was unmistakable. You may look imposing, but I am not unprepared.
Israel walks into today’s courtroom mocked, misrepresented, and outnumbered. But she is not empty-handed.
Not reckless confidence. Not denial. Preparation rooted in faith.
The Stones Israel Carries
Truth.
Lies travel fast right now. Truth must be carried deliberately. Israel is fighting a battle for truth far beyond Gaza, on red carpets and global stages where films accuse Israel of cruelty while erasing October 7, the hostages, and Hamas’ declared intent. “You shall not spread a false report” (Exodus 23:1).
Moral clarity.
David did not negotiate with someone who came to destroy him. Israel is pressured to advance ceasefires even as promises are broken and families still wait. “Seek peace and pursue it” (Psalm 34:14) does not mean pretending evil has repented when it has not.
Restraint.
David did not swing wildly. He aimed. Israel responds with measured restraint despite constant provocation. Strength under control is not fear. It is faith.
Memory.
Before David fought, he remembered God’s faithfulness. Holocaust remembrance is not distant history for Israel. It is warning. “Remember the days of old; consider the generations long past” (Deuteronomy 32:7).
God-confidence.
When Goliath moved forward, “David ran quickly toward the battle line” (1 Samuel 17:48). Israel often stands alone in global forums. Support whispers. Condemnation shouts. David did not wait for consensus. He trusted God.
Jesus said it plainly, “In this world you will have trouble. But take heart; I have overcome the world” (John 16:33).
One Giant Was Never the Whole Story
David did not carry one stone.
Culture is shouting.
Diplomacy is pressing.
Iran is threatening.
Antisemitism is rising.
History is being rewritten.
David did not prepare because he expected an easy victory. He prepared because he trusted a faithful God.
A Word for Women Who Stand Like Esther
Esther did not wait for certainty. She stepped forward anyway. She did not defeat Haman with force, but with courage, timing, and faith. She stood when silence felt safer.
This moment asks the same of us.
Not panic.
Not despair.
Faithful presence.
Carry the stones God places in your hands. Speak truth. Remember rightly. Stand with Israel, not because it is easy, but because it is faithful.
David did not measure the size of Goliath. He already knew the size of his God.
So do we.
Today’s Prayer
Lord God of Israel,
You are our light and our salvation.
Strengthen Your people with wisdom and courage.
Silence what is false.
Help us remember, speak, and stand without fear.
Teach us to trust You when the shouting grows loud.
Amen.
