Whose Jonathan Are You?

“And Jonathan Saul’s son arose, and went to David into the wood, and strengthened his hand in God.” (1Sa 23:16 AV)

 

Jonathan is one of my heroes of the faith.  His dedication to the nation, his father, and David and the balance it took to do all three is remarkable.  He is the perfect second man.  David is on the run from Saul.  David has had several very discouraging events.  David sought refuge with the priests of Nob.  Doeg the Edomite saw him and reported back to Saul that David was in Nob.  Saul gathered an army and assembled at Nob.  Upon learning the Ahimelech the high priest gave David food and the sword of Goliath, Saul ordered the death of all the priests.  Only one survived that slaughter and eventually joined David.  Escaping Nob, David eventually winds up in a city of Judah; his own tribe.  Keilah was under attack by the Philistines and sought David to help them.  David rescued this city and expected them to harbor him for a while.  They were his cousins.  They were family.  Yet, when Saul learned of David’s location, he knew he could besiege it and force the people of Keilah to surrender David.  David went to prayer and God told him that indeed, his tribe and extended family would give him over to Saul.  What a disappointment that must have been.  To say that David was in a low time of his life would be an understatement.  Then comes Jonathan.  The son of his enemy.  Rather than heaping on David, he strengthens David.  He told him he had nothing to fear from Saul and that he would eventually reign with Jonathan at his side.  Jonathan was loyal to his father, in as much as he could be, and honored the future king as well.  He strengthened the hand of a man who had lost one too many battles.  This encounter would have been the meeting that propelled David the rest of the way to the throne.

Everyone needs a Jonathan.  They need someone who can see the trouble they are facing and ignores their own situation for the needs of another.  I have had the privilege of being that person.  For years, I served as an associate pastor.  This calling is unique and special.  It was my extreme privilege to discern when my pastor was having a difficult time and be an encouragement to him.  The LORD allowed me to serve under six different pastors.  In each case, they all went through deep waters from time to time.  Most could not see it.  If they could, they assumed the pastor could handle it because he is supposed to be the most spiritual person in the room.  It was a wonderful ministry to read the spirit of my pastor and encourage him from time to time.  The one with which I had the greatest ministry was my pastor and friend, Mike Marshall.  He loved the outdoors.  So, from time to time, we went fishing.  Even more frequently, we did some hunting together.  We have many stories from those times.  There were times I dragged his deer out of the woods because he complained about bad knees.  There was the time I took him fishing at my father’s private property.  There were times when I took him hunting at my in-laws.  Then there were times we simply hung out for coffee.  The thing is, he needed someone who would not need or want anything from him.  He just wanted to be a friend to him.  I had many who did the same for me.  Bunk comes to mind.  My hunting buddy in Kentucky was a great source of encouragement.  These people know what the pastor needs and don’t need.  He doesn’t need an ear in which to air the problems of the church.  That is highly inappropriate.  He doesn’t need someone to feel sorry for him.  He does enough of that for himself.  He doesn’t need someone who is high maintenance and will simply add to the load.  He needs someone who understands without saying a word and will encourage him with optimism, prayer, and especially testimonials of God’s goodness.

David had his Jonathan.  But David was a Jonathan to others, too.  We all need a hand up.  We all need someone to come by our side who will not let us travel down the road of self-pity.  A good friend who will tell it like it is with compassion and understanding.  A friend who will not let us lose hope.  A friend would bring a time of refreshing that is so disconnected from the situation at hand that it fills a void he didn’t even know he had.  Maybe he needs to laugh.  Maybe he needs to cry.  Maybe he needs to empty his mind.  Maybe he needs to rest.  Maybe he needs to know that no matter who he is or what he can or cannot do, he is accepted unconditionally.  Maybe what he needs is a friend.  Can you be that friend?  Can you be that friend to someone else?  Somewhere, there is a David who needs you to be a Jonathan.  He already knows where he has failed and doesn’t need you to remind him of it.  The Devil does a good enough job of that all on his own.  He or she needs someone of humility that understands we are all the same and his or her relationship with you comes with no judgment.  Just a heart dedicated to the spiritual health of another human being.

David Shows Us The Way

“And it came to pass, when the Philistine arose, and came and drew nigh to meet David, that David hasted, and ran toward the army to meet the Philistine.” (1Sa 17:48 AV)

 

There are two responses to a confrontation.  There is fight or flight.  Neither is correct in all situations.  If we are inclined to flee every time, then the enemy will eventually win all.  However, if we incline to fight all the time, we may rush into something we are not able to handle or are unprepared to handle.  There is a phrase used in self-defense classes.  Evade, assess, engage.  EAE.  This means when there is a threat, we do not rush in headlong and take it on.  We step back and evade possible danger.  The next step is to assess the situation.  Who is the bad guy?  What is the threat?  Is there really a threat?  Who is involved and if engaged, can the threat be neutralized?  What is the collateral damage if the threat is engaged?  The third and final step is to engage.  How we choose to do that is determined by the assessment.  Do we stay out of the fray and call 911?  Do we engage the threat with lethal force?  How do we do this while keeping everyone else safe?  Can the force we apply overcome the force of the threat?  Flight may be the proper response to a threat.  So, too, might be a fight.

When we read of David’s confrontation with Goliath, he goes through all these steps.  When Goliath first appears, David stays back with the armies of Israel and his brothers.  He does not rush right down and take on Goliath.  He asked, is there not a cause?  The moral justification was evident.  He took the first step by evading the threat.  Next, David assessed the situation.  The conclusion was God was bigger than any threat and the honor of God and His people were worth fighting for.  He assessed his available resources.  He had the armor from Saul that was never used in battle and therefore, would be cumbersome to use.  Using the armor would have put him at greater risk than not using it.  He tried it on.  It didn’t work.  Next, he was given a weapon.  The problem is, the reach of the giant was greater than the reach of David’s weapon.  A sword would not do.  He had to devise a plan that would overcome the physical advantages of the giant.  Thus, he chose a weapon that could reach well beyond Goliath’s nine-foot height and five-foot reach.  David evaded.  David assessed.  But the final piece of David’s engagement was that which Goliath did not have.  Even if David wisely evaded and correctly assessed, the stone would not find its mark unless God was in it.  David had all the reason to take on Goliath.  He had correctly assessed and came up with a sound plan.  But if God was not going to fight for him, it would end in disaster.

We can appreciate David’s zeal here.  A leader doesn’t run away from an enemy, he runs toward it.  But just because we are running towards an enemy doesn’t mean we are doing the right thing.  If God is not in it, then our bravery will end in disaster.  Intent is admirable.  It is even noteworthy.  As Paul said, be zealous always in a good thing.  Zeal is a great quality.  Too many of us don’t have enough.  But zeal must be tempered with wisdom and God’s leading.  David ran to the enemy.  That is awesome.  I wish I had the spirit of David in every situation which I face.  He was not afraid to take on a challenge bigger than himself.  David was used by God because no matter the challenge, he knew God had his back.  David is a soldier’s soldier.  He evades (he did so with Saul for seven years), he assesses (he ran to Gath and prepared for God to deal with Saul) and he engages (he rightly judged the principles involved in Saul’s death).  Over and over again, we see the wisdom of a military leader who bravely takes on the enemy and the wisdom required to win one for the LORD.

Be A Kid Again

“Let thy fountain be blessed: and rejoice with the wife of thy youth.” (Pr 5:18 AV)

 

A very interesting understanding came to mind this morning.  Solomon is speaking to an adult child.  Most commentators speak of the wife of his youth and the wife he married in his youth.  The blessed fountain means to have children.  In other words, Dad is saying to his son that he wishes him many children by the one wife he married in his youth and that throughout life, he might rejoice with her.  The phrase ‘of thy youth’ got me thinking.  As the Spirit mulled it over in my mind, I came back to that phrase and the reality that the wife of his youth would eventually be the wife of his old age.  So, why phrase it in such a way?  Perhaps there is a principle we can learn and apply as we age.  Maybe, the wise writer here is pointing out that age is just a number.  The joy we shared as a newly married couple should be the joy that remains.  The youthful love and optimism we once had should be consistent throughout our marriage.  Perhaps we need to stop and think about what it used to be like and try, albeit in a different context, to capture some of that same joy again.

Getting older is not for the faint of heart.  Things change.  We change.  We are not the same people we were when we married many years ago.  We have complimented one another.  We have morphed into one.  Along the way, we met hardships head-on and faced them together.  As we get older, the inevitable becomes more of a reality.  We know this life cannot last forever, but that which comes upon all people is far closer than it has ever been.  Our bodies ache.  Our finances dwindle.  Our days and nights get more lonely as the kids marry, move away, and are busy with their own lives.  That which once was easy is now a massive chore.  It would be easy to forget the joy of our youth.  As we get older and troubles seem to mount, our memories fail of the times we used to have.  Solomon shows no pity here.  That is because we do not need it.  He tells his son to rejoice with the wife of his youth.  Not the wife he thinks he has today.

Regardless of our current trials, there is always something for which we can rejoice.  Our lives have changed.  They have become immensely more complicated.  We are getting to an age where appointments regarding health care are far more numerous.  We are not nearly where my in-laws are, but we are quickly approaching this reality.   They are off to some doctor, dentist, hearing aid place, or optometrist at least once a week.  Many times it is more than that!  Cancer is not part of our daily conversation.  There are inherent challenges with this.  There are days of anxiety and fear, other days of joy and peace.  It is a rollercoaster ride, to say the least.  If we are not careful, we will allow life to rob us of the joy that marriage should bring.  Rejoice with the wife of thy youth.  She is still the same amazing woman you married decades ago.  Even more so, in fact.  Time and trials have transformed her into the beautiful, astounding, and amazing person she is.  She needs that joy.  She needs to know despite all that faces her, you still are doing back-flips because she said ‘yes’.  She is the wife of your youth.  She always has been.  Don’t let life rob you of the joy you two will share from the day you exchanged vows until eternity future.  Glory to God for His goodness to the children of men!

Grace Sufficient For Mistakes

“And the Spirit of God came upon Saul when he heard those tidings, and his anger was kindled greatly.” (1Sa 11:6 AV)

 

Every time I read of Saul’s selection and coronation, I can’t get by the reaction Saul must have had.  Samuel castigates the people of God for choosing a king over God.  He expounds on the faults of a king.  Then he defends his flawless ministry to the people.  He presents Saul as the choice of a rebellious people.  No wonder he was hiding among the stuff.  Who would want to stand before the people as the answer from an upset God?  God could have given them their king and then stepped back, allowing them to suffer human leadership not led by the Holy Spirit.  He could have made Israel suffer the full brunt of their choice.  Yet, He did not.  Even in an imperfect situation, the LORD still involved Himself for the good of His people.  He did not hold a grudge.  He did not get envious or upset.  The Spirit of God came upon Saul even though Saul was not God’s first choice.  God, in His infinite mercy, decides to show grave by using what He was dealt by the choice of God’s people.

This is not to insinuate that just because God may use imperfect choices we should be allowed to make them.  Not at all.  But if we do, the LORD may use our choice nonetheless.  Some think that if they make a major mistake in life, God cannot or will not use them.  This is not so.  The difference is repentance.  When Samuel enumerated all that God had done for them from Moses until his service, and how God had overcome flawed men to successfully lead the people, they repented of their choice for a king.  They begged Samuel to pray for them.  They realized just how much of an error it was.  Seeing the heart of God’s people, God decided to use their wrong choice and turn it around for His glory.  There is hope for us yet!

Our lives are full of these moments.  Times when we should not have made the choice we did.  Or, we neglected to make a choice that we should have.  There are some choices that regardless of our repentance, God will not use.  He cannot.  It would affect His holiness or character.  Not all choices, however, are destined to remain unusable.  There were times in my life when I thought I was making the right choice, but it turned out I was wrong.  God used them anyway.  At other times, I made a choice that I knew was wrong, and God forgave me for it and made the best of a bad situation.  All we are trying to say is that even if we mess up big time, in His grace, God can and might use the results of our disobedience for our benefit and His glory.  We are not sunk.   We have a God bigger than our failures.  AMEN!

Fair Warning May Limit Grace

“And ye shall cry out in that day because of your king which ye shall have chosen you; and the LORD will not hear you in that day.” (1Sa 8:18 AV)

 

Fair warning may cancel grace.  Israel wanted a king like the nations around them had.  They wanted a champion who would lead them and protect them.  Samuel made the mistake of placing his ungodly sons in the position of judge.  Much like Eli, his predecessor, whose lustful and wicked sons were killed because they abused the office of priest.  The people saw a pattern and were afraid Samuel’s sons would rule over them.  They panicked.  They forgot God overcame the wicked sons of Eli by calling Samuel.  Could not God do the same regarding Samuel’s sons?  So, they chose a king.  Prior to the actual event, Samuel warned Israel what would happen. He told them the king would take the best of all Israel had for his army and government.  He told them eventually their kings would lead them into failure.  He warned them of the nature of a monarchy and that Israel would be no exception.  In doing so, Samuel was giving them an opportunity to change their mind.  Which they did not.  He warned them of the consequences of their decision.  Yet they decided to anyway.  God gave them fair warning.  Thus, He was right to withhold any grace they may have received if they had not chosen a king.  If they were going to make a bad choice after ample warning, then they were to suffer all of the consequences that came with that choice.

We have many self-inflicted wounds.  Over time, most heal.  I have many scars on my hands from the years of working in the kitchen and at a factory. I even have one from processing a deer.  The funny thing is, some of those choices have consequences that cannot be reversed.  Working in the factory, we had equipment all around us with the potential of causing great bodily harm.  Because of this, there were procedures in place to keep us as safe as possible.  One of the universal policies was the operator never worked on a piece of equipment while it was running.  There was a lock-out-tag-out procedure for all hazardous equipment.  No matter the repair or how slight it was, the machine was stopped, powered down, and the repair was done while a padlock and tag were placed on all power buttons.  Much of the equipment was slow-moving and the repairs were nothing more than a simple jam.  To take the time to lock out and tag out a bagger meant the entire line went down for a simple obstruction.  Getting the line back up again was an undertaking.  Our safety coordinator thought better of locking out a bagger.  He worked on it was it was still running.  We all did it.  This time, however, his hand got caught and did a great amount of damage to his hand, fingers, and wrist.  When he came back to work, his arm was in a cast and sling.  One would think the consequences of his injury would be punishment enough.  But after he came back, there was an investigation and he was fired.  He had ample warning and did not heed it.

As far as I can recollect, God was good to His word.  He judged Israel for their bad kings.  But He never rescued them from the office of king.  They were stuck with it until the great diaspora.  These kings did exactly what Samuel warned Israel they would do.  And then some.  We cannot ask for, nor expect God’s grace when we ignore repeated attempts to warn us against our choices.  Sometimes the grace of God comes because God cannot help but pity us.  But Israel had the habit of ignoring God and not exercising faith when it came to His laws or plan.  Therefore, when warned not to do it and they did it anyway, God did not ease their suffering.  They made their bed.  Now they have to sleep in it.  God is a very gracious God.  His mercy is everlasting.  Just because God is a gracious God, full of mercy and compassion, does not require Him to exercise that attribute.  If we are warned, we would be wise to heed the warning.  If we ignore it, let us not compound the error by expecting God to rescue us from the consequences we have created.

Nothing Wasted

“And Samuel grew, and the LORD was with him, and did let none of his words fall to the ground.” (1Sa 3:19 AV)

 

What a surprise the words of commentators are not unanimous.  Some believe the ‘he’ that didn’t let words fall to the ground is the LORD.  They believe it is the LORD who fulfilled all that He spoke of concerning Samuel.   Most think, however, it is Samuel who did not allow the words of the LORD to fall to the ground.  That phrase has the meaning of an arrow that met its mark rather than coming up short and hitting the ground.  I think the latter is the more accurate understanding seeing as how the next verse speaks of all of Israel concluding Samuel to be the genuine article.  It was the sensitivity and integrity of Samuel that proved he was who he claimed to be.  Besides, for God to honor all that he promised Samuel, Samuel would have had to have been towards the end of his life rather than the beginning of his ministry.  Having said all that, let us consider the testimony of Samuel.  Samuel did not waste the words of God.  That which God told him to speak, that he spoke.  That which the LORD told him to do, that he did.  Samuel noticed, learned, and applied the word of God.  It was his character and faith that proved to all that he was a prophet and judge of Israel.  We may not be called to either of those things, but we can admire Samuel’s testimony and attempt to emulate it.

I was raised not to waste a thing.  This can be a detriment.  But it is more of an asset than not.  This does make my wife question my sanity.  For instance, I cannot pour old coffee down the drain.  Whatever coffee I have left gets mixed in with the fresh pot of the morning.  I will do this for about a week and then pour out the leftover.  Don’t tell my wife.  She thinks she is drinking fresh coffee every morning.  She is, to a point.  I take out the spouts of the laundry soap containers when they get down to the bottom.  Those spouts block about one load’s worth of soap.  Same with the fabric softener.  I love the new toothpaste tubes.  They are plastic and do not collapse.  When I think it is at the end, I take scissors and cut it open.  There are three days worth of pasts still in that tube.  Hair conditioner?  I’m glad you ask.  I buy the store brand and it is super thick.  The old bottle I fill about one-third with water.  I mix it around to dilute what is left.  Then add it to the super thick hair conditioner.  When I am done with a bottle, it is almost completely clean.  Leftovers are rarely thrown out.  It is amazing what a little imagination and courage can produce.  Nothing falls to the ground.

The saint of God should desire to be used by God.  How we are used is determined by our faithfulness to the word of God.  Our reading habits, our study habits, our wisdom in applying what we have learned, and our faithfulness to share the word of God all play a part in how God can use us.  But there must be no waste.  We handle the word of God for God’s glory, the profit of others, and our own profit.  The word of God is too precious to be treated lightly.  It is the perfect word of God and is His revelation of Himself to mankind.  It is His voice.  It is His will.  It is His love letter to humanity and shows us the way to salvation.  The word of God has all we need for life and holiness.  It is the key to blessings and the warning against misfortune.  The word of God is available to all and to all it belongs.  Not one word should be taken for granted.  Not one instruction, not one edification, not one admonishment, or not one piece of wisdom should be taken for granted.  Samuel didn’t waste anything God showed him.  And look at how God used him.

Not As Guilty As You Think

“I went out full, and the LORD hath brought me home again empty: why then call ye me Naomi, seeing the LORD hath testified against me, and the Almighty hath afflicted me?” (Ru 1:21 AV)

 

We have to be careful when we read a narrative.  The words spoken may be more about how the speaker felt rather than the whole truth of the matter.  Naomi returned to Bethlehem after a decade or so in Moab.  While in Moab, she lost her husband and two adult sons.  When she returned to Bethlehem, there was rejoicing.  The town came out, welcomed her back, and celebrated her return.  Part of her response is stated in the verse above.  Naomi felt God was against her.  She felt she had caused the circumstances under which she is currently suffering.  She felt she made choices and now the LORD was punishing her for them.  She took personally the events of misfortune that came her way.  She took all the blame.  However, there is something important to remember.  Elimelech, Naomi’s husband, was the leader of his house.  Or, at the very least, was supposed to be.  Perhaps Naomi was the force that pushed her husband into a series of poor choices.  We will never know.  But Elimelech had a will of his own.  So, too, did her two sons.  Once the famine was over, they could have returned.  Naomi may or may not have had a part in her circumstances, but her husband was ultimately to blame.  Sometimes, we allow the adversary to convince us we are more to blame for our circumstances than we are, and as a result, God is angry with us.

When insurance companies battle over liability, they are battling over fault.  Which party is to blame and to what degree are they to blame?  No matter what end we might be on, there will always be a part of us that doesn’t think the outcome was completely fair.  We always think the other party is more to blame than we are.  We hire a lawyer who fights for us.  We look at our suffering and cannot fathom any culpability on our part.  We see the suffering we endure and always think it is greater than our lapse of judgment.  The other guy was at fault.  We couldn’t possibly be.  My wife is live color commentator with anything we watch.  She always has a comment to make.  We were watching a show with the law as the main theme and the defendants were suing a company that made a faulty product.  They made a product that could be charged with any style charger that fit the port, but there was a safety warning on the product that explicitly stated only the charger that came with the product could be used.  The product exploded when used with a non-approved charger.  My wife, being a legal secretary/paralegal, was all over the plaintiffs who would not take responsibility in first, using such a product, and second, not following the manufacturer’s recommendations.   But this is not that.  Naomi was beating herself up and taking on more responsibility for her circumstances than she should have.

Those of us with an over-developed sense of guilt do this all the time.  We look at any misfortune as an expression of God’s anger.  We see a flat tire as God’s way of saying we are completely out of the will of God rather than wear and tear on a tire.  We see illness as an expression of God’s displeasure when sickness is a human condition brought on us by Adam’s sin.  Sure, we might be responsible.  We might even be totally responsible.  But not always.  Sometimes it is not as much our fault as we think it is.  Naomi shouldered the entire burden of a poor choice by herself.  She beat herself up for something her husband should have prevented.  Next time the adversary tempts you to shoulder more blame than you deserve, simply plead the grace and mercy of God. Then resist the devil and he will flee from you.