How is your faith? It is easy to have faith when others are trusting, how is your faith when you are alone? 1 Samuel 14 tells about Jonathan and the young man who carried his armor. They went and spied on the Philistines. They did not tell anyone where they were going or what they were doing. The army did not realize that Jonathan had left the camp. He went down between two rocky cliffs and spied on the Philistines.
Jonathan made a great statement of faith. 1 Samuel 14:6 (NKJV) Then Jonathan said to the young man who bore his armor, “Come, let us go over to the garrison of these uncircumcised; it may be that the Lord will work for us. For nothing restrains the Lord from saving by many or by few.” Jonathan believed that if the Lord wanted to rescue Israel, He could do it as easily with one man as with many men. Jonathan came up with a test to see if the Lord was with them in the fight. 1 Samuel 14:8 - 10 (NKJV) 8Then Jonathan said, “Very well, let us cross over to these men, and we will show ourselves to them. 9If they say thus to us, ‘Wait until we come to you,’ then we will stand still in our place and not go up to them. 10But if they say thus, ‘Come up to us,’ then we will go up. For the Lord has delivered them into our hand, and this will be a sign to us.” When the Philistines saw them coming, they shouted “Come on up here, and we’ll teach you a lesson!” Jonathan and his armor bearer went up the hill. Jonathan knew the Lord would help him defeat them. Jonathan and his armor bearer killed them right and left. They killed about twenty men in all. Then panic broke out in the Philistine army, and earthquake struck, and everyone was terrified.
Jonathan made a great statement of faith. 1 Samuel 14:6 (NKJV) Then Jonathan said to the young man who bore his armor, “Come, let us go over to the garrison of these uncircumcised; it may be that the Lord will work for us. For nothing restrains the Lord from saving by many or by few.” Jonathan believed that if the Lord wanted to rescue Israel, He could do it as easily with one man as with many men. Jonathan came up with a test to see if the Lord was with them in the fight. 1 Samuel 14:8 - 10 (NKJV) 8Then Jonathan said, “Very well, let us cross over to these men, and we will show ourselves to them. 9If they say thus to us, ‘Wait until we come to you,’ then we will stand still in our place and not go up to them. 10But if they say thus, ‘Come up to us,’ then we will go up. For the Lord has delivered them into our hand, and this will be a sign to us.” When the Philistines saw them coming, they shouted “Come on up here, and we’ll teach you a lesson!” Jonathan and his armor bearer went up the hill. Jonathan knew the Lord would help him defeat them. Jonathan and his armor bearer killed them right and left. They killed about twenty men in all. Then panic broke out in the Philistine army, and earthquake struck, and everyone was terrified.
You have to admire the faith of Jonathan. He risked his own life and put everything on the line. You can not have true faith without risk. If there is no risk then it doesn’t take faith. What circumstances in your life are you facing that requires you to have faith? Remember, without faith it is impossible to please God.
Pastor Larry
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