Today’s Bible readings are 1 Samuel 14:1-52, John 7:31-53, Psalm 109:1-31, & Proverbs 15:5-7
1 Samuel 14:6
6 “Let’s go across to the outpost of those pagans,” Jonathan
said to his armor bearer. “Perhaps the Lord
will help us, for nothing can hinder the Lord.
He can win a battle whether he has many warriors or only a few!”
Jonathon is such a great man of God. As we will read in future
readings he was loyal, trustworthy, & a man of honor. Here we see another
characteristic of his that is worth modeling, the willingness to take a risk.
The biggest tragedy that a person will ever experience is
the risk that they never took for God. The dreams that people take to the grave
with them is the saddest thing about a person dying. Graveyards are filled with
God given dreams that people never acted on.
I could tell story after story of dreams that God gave
people that they came to talk to me about but they never took a risk &
acted on it. Jonathon was not that kind of a person. He was willing to step out
& take a risk. He wasn’t even convinced that God was with him on it. But I
love his expression:
“Perhaps the Lord
will help us, for nothing can hinder the Lord.
He can win a battle whether he has many warriors or only a few!”
Most people only want to take that first step when
everything is perfect. They don’t want to step out in faith until they have had
20 meetings with 3 different committees. If the numbers aren’t there, they don’t
act. This was not the case for Jonathon.
Numbers were against them. The only person he had to consult
was a loyal armor bearer who would have followed Jonathon anywhere. I think
that is an important point to make. We all need somebody who is willing to ride
out anywhere with us. People who believe so much in us & our ability to
lead that they are willing to follow & support us where ever we decide to
go.
I have had a group of people like that in my life since the
beginning. I can remember when I was first praying about accepting the
pastorate at our church. I was nervous & unsure BUT it seemed right. I
remember an older gentleman who was a close friend of mine tell me: “Richard you have the anointing & I would
follow you anywhere.” That was the encouragement that I needed. It helped push
me over the edge to step out. The rest is HISTORY!
2 things I want to say to you today:
1. Don’t be afraid to take a risk.
Sometimes you don’t know for certain what God wants you to do
until you start doing it. If it seems right, & if the Spirit is not
screaming NO, sometimes you just have to take the plunge. I have learned to
trust in the mercy of God. There have been great things happen in my life as a
result of doing what seemed right in a spontaneous moment.
That is not to say that we throw conventional wisdom out the
window. We still operate in wisdom. But sometimes miracles come as a result of
a risky decision that is made in the moment. Many examples of this in the
gospels.
2. Surround yourself with people who will support you & help you reach your dreams.
God connects us with people for a reason. He is all about
relationships. It is beneficial to step back & evaluate the relationships
that you are most invested in. Sometimes we fail to realize that our best
assets our right beside us in a willing, loyal armor bearer.
Don’t let fear & indecision stop what could be the great
chapter in your life. Trust in God. Don’t doubt His mercy. He is fine with us making
mistakes when the motive was right.
Spend some time today looking for opportunities that might
have been missed. This may be the day that you win your greatest victory.
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