1 Samuel 14:1–14 ‘Nothing can hinder the LORD from saving, whether by many or by few.’ (v6)
Jonathan was the son of Israel’s first king, Saul, and a real man of God. He had great faith, which is in evidence in today’s passage; he also became a good friend and support for David, the second king of Israel.
At a time when rulers would normally wipe out anyone who threatened their position, Prince Jonathan went to great lengths to protect David from the jealousy of Saul, knowing that David was God’s choice of leader, rather than himself or his father (1 Sam. 23:17).
But here we see him before David appeared on the scene. It is clear that Jonathan has enormous confidence in God. He takes on a military outpost with just one other man – vastly outnumbered.
But he believes God is with him, so he is on the winning side before he even begins the fight. Looking at circumstances in the world around us, or even things that may be happening in our own lives, or the lives of people we love, we can become despondent and wonder where God is.
He may promise that He will never leave us (Heb. 13:5) but at times we can wonder if we really are on the winning side! It takes faith to raise our eyes to the One we know will never let us down, even when we doubt the outcome of a particular situation.
But let’s be like the faithful, faith-filled Jonathan. He saw the problem with a different perspective: God’s! So he didn’t feel the magnitude of it was an issue.
He just knew he was on the side of the One who had the answer. With God, he was an overcomer. And we can be overcomers too!
A Prayer To Make:
‘Father, thank You that nothing is impossible for you. Forgive me for putting limits on You! Help me to be a person of great faith, like Jonathan. Amen.’
An Action To Take:
Think of a difficult situation in your own or someone else’s life. How might a different perspective change the way you pray about it? Ask God for greater faith.
Scripture To Consider:
1 Sam. 20:1–42; 2 Sam. 1:1–27; John 16:16–33; Rom. 8:31–39
