It was wonderful to hear my son Nathan speak this past Sunday! He gave a message on Jonathan and wrapped up our Running with the Giants series. Son to the first king of Israel, Jonathan fought along-side King Saul in battle. Saul and Jonathan both shared the same problem—they had the whole Philistine army against them. 1 Samuel 13:5 says, “And the Philistines mustered to fight with Israel, thirty thousand chariots and six thousand horsemen and troops like the sand on the seashore in multitude. They came up and encamped in Mickmash, to the east of Beth-aven.” With Saul being the first king of Israel, there being new government, and the nation being at war, Jonathan was facing a lot of challenges.
Saul was king, but Jonathan was so set apart from him! Even though Saul and Jonathan were both equipped, it was Jonathan who stepped out in faith. Without his father knowing, Jonathan took his armor-bearer and set out to attack the Philistines. Once there, Jonathan waited for a sign from God that he should attack. When he got the sign, he bravely went forward. Saul chose to wait for an answer regarding winning the battle, but Jonathan chose to be the answer. Read 1 Samuel Chapter 14 for the full story of this victory. And remember—you should be willing to listen to God, even if there won’t be an immediate victory. Victory sometimes come later down the road!
Jonathan set a good example by stepping out in faith and then waiting for a sign from God that he should attack the Philistine army. But there are situations where you might not need to wait on God. Mark 16:15 tells you to share the Gospel! Do you ever try to make things hard for God? You might say things to Him such as, “If you want me to share the Gospel with someone, have them come up to me and say that they want me to share the Gospel with them!” This is not being faithful! You know that God has instructed you to reach those around you.
At the beginning of Nathan’s message, he asked the audience if they knew what the biggest question people ask when they come to church is. That question is, “What is God’s will for my life?” This question creates a problem for many people—it causes inaction! You don’t need to question if you should give, share the Gospel and participate in things like 21 Days of Prayer…all of these things will help you get closer to God and more clearly see His will for your life. Step out in faith like Jonathan did, and trust God to lead you as you go. And remember, Jonathan didn’t win the battle on his own; God fought beside him.