Every Face Tells A Story

# 190 - Today's Du-votional comes from: 1Sa 14:29,30, “But Jonathan said, "My father has troubled the land. Look now, how my countenance has brightened because I tasted a little of this honey. 30 "How much better if the people had eaten freely today of the spoil of their enemies which they found! For now would there not have been a much greater slaughter among the Philistines?" ( 1 Sam 14:29,30) At first glance it appears that Jonathan's remark is a little disrespectful toward his father and king. Perhaps it is. How about we let God straighten that one out? Remember, Jonathan was not aware of the order when he ate of the honey, and his remarks here may be just some observations he has made. His observation comes from the noticeable countenance of the troops. They all had “troubled” looks. The word means roiled up or disturbed. Have you ever seen the look on someones face when they are disturbed about something? This troubled look comes upon all who are pre-occupied with other things. In this case they were pre-occupied with hunger brought on by Saul's command.. Jonathan says, Look at me, I ate. How does my countenance look. The inference being that his face has a brightness to it....some joy if you will. He was not pre-occupied with the command of Saul not to eat. Dare we say that he was not under the Law but under grace? Those who live under the yoke of the Law have a dourness about them, but those who live in grace have an air of joy. I am reminded of the words in Ne 8:10, “Then he said to them, "Go your way, eat the fat, drink the sweet, and send portions to those for whom nothing is prepared; for this day is holy to our LORD. Do not sorrow, for the joy of the LORD is your strength." The joy of the Lord flows from the overabundance of His grace and our desire to share it with others. It is this joy that gives us strength in our own spiritual battles. If an unbeliever were to look at your face, what would they see? Dourness or joy? You may be able to hide dourness, but you can't hide true joy, it oozes like honey from those who have it. Joy that comes from knowing your standing with God through faith in Christ. Joy in knowing your sins are forgiven.

Let Your Yes Or No Be Sufficient

# 189 - Today's Du-votional comes from: 1Sa 14:24-28, “And the men of Israel were distressed that day, for Saul had placed the people under oath, saying, "Cursed is the man who eats any food until evening, before I have taken vengeance on my enemies." So none of the people tasted food. 25 Now all the people of the land came to a forest; and there was honey on the ground. 26 And when the people had come into the woods, there was the honey, dripping; but no one put his hand to his mouth, for the people feared the oath. 27 But Jonathan had not heard his father charge the people with the oath; therefore he stretched out the end of the rod that was in his hand and dipped it in a honeycomb, and put his hand to his mouth; and his countenance brightened. 28 Then one of the people said, "Your father strictly charged the people with an oath, saying, 'Cursed is the man who eats food this day.'" And the people were faint. (1 Sam 14:24-28) Again, we see the ineptitude of Saul as a military commander/king. He foolishly orders his troops to a total fast on the day of battle. His logic apparently being that to take time to eat would slow them down in their pursuit of the Philistines. On top of that, he adds the punishment of death for anyone who breaks his order and eats. To a man, his army was distressed, the word means “to drive as cattle.” Having been driven like cattle the men were weak and hungry, and the very thing they needed was being withheld from them by this foolish order. Jonathan, unaware of his father's order grabs some honey and is immediately strengthened for battle. The rest of the soldiers are terrified at his act. They know that Jonathan has signed his own death warrant through his innocent snack. How foolish it is to make such oaths. Ps 109:17 says, “As he loved cursing, so let it come to him; As he did not delight in blessing, so let it be far from him.” No wonder Jesus reminded us in Mt 5:34 "But I say to you, do not swear at all: neither by heaven, for it is God's throne; 35 "nor by the earth, for it is His footstool; nor by Jerusalem, for it is the city of the great King. 36 "Nor shall you swear by your head, because you cannot make one hair white or black. 37 "But let your 'Yes' be 'Yes,' and your 'No,' 'No.' “ Oaths must be backed up, and no one but God has the power to back up an oath. Let your yes or no be sufficient.

There's Room At the Cross For You

# 188 - Today's Du-votional comes from: 1Sa 14:21-23, “Moreover the Hebrews who were with the Philistines before that time, who went up with them into the camp from the surrounding country, they also joined the Israelites who were with Saul and Jonathan. 22 Likewise all the men of Israel who had hidden in the mountains of Ephraim, when they heard that the Philistines fled, they also followed hard after them in the battle. 23 So the LORD saved Israel that day, and the battle shifted to Beth Aven. ( 1 Sam 14:21-23) Saul and his rag tag army chase after the Philistines, the Hebrews who had been co-existing with the Philistines also join in the rout. Even those who had been hiding in the caves of the mountains came out of their holes to join in the victory. As we shall see, much spoil is taken in this battle and these compromising cowards are allowed to share in it all. There's a part of me that doesn't like this arrangement They were on the sidelines and worse yet in camp with the enemy! But now, when things are looking good, they decide to return to the Lord. Yes, there's a part of me, my forgetful, sinful flesh that is rankled by this. But I forget that I once lived a life of compromise with the enemy. I forget those times that I was content with staying on the sidelines. Lord have mercy on me. Lord, give me the heart of the Prodigal's father, who ran to greet his compromising son, when he returned to the Lord. "And he arose and came to his father. But when he was still a great way off, his father saw him and had compassion, and ran and fell on his neck and kissed him. (Luke 15:20) Lord give me the heart of the very angels in heaven who rejoice when one sinner comes to repentance. "I say to you that likewise there will be more joy in heaven over one sinner who repents than over ninety-nine just persons who need no repentance. (Luke 15:7) Are you living in compromise with the world? Are you standing on the sidelines? Take hope from this incident. As the song says, there's room at the cross for you. Come. Return to the Lord and enjoy the spoils of salvation in His name.

Two Swords Are Enough

# 187 - Today's Du-votional comes from: 1Sa 14:20, “Then Saul and all the people who were with him assembled, and they went to the battle; and indeed every man's sword was against his neighbor, and there was very great confusion.” (1 Sam 14:20) Sensing the confusion in the Philistine camp Saul leads his men into battle. Don't forget, the Israelites had nothing but farm implements for weapons. The only swords were in the possession of Saul and Jonathan. 1Sa 13:22 So it came about, on the day of battle, that there was neither sword nor spear found in the hand of any of the people who were with Saul and Jonathan. But they were found with Saul and Jonathan his son.” These two swords would be enough to defeat the Philistines. I am reminded of Jesus' words to His disciples in the upper room before they went to the Garden of Gethsemane, “ Lu 22:38 So they said, "Lord, look, here are two swords." And He said to them, "It is enough." The statement by Jesus was designed to be ridiculous. Two swords against the crowd that was going to be coming out to arrest Him? No way that would be enough. His point being that God doesn't need our swords to gain the victory. He proved it when Jesus knocked the whole arresting party on their butts in Gethsemane by simply saying, “I am,” (Jn 18:6) And God proved it here as he turned the swords of the Philistines against themselves. It was like, “look, you guys don't have swords, so I'll just use theirs to get the victory.” 2 is enough. Now, I want you to stand on the hillside with the rest of the Israelites and see what they saw. What a ridiculous sight! The enemy takes out the swords they were suppose to use against the Israelites and turn them on themselves cutting each other to pieces. I think God wants us to see this because I think He wants us to see how ridiculous we look to the rest of the world when we turn our swords on each other, and we do it many times for the silliest reasons.

Scripture Never Contradicts Itself

# 186 - Today's Du-votional comes from: 1Sa 14:18,19, “And Saul said to Ahijah, "Bring the ark of God here" (for at that time the ark of God was with the children of Israel). 19 Now it happened, while Saul talked to the priest, that the noise which was in the camp of the Philistines continued to increase; so Saul said to the priest, "Withdraw your hand." (1 Sam 14:18,19) The Philistines are in a state of panic and King Saul has a decision to make. Should he and his rag tag army attack? So he calls the priest to him and asks for the ark of God to be brought to him. Hey wait a minute! How can the ark of God be in two places at the same time? Last we heard it was in Kiriath Jearim. Something doesn't make sense here. Let's see if we can sort this out: The ark of God, was as the text says with the children of Israel, but we know from 1 Sam 7:1 that it was located in Abinadab's house in Kiriath Jearim and remained there for twenty years: 1Sa 7:2 So it was that the ark remained in Kiriath Jearim a long time; it was there twenty years.” It stayed there until David called for it to be taken to Jerusalem in 2 Sam, chapter six. So how can this be? How can the ark be in two places at the same time? It wasn't. Saul didn't know what to do and his first panicky thought was to bring the ark to him from Kiriath Jearim. HoweverIn talking to Ahijah the priest, Saul realizes that the ark was not necessary, the decision to attack or not could be made by using the priest's ephod. The priest DID have the ephod with him as we read in v3. This ephod contained two stones (the Urim and the Thummim) in it's breastplate that were used for determining the Lords will. Ahijah explained all of this to Saul and was in the process of drawing out the decisive stone when Saul once again took matters into his own hands and said, “we don't have time for this, withdraw your hand.” Once again we see the impatience of Saul, and his unwillingness to wait on the Lord. This passage then is just another example of Saul's ineptitude as king. And it's another example of how Scripture interprets scripture. It cannot contradict itself, and sometimes we just need to roll up our shirtsleeves and wade thru it.

Don't Be So Surprised

# 185 - Today's Du-votional comes from: 1Sa 14:17 Then Saul said to the people who were with him, "Now call the roll and see who has gone from us." And when they had called the roll, surprisingly, Jonathan and his armorbearer were not there. Saul decides to see if it was someone from his troops who caused such panic among the Philistines, so he musters up the troops to see if anyone is missing. To the surprise of every one, ONLY Jonathan and his armorbearer are missing. Just two men were able to set off such a disturbance against the enemy? Are you kidding me? No, We are not kidding you. Remember we have said before that Jonathan like David was a man after God's own heart. He understood the chain of command, by that I mean he recognized God as His commander and chief and was willing to follow His orders no matter what. He knew with God, nothing is impossible David explains this faith of a warrior in Ps 18:29-40, “For by You I can run against a troop, By my God I can leap over a wall. 30 As for God, His way is perfect; The word of the LORD is proven; He is a shield to all who trust in Him. 31 For who is God, except the LORD? And who is a rock, except our God? 32 It is God who arms me with strength, And makes my way perfect. 33 He makes my feet like the feet of deer, And sets me on my high places. 34 He teaches my hands to make war, So that my arms can bend a bow of bronze. 35 You have also given me the shield of Your salvation; Your right hand has held me up, Your gentleness has made me great. 36 You enlarged my path under me, So my feet did not slip. 37 I have pursued my enemies and overtaken them; Neither did I turn back again till they were destroyed. 38 I have wounded them, So that they could not rise; They have fallen under my feet. 39 For You have armed me with strength for the battle; You have subdued under me those who rose up against me. 40 You have also given me the necks of my enemies, So that I destroyed those who hated me. This was Jonathan and David's creed and it is a picture of the victories that await you and I over our SPIRITUAL enemies. The devil and his demons are out to get us through the world and our flesh, but in Christ we are more than conquerors. Trust God, let Him subdue your enemies and live in peace.

Turn On the Microphone and Let the Pilot Speak Peace To You

# 184 - Today's Du-votional comes from: 1Sa 14:16, “Now the watchmen of Saul in Gibeah of Benjamin looked, and there was the multitude, melting away; and they went here and there. ( 1 Sam 14:16) The panic of the Philistines set off by Jonathan's slaughter of the twenty is clearly observable from Saul's outposts. Melting away with fear the people run to and fro in a classic case of crowd bedlam. If you've ever been caught up in this type of a situation you know how quickly it can turn ugly. We see milder forms of this kind of savage crowd behavior in America on Black Friday as people frantically try to get a bargain and sadly there have been incidents at rock concerts, soccer games, and pilgrimages where many have been literally trampled to death. Panic and anxiety need to be caught early and dealt with or they can escalate to dangerous levels. That's why you'll hear the pilot speak with an incredibly calm voice over the intercom when the plane is experiencing some turbulence. He desires to soothe everyone, lest some unhealthy anxiety breaks out. Same thing with unruly crowds, someone will often grab a bullhorn or a microphone and try to calm everyone down before bedlam breaks loose. Even in our own personal lives anxiety and panic can get out of hand and cause us to act in foolish and dangerous ways. No wonder the psalmist says, “Do not fret....it only causes harm.” Ps 37:8) It's times like these that we need to hear the incredibly calm voice of our Pilot, the Holy Spirit who says in De 31:8 "And the LORD, He is the one who goes before you. He will be with you, He will not leave you nor forsake you; do not fear nor be dismayed." Anxiety doesn't care whether you're a Christian or not, it comes to all of us. God knows this and His Word is filled with consolation for those who struggle with fear. Get into His Word, turn on the microphone and let the Pilot speak peace to you.

Panic and Anxiety

# 183 - Today's Du-votional comes from: 1Sa 14:15, “And there was trembling in the camp, in the field, and among all the people. The garrison and the raiders also trembled; and the earth quaked, so that it was a very great trembling. (1 Sam 14:15) Panic, anxiety, it spreads like wildfire doesn't it? Even in the lives of believers, it can grip us and cause us to take our eyes off of Jesus. That's what happened when Peter fell in the drink, remember? We read about in in Mt 14:29-31: “So He said, "Come." And when Peter had come down out of the boat, he walked on the water to go to Jesus. 30 But when he saw that the wind was boisterous, he was afraid; and beginning to sink he cried out, saying, "Lord, save me!" 31 And immediately Jesus stretched out His hand and caught him, and said to him, "O you of little faith, why did you doubt?" Why did he sink? Because he became afraid and when he became afraid, he forgot, and when he forgot doubt crept in. So much of my own struggles with fear and panic stem from the fact that I forget. I am so consumed by the “what ifs” that I take my eyes off Jesus, His Word, and His track record. I forget who He is and His faithful promises. I forget that He has said in “ Mt 6:34 "Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about its own things. Sufficient for the day is its own trouble. I forget the recommendation from 1Pe 5:7 “casting all your care upon Him, for He cares for you.” And I forget that God is not asleep. Nothing takes Him by surprise Ps 121:3 says, “He will not allow your foot to be moved; He who keeps you will not slumber. I pray that Jesus will help me and anyone else who struggles with anxiety to remember these verses when we need them, especially at the beginning of anxiety, lest it become like a raging wildfire in our heart that robs us and those around us of peace and joy.

Skinned Knees

# 182 - Today's Du-votional comes from: 1Sa 14:12b-14, “Jonathan said to his armorbearer, "Come up after me, for the LORD has delivered them into the hand of Israel." 13 And Jonathan climbed up on his hands and knees with his armorbearer after him; and they fell before Jonathan. And as he came after him, his armorbearer killed them. 14 That first slaughter which Jonathan and his armorbearer made was about twenty men within about half an acre of land. (1 Sam 14:12b-14) The Lord has given Jonathan the green light to attack the Philistines, but that doesn't mean it will be easy. The garrison was spread out over a small patch of territory (about a half an acre) most likely in bunker like defensive positions. Jonathan and his armor-bearer must crawl up and over rocks on their hands and knees to take the first fortification. I am reminded of some of the most famous battles of WWII involved the taking of fortified enemy positions atop hills. Normandy and Iwo Jima come to mind. The enemy places himself in a position where there are many obstacles that need to be overcome. Such is the case for spiritual warfare as well. Ridicule, doubt, peer pressure, fear, and apathy are just a few of the obstacles that need to be overcome in our battles with the world, our flesh, and the devil. But we, like Jonathan must press on reminding ourselves to not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of our minds, that we may prove what is that good and acceptable and perfect will of God.” And as we press on with Christ, trusting in His forgiveness and the indwelling Holy Spirit and the Sword of His Word the enemies carcasses are soon dotting the landscape. Look! There's adultery, fornication, uncleanness, lewdness, idolatry, sorcery, hatred, contentions, jealousies, outbursts of wrath, selfish ambitions, dissensions, heresies, envy, murders, drunkenness, revelries. That's 17, throw in 3 others who no longer hold power over you. It won't be easy, you'll have some skinned knees from time spent in prayer, but remember, you can do all things through Christ who strengthens you.

Flee

# 181 - Today's Du-votional comes from: 1Sa 14:11,12a, “So both of them showed themselves to the garrison of the Philistines. And the Philistines said, "Look, the Hebrews are coming out of the holes where they have hidden." 12 Then the men of the garrison called to Jonathan and his armorbearer, and said, "Come up to us, and we will show you something." (1 Sam 14:11,12a) The moment of truth has arrived and Jonathan and his armor-bearer step out into the open in plain sight of the enemy. This garrison was something like an outpost, a small band of men charged with keeping watch and defending the perimeter. They weren't exactly shaking in their boots at the sight of Jonathan and his armor-bearer. They viewed them like we might view a mole coming out of a hole in the ground. Then they extend their invitation to Jonathan and his armor bearer to come to them and they will “show them something.” Sounds like an innocent request, but hold on a minute. These Philistines represent the devil, the world, and our flesh, and this invitation is the age old invitation to trouble. Young people, beware of strangers who offer you a ride because they “want to show you something.” Flee from them and tell your mom or dad immediately. Beware of peers who have discovered pornography and want to share it with you, they too want to “show you something.” Flee from them! Beware of those who want to “show you” your first taste of alcohol, or marijuana, or nicotine. Flee from them. Don't you see, this is one of the devils oldest tricks. He wanted to “show Eve something,” and so he beguiled her to come to the tree of forbidden fruit, and sin and all its nasty effects entered the world. All these things I have mentioned, bring their nasty effects into your life, and God's strategy is to flee. Paul reminds young Timothy to “flee youthful lusts,” Flee from that youthful tendency that is willing to try what the world is offering, rather “submit to God. Resist the devil and he will flee from you.” Make up your mind now, before the temptation comes. Say no to the world and yes to God.

The Best Solution

# 180 - Today's Du-votional comes from: 1Sa 14:8-10, “Then Jonathan said, "Very well, let us cross over to these men, and we will show ourselves to them. 9 "If 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. 10 "But 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." (1 Sam 14:8-10) Jonathan's request for a sign is very specific and when you think about it, he is asking God for a tremendous display of His miracle working power. He is asking God to control the human tongue. Jas 3:7,8 says, “ For every kind of beast and bird, of reptile and creature of the sea, is tamed and has been tamed by mankind. 8 But no man can tame the tongue. It is an unruly evil, full of deadly poison.” No man can tame the tongue, but God can. And in Pr 16:1 we read, “The preparations of the heart belong to man, But the answer of the tongue is from the LORD.” Jonathan knew this and believed it and was ready to stake his life on it. In Paul Kretzmann's commentary on this verse from Proverbs, he says, “ The mind of a man may be engaged in attempting to solve a problem, in setting up various plans or schemes to reach a right conclusion, but the best solution is that which is given by the Lord,” What kind of problems are you facing today. What kind of scheming and planning will you be engaged in to get things to work out the way you want them to? Why not forget your plans and shoot for the best solution, the one given by the Lord in His Word. 2Ti 3:16,17 says, “All Scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness, 17 that the man of God may be complete, thoroughly equipped for every good work. Be equipped for whatever decision you need to make. Know the Word of God.

Asking For Signs

# 179 - Today's Du-votional comes from: 1Sa 14:8-10, “Then Jonathan said, "Very well, let us cross over to these men, and we will show ourselves to them. 9 "If 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. 10 "But 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." (1 Sam 14:8-10) Jonathan is strengthened by the pledge of unity from his armor-bearer, and now the Philistines will have to deal with two men who have the heart of God. Two men fiercely loyal to and totally trusting of their commander in chief, and each other. This was the secret of the success of the early church in the Book of Acts. Loyalty and trust of God and each other. Imagine what the church could do with such a Holy Spirit generated attitude today! Jonathan was strengthened, but he still wanted to make sure he had the green light from the commander in chief and so he asks for a sign. Now be careful in this area of sign asking. Signs must be asked for under the influence and control of the Holy Spirit and not our flesh. Here's a simple test. When the Holy Spirit asks for a sign, it will be given. It is granted because the Lord knows the one asking needs it and will act on it. The flesh is more inclined to go for two out of three. The flesh is more inclined to act according to it's desires rather than God's. The flesh is working under the wrong commander and chief. It is better to rely on God's word for your guide. The sure sign that Jesus has given us is the sign of Jonah which refers to His death and resurrection. It is His death and resurrection that ought to affirm the trustworthiness of His Word. It is as Peter wrote in 2Pe 1:19, “We have also a more sure word of prophecy; whereunto ye do well that ye take heed, as unto a light that shineth in a dark place,” Do you want signs? Pray for that Jonathan, armor-bearer, kind of loyalty and trust. The signs will follow as the commander in chief sees they are needed.

Unity In Confronting Sin

# 178 - Today's Du-votional comes from: 1Sa 14:7, “So his armor bearer said to him, "Do all that is in your heart. Go then; here I am with you, according to your heart." ( 1 Sam 14:7) What a beautiful statement from Jonathan's armor bearer. It is a pledge of brotherhood. He proclaims that his heart is one with Jonathan's. God loves unity among the brethren. Ps 133:1 says, “Behold, how good and pleasant it is for brethren to dwell together in unity.” This kind of unity can only come from the indwelling Holy Spirit. God grants this gift as we read in Jer 32:39 'then I will give them one heart and one way, that they may fear Me forever, for the good of them and their children after them. Did you catch that? This unity is for our good and the good of our children! Jesus prayed for this kind of unity in His church in Jn 17:21 "that they all may be one, as You, Father, are in Me, and I in You; that they also may be one in Us, that the world may believe that You sent Me.” Wow, this kind of unity is an asset to evangelism! Paul encouraged this kind of unity often, Eph 4:3 says, “endeavoring to keep the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace. 4 There is one body and one Spirit, just as you were called in one hope of your calling; 5 one Lord, one faith, one baptism; 6 one God and Father of all, who is above all, and through all, and in you all. And Peter did the same in 1Pe 3:8, “ Finally, all of you be of one mind, having compassion for one another; love as brothers, be tenderhearted, be courteous;” God loves unity and I think it's important to note that Jonathan and his armor bearer were unified in a very specific area. The action they were about to undertake in confronting the Philistines was a picture of confronting sin. We could learn from that. We can and should unite on that front. Spirit-led confrontation of sin in our own lives and within our own congregations, followed by confession of those sins, repenting of them, and then receiving God's forgiveness of sin through faith in Jesus Christ.

You Will Miss 100% of the Shots You Never Take

# 177 - Today's Du-votional comes from: 1Sa 14:6 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." (1 Sam 14:6) If I were building a basketball team, Jonathan would be one of my first recruits, because in basketball, you miss 100% of the shots you never take. He is not intimidated by the enemy, and tells his armor bearer, “Hey, let's take a shot at these uncircumcised Philistines. “ Why was he willing to do this? Because he knew who his God was and he knew who he was in God. He knew God was with him because he was under contract with God (circumcised) and the Philistines were not. Based on those facts, he felt confident in saying, “who knows, maybe God will create a shot opportunity for me.” The word “work” here is the idea of creating something. Jonathan knew the Creation story. He knew that God “worked” created for six days. God spoke and things happened just as He spoke them. He said, “ let there be light” and there was light. For six days God kept saying “let” and for six days things came into existence because He said so. Jonathan was willing to see if God would be willing to “let” him have victory over the Philistines. He knew that no amount of superior numbers displayed by the Philistines could stand against God's simple command of “let.” May I encourage you today to “let” God “let” in your life. The Holy Spirit may prompt you just as I believe he prompted Jonathan to take a shot today. It may be to witness to someone. It may be to step out of your comfort zone to help someone. It may be to take a stand for righteousness. Whatever the prompting is from the Holy Spirit, seek to follow through on it because as every basketball coach knows, you miss 100% of the shots you never take. Take the shot who knows, God may “let” it go in, and score one for His kingsom.

Rocks of the Ages

# 176 - Today's Du-votional comes from: 1Sa 14:4,5, “Between the passes, by which Jonathan sought to go over to the Philistines' garrison, there was a sharp rock on one side and a sharp rock on the other side. And the name of one was Bozez, and the name of the other Seneh. 5 The front of one faced northward opposite Michmash, and the other southward opposite Gibeah. ( 1 Sam 14:4,5) I've always been fascinated by these obscure verses found in Scripture. Why did the Holy Spirit feel it was necessary to include the name of some big rocks in the telling of this story? It could be that they are included just to provide some backdrop, or perhaps it would help the readers of biblical times to identify where this event took place. They could actually point out this place to their children and tell them of Jonathon's exploit, thereby strengthening their faith. But why name the rocks? In naming them, the people would have no problem locating the exact area of Jonathan's crossing. One rock was named Bozez which means something that has been bleached white. The other rock, “Seneh” means thorn. One rock was set apart by it's sheer whiteness and the other by some thorns on it's peak. Does that make you think of anyone in particular? Do you know of Someone who was absolutely spotless and who was crowned with thorns? I am likely reading more into this than I should, but I can't help but to think of Jesus. And you know what? Anytime I can think of Jesus, it's a good thing. Jonathan had to go through the rocks of Bozez and Seneh in order to engage the enemy and experience victory. A good thing for us to remember as well as we live out our faith. All must be done through Christ. It is as Jesus said in Joh 15:5 "I am the vine, you are the branches. He who abides in Me, and I in him, bears much fruit; for without Me you can do nothing. O Lord, help me to abide in You today.

Just Sitting Under the Pomegranate Tree

# 175 - Today's Du-votional comes from: 1Sa 14:1-3 Now it happened one day that Jonathan the son of Saul said to the young man who bore his armor, "Come, let us go over to the Philistines' garrison that is on the other side." But he did not tell his father. 2 And Saul was sitting in the outskirts of Gibeah under a pomegranate tree which is in Migron. The people who were with him were about six hundred men. 3 Ahijah the son of Ahitub, Ichabod's brother, the son of Phinehas, the son of Eli, the LORD'S priest in Shiloh, was wearing an ephod. But the people did not know that Jonathan had gone. ( 1 Sam 14:1-3) Did anyone ever say something to you like, “Well don't just sit there, Do something!” As I read this, I feel like it's something that needs to be said to King Saul. “Your majesty, the Philistines are getting ready to attack, you only have 600 men with pitchforks and hoes, and a priest, and your plan is to sit under a pomegranate tree?” Jonathon on the other hand tells his armor bearer, “let's make some contact with the enemy.” Instead of waiting for the enemy to make a move, he decides to push against them. The key to this seemingly rash decision on Jonathon's part is he knew and understood that God was with him. He was circumcised, the Philistines were not. He was in a covenant relationship with God, they were not. That's why in verse 6 he calls the Philistines, “uncircumcised.” It's the same term David used when he encountered Goliath, “who is this uncircumcised Philistine, that he should defy the armies of the living God?” No wonder David and Jonathon were such good friends, they both had the heart of God. They were what we could call “circumcised believers,” whereas King Saul and the other Israelites were circumcised, but lacked faith. Simply being circumcised is not enough. Explicit trust (faith) must enter the picture. The kind of trust evidenced by Jonathon and David.... It is as we read in Mr 16:16 "He who believes and is baptized will be saved; but he who does not believe will be condemned. Trust or belief is evidenced by Christian works of love....not by sitting under the pomegranate tree. Faith without works is dead.

God's Mind Blowing Providence

# 174 - Today's Du-votional comes from: 1Sa 14:1a, “Now it happened one day,” 1 Sam 14:1a) “Now it happened,” the King James reads, “and it came to pass.” Whenever you see that phrase in Scripture it sets the scene for an important event in the Providence of God. Think about the phrase and break it down. “It came,” the meaning being that something was going down in God's timeline. Why did the event come? It came to pass. It came to happen in accordance with God's will at the “just right” time. He was up in heaven orchestrating the whole thing. It is directly related to God's Providence. Nothing escapes His attention as His Story, (history) unfolds. In the Book of Revelation there is mention of a “sea of glass.” This glassy sea has nothing to do with calmness, but everything to do with clarity. As the biblical commentator Lenski notes, “in heaven, “one can see clear to it's bottom.” This connection between transparency and providence shouldn't surprise us when we read of the times that Jesus told the disciples where to find fish. All seas are perfectly transparent to God. This sea of glass is ever before God's throne and it is in this portion of Revelation that we are introduced to the four living creatures “full of eyes in front and back.” They are full of eyes because nothing escapes them as God dispenses His providential care through them. There are also 24 elders mentioned here who have ring side seats by the sea of glass. The number 24 symbolic of the old and new testament church. Think about it, in heaven, the saints of all time are given a view of God's providence that is mind blowing. And they “fall down before Him who sits on the throne,” cast their crowns before Him and worship Him. They say, “You are worthy, O Lord....For You created all things,” From their vantage point they see that the Lord makes all things happen. They see those “all things that work to good” that we read about in Rom 8:28! And when we get to heaven and see all that God orchestrates in His Providence, we too will join this worshipful throng.

Pitchforks and Hoes

#172 - Today's Du-votional comes from1 Sam 13:19-23, "19 Now there was no blacksmith to be found throughout all the land of Israel, for the Philistines said, “Lest the Hebrews make swords or spears.” 20 But all the Israelites would go down to the Philistines to sharpen each man’s plowshare, his mattock, his ax, and his sickle; 21 and the charge for a sharpening was a pim[d] for the plowshares, the mattocks, the forks, and the axes, and to set the points of the goads. 22 So it came about, on the day of battle, that there was neither sword nor spear found in the hand of any of the people who were with Saul and Jonathan. But they were found with Saul and Jonathan his son. 23 And the garrison of the Philistines went out to the pass of Michmash. One of the first things a conquering country seeks to do is remove the weapons from the people they have conquered, and so the Philistines placed all the blacksmiths under their control. There would be no sword or spear-making in Israel. The only thing the Israelites were allowed to have were agricultural tools, and even these tools had to be sharpened by the state blacksmith for the going fee of a pim. What's a pim? It was pretty close to a days wages. So here you have the mighty army of Israel. Saul and his son Jonathon are the only ones with weapons, every one else is armed with pitchforks and hoes. This is what they have to fight with on the day of the forthcoming battle. Looks grim right? Well, actually, God has placed his people right where He wants them.....dependent upon Him to fight their battle. As we read in Zec 4:6b, "Not by might nor by power, but by My Spirit," says the Lord of hosts (armies) And in Hos 1:7, "But I will have mercy upon the house of Judah, and will save them by the Lord their God, and will not save them by bow, nor by sword, nor by battle, by horses, nor by horsemen." And as David said just before he took down Goliath, "the Lord saveth not with sword and spear: for the battle is the Lord's and He will give you into our hands. And in 2 Chron. 20:15, we read, "Be not afraid nor dismayed by reason of this great multitude; for the battle is not yours, but God's" Understand this in whatever you may be facing today. Empty yourself of all self-reliance. Put down your pathetic fleshly weapons of pitchforks and hoes and let the Lord God of hosts go before you and fight your battles. Surrender to Jesus and allow Him to enter the fray. Remember, "No weapon formed against you shall prosper, and every tongue which rises against you in judgment You shall condemn. This is the heritage of the servants of the Lord, and their righteousness is from Me," says the Lord. (Is 54:17)

The Three-pronged Attack of the Enemy

# 172 - Today's Du-votional comes from: 1Sa 13:15-18, “Then Samuel arose and went up from Gilgal to Gibeah of Benjamin. And Saul numbered the people present with him, about six hundred men. 16 Saul, Jonathan his son, and the people present with them remained in Gibeah of Benjamin. But the Philistines encamped in Michmash. 17 Then raiders came out of the camp of the Philistines in three companies. One company turned to the road to Ophrah, to the land of Shual, 18 another company turned to the road to Beth Horon, and another company turned to the road of the border that overlooks the Valley of Zeboim toward the wilderness. (1 Sam 13:15-18) An interesting feature of this portion of Scripture is the three-pronged attack of the Philistines. It is a parallel to the three pronged attack that we face every single day. It is the battle with the world, our flesh, and the devil. The Scriptures speak of all three enemies: In Ga 5:16, we are reminded to, “ Walk in the Spirit, and you shall not fulfill the lust of the flesh., and in Jas 4:4 we are told that whoever “wants to be a friend of the world makes himself an enemy of God.” and in 1Pe 5:8, we are reminded that “the devil walks about like a roaring lion, seeking whom he may devour.” In the Litany from the The Common Book of Prayer of the Church of England one of the petitions is to ask the Lord to deliver us “from all the deceits of the world, the flesh, and the devil” Jesus endured these same kind of deceitful attacks from the mastermind of them all, the devil, when He was tempted in the wilderness as the devil appealed to Jesus' flesh in tempting Him to feed His flesh by turning stones into bread. He appealed to the world as He tempted Jesus to make headlines by leaping off the top of the temple and miraculously save Himself, and finally he sought to have Jesus bow down and worship him. Jesus defeated the three -pronged attack of the flesh, the world, and the devil, with one simple strategy. He replied to each temptation with , “It is written.” Ask Him to help you do the same as you face the deceitful attacks of the enemy today.

You're In the Army Now

# 171 - Today's Du-votional comes from: 1Sa 13:14 "But now your kingdom shall not continue. The LORD has sought for Himself a man after His own heart, and the LORD has commanded him to be commander over His people, because you have not kept what the LORD commanded you." ( 1 Sam 13:14) Commandment, commanded, commander. These words show up 5 times in verses 13 and 14. And according to the Zodhiates Hebrew/Greek Key Study Bible the word has strong military connotations. It is the picture of a superior giving a verbal communication to a subordinate. We typically think of the word commandment as a law, but maybe we need to rethink this. Maybe we need to think of them as orders from a Superior. Laws are made to be broken but, orders are given to be followed. Do you see the difference? Saul's great sin was his disobedience of a direct order from His Superior. His punishment was fitting. He would be stripped of his command, and mustered out of God's Army. There is no room in God's army for the persistently non-compliant. God's commander in chief had to be someone who had the military heart of God. Someone who understood the chain of command, and would willfully submit to it. It's interesting that even though David didn't know it at this time, the orders for him to be made commander in chief had already been cut in heaven. Friends, are you aware that we are at war? A supernatural battle of epic proportions! And I think we are getting our butts kicked right now because we are a sloppy outfit, that refuses to take orders. We rebel against anything that seems inconvenient or nonsensical. We lack the spiritual discipline necessary to stand against the foe. Pray for the heart of a soldier. O God, give us the heart of David. Change our attitude about taking orders from You. Thankfully, God does forgive our sins through faith in Jesus Christ, but wouldn't it be better for us and the army of God if we sought to carry out His orders? God's not interested in our excuses, He is looking for people who respond with “Yes sir”

Sin Has Consequences

# 170 - Today's Du-votional comes from: 1Sa 13:13 “And Samuel said to Saul, "You have done foolishly. You have not kept the commandment of the LORD your God, which He commanded you. For now the LORD would have established your kingdom over Israel forever. (1 Sam 13:13) Sin has consequences. Those consequences are in the hands of God who says in Ro 9:15, "I will have mercy on whomever I will have mercy, and I will have compassion on whomever I will have compassion." Don't ever try to get into the game of questioning God's punishment for sin. Just know and believe that He is the Father and He knows the perfect amount of discipline for every situation. Know and believe that, “all things work together for good to those who love God, to those who are the called according to His purpose.” (Rom 8:28) Because of Saul's disobedience, he would be the first and last of his line to serve as king in Israel. Saul's disobedience cost him, but God used this punishment in order to enthrone a king who would be a man after His heart, namely David, and of course out of the lineage of David would come the Messiah, Jesus Christ. But even as we mention David, there were consequences for his sin with Bathsheba as well. He was forgiven when he confessed his sin, but 2Sa 12:10,11 tells us that the sword would never depart from David's house. His life would be earmarked by violence, and his own wives would be caught up in unfaithfulness, and the child conceived with Bathsheba would die. (2 Sam 12:14) These were all consequences that God allowed in David's life because of his sin. Sin has consequences. Thankfully through faith and forgiveness in Jesus Christ, these consequences are not eternal. They are temporal, and even those temporal consequences work out ultimately for God's eternal purposes and glory. You and I both know that our sins have altered circumstances in our own lives. Sin exacted a price. Some pay seemingly steeper prices than others, but we dare not get into the comparison game here. Rather we need to seek God's grace and strength to help us deal with those ramifications. Looking to Him, to help us endure and finish the race.

Don't Make Excuses

# 169 - Today's Du-votional comes from: 1Sa 13:11,12 “And Samuel said, "What have you done?" And Saul said, "When I saw that the people were scattered from me, and that you did not come within the days appointed, and that the Philistines gathered together at Michmash, 12 "then I said, 'The Philistines will now come down on me at Gilgal, and I have not made supplication to the LORD.' Therefore I felt compelled, and offered a burnt offering." (1 Sam 13:11,12) Saul has sinned. He did not do as the Lord commanded. When confronted with his sin, by Samuel, Saul breaks out his excuses. Let's not be too hard on Saul though, we very often do the same thing. His first excuse was that he felt like he was the only one. All the people had scattered. Sometimes when we feel abandoned, we are especially vulnerable to sin. Next, he felt abandoned by God. Samuel had not shown up early enough for Saul, and so he let impatience take over. How many times do we act impatiently because we are not hearing from God. How many times do we take the silence of God as a green light to plow ahead with our own plans. Plans that often are in violation of God's commands. And how many times does temptation press in on us as the Philistines were pressing in on Saul, and we panic and do something stupid. Saul paid a severe price for his sin as we shall see. Sin has consequences. It would be so much wiser for you and I to exercise patient obedience. And it also would be wise to put a sock in our mouth when it comes to excuses. How much better to imitate David when he was confronted with his sin with Bathsheeba by Nathan. He didn't whine about the fact that he was alone while the men were out to war. He didn't say, “she was bathing in full view, I'm only human,” No! He said, "I have sinned against the LORD." And Nathan said to David, "The LORD also has put away your sin; you shall not die. (2 Sam 12:13) I pray, we all can say no to temptation, but if we do fail, let's fess up like David did and receive God's forgiveness.

The Welfare State

# 168 - Today's Du-votional comes from: 1Sa 13:9-11a, “So Saul said, "Bring a burnt offering and peace offerings here to me." And he offered the burnt offering. 10 Now it happened, as soon as he had finished presenting the burnt offering, that Samuel came; and Saul went out to meet him, that he might greet him. 11 And Samuel said, "What have you done?" ( 1 Sam 13:9-11a) Saul had been told to wait for Samuel for seven days, and when Samuel didn't arrive early in the day, Saul decides to take matters into his own hands and offer up the sacrifice. In so doing he crossed a line. He mingled the duties of the church with the duties of the state. This is always a recipe for disaster and I believe its one of the reasons that we have such a massive debt problem in our land today. Somewhere along the line, the church has voluntarily relinquished its mandate to care for the poor and given it to the government. What we can do with 10% of our income, the king does with 30. I suppose it started in the depression when the government was compelled to step in and help out, but it seems the church liked it that way so much that they let it continue until it grew into the messy welfare, debt accruing, state we have today. It's much easier to let the king do it, and it frees our money up for bigger buildings. And we get so far in debt that we can't even take care of the poor in our own congregation, much less those outside. Author George Grant has written that when the communists took over in Russia, the first thing they outlawed is charity. They wanted the people to be beholding to them, rather than the church. With all the squawking we are hearing about our national debt, maybe we need to start in our own congregations. Let us learn to operate within our own budgets, and may a substantial portion of that budget be set aside to first of all help our brothers and sisters, and then move on to help others as well. It's our job, let's roll up our shirtsleeves and do it! Jas 1:27a Pure and undefiled religion before God and the Father is this: to visit orphans and widows in their trouble,”

Why Does God Allow Trials

# 167 - Today's Du-votional comes from: 1Sa 13:8 Then he waited seven days, according to the time set by Samuel. But Samuel did not come to Gilgal; and the people were scattered from him.' God's command to Saul was to wait for Samuel for seven days. The seventh day dawned and no Samuel. The Philistines were getting ready to attack. This was a major test for King Saul. How will he react? Will he wait the full seven days? Testing. It's something we don't like to talk about. Yet we cannot deny it. Sometimes, God allows circumstances into our life that force us to make a choice concerning obedience. Will we remain obedient to Him in times of trial? For example, in Ex 16:4 we read, “Then the LORD said to Moses, "Behold, I will rain bread from heaven for you. And the people shall go out and gather a certain quota every day, that I may test them, whether they will walk in My law or not. This was a simple test for the people. They were commanded to take a specified amount of manna, to take more or less would be disobedient. Obedience flows from people who have experienced the love of God through forgiveness of sins in Jesus Christ and subsequently truly treasure God's commands. This is the crux of Jesus' statement, in Joh 14:15 ¶ "If you love Me, keep (treasure) My commandments. Luther said that God permits us to be tested, “in order that it may be seen whether we have true faith, love, and patience.” This test is for our benefit, not God's. True faith is marked by our God-given desire to be obedient, or by godly sorrow when we aren't. Just think of some of the pressure situations that people face on a regular basis. The temptation to engage in sexual sin, or the temptation to be dishonest, or drink to excess. These are opportunities to break God's commandments and sin. They are tests. But listen to the promise of God, for those who prevail, “ Jas 1:12 Blessed is the man who endures temptation; for when he has been approved, (demonstrated genuine faith) he will receive the crown of life which the Lord has promised to those who love Him. It's quite simple. Love of God is proof of salvation. And as Jesus said, “If you love me keep (treasure) my commandments.

The Way Out of Your Trial

# 166 - Today's Du-votional comes from: 1Sa 13:5-7, “Then the Philistines gathered together to fight with Israel, thirty thousand chariots and six thousand horsemen, and people as the sand which is on the seashore in multitude. And they came up and encamped in Michmash, to the east of Beth Aven. 6 When the men of Israel saw that they were in danger (for the people were distressed), then the people hid in caves, in thickets, in rocks, in holes, and in pits. 7 And some of the Hebrews crossed over the Jordan to the land of Gad and Gilead. As for Saul, he was still in Gilgal, and all the people followed him trembling. ( 1 Sam 13:5-7) The Philistines have amassed a mighty army against the Israelites, and we read words like, “danger, ””distressed,” and “trembling.” The people were so fearful that some hid in caves, just like the way they did in the days of Gideon. Others just beat feet, trying to get as far away from the enemy as possible, and those who stayed with Saul did so with trembling hearts. Fear arrived, when the men of Israel saw that they were in danger. The King James says, “they were in a strait.” (As in strait jacket if you will.) They were being “cramped in, hemmed in, pressed in on all sides. Have you ever felt like that? Have you ever felt the circumstances of your life pressing in? Like your soul is in some sort of a trash compactor. When trials come your way to test your faith, you have some options. You can revert back to your old ways, (hide in caves) You can run away from the trial and medicate yourself with addictive behavior, or you can wait it out with your King. 1Co 10:13 says, “ No temptation (trial) has overtaken you except such as is common to man; but God is faithful, who will not allow you to be tempted (trialed) beyond what you are able, but with the temptation (trial) will also make the way of escape, that you may be able to bear (endure) it.” Friend, believe this verse, hold to this verse before you revert back to your old ways or seek to medicate your trial through addiction. “GOD IS FAITHFUL! THE WAY OUT OF YOUR TRIAL IS ENDURING. I know it's scary, but stay with King Jesus! He is faithful and will pull you through!

A Mighty Fortress

# 165 - Today's Du-votional comes from: 1Sa 13:5 Then the Philistines gathered together to fight with Israel, thirty thousand chariots and six thousand horsemen, and people as the sand which is on the seashore in multitude. And they came up and encamped in Michmash, to the east of Beth Aven. (1 Sam 13:5) Kind of a fearful situation isn't it? And rightly so. Look at the ridiculous numbers used to describe the might of the enemy. 30,000 chariots? 6,000 horsemen? Soldiers numbered with the sand by the sea? Are you kidding me? There is no chance here for the Israelites, king or no king. These numbers were used for effect on the Israelites and for effect for you and I. Our enemy and his legions of demons are strong. We are no match for them in our own flesh. Luther captured this truth so well in the hymn, “A Mighty Fortress Is Our God.” Listen again to his words: A mighty fortress is our God, a bulwark never failing; our helper he amid the flood of mortal ills prevailing For still our ancient foe, doth seek to work us woe his craft and power are great, and armed with cruel hate, on earth is not his equal. Did we in our own strength confide, our striving would be losing, were not the right man on our side, the man of God's own choosing. Dost ask who that may be? Christ Jesus, it is he; Lord Sabaoth, his name, from age to age the same, and he must win the battle. And though this world, with devils filled, should threaten to undo us, we will not fear, for God hath willed his truth to triumph through us. The Prince of Darkness grim, we tremble not for him; his rage we can endure, for lo, his doom is sure; one little word shall fell him. That word above all earthly powers, no thanks to them, abideth; the Spirit and the gifts are ours, thru him who with us sideth. Let goods and kindred go, this mortal life also; the body they may kill; God's truth abideth still; his kingdom is forever. I really can't state it any better than that. May these words be a source of encouragement for you today Because, we have no chance of victory in our flesh, but with Jesus on our side, we cannot lose. Look to Him in all your encounters with the enemy today, remembering that: 1Jo 4:4 You are of God, little children, and have overcome them, because He who is in you is greater than he who is in the world. (1 Jn 4:4)

Entering the Battle

# 164 - Today's Du-votional comes from: 1Sa 13:1-4, “Saul reigned one year; and when he had reigned two years over Israel, 2 Saul chose for himself three thousand men of Israel. Two thousand were with Saul in Michmash and in the mountains of Bethel, and a thousand were with Jonathan in Gibeah of Benjamin. The rest of the people he sent away, every man to his tent. 3 And Jonathan attacked the garrison of the Philistines that was in Geba, and the Philistines heard of it. Then Saul blew the trumpet throughout all the land, saying, "Let the Hebrews hear!" 4 Now all Israel heard it said that Saul had attacked a garrison of the Philistines, and that Israel had also become an abomination to the Philistines. And the people were called together to Saul at Gilgal.” As we begin a new chapter, the Holy Spirit sets the scene for a very important event. These circumstances would lead to Saul offering the unlawful sacrifice which would cost him dearly. In this chapter we meet Saul's son Jonathon for the first time. Jonathon is given 1000 men and Saul orders them to attack the Philistines that were in Geba. He defeats them, but it was a little like poking a beehive. The Philistines get riled up. The Israelites literally became a stench to their nostrils, and they begin to amass for war. Saul blows the trumpet, that is, he calls all the able-bodied Israelites to come to Gilgal to prepare for battle. Is there a lesson here for us today? I think the lesson for us is the simple reminder that we too are engaged in a spiritual battle with an enraged enemy. In Re 12:17, we read, “And the dragon (the devil) was enraged with the woman, (the church) and he went to make war with the rest of her offspring, who keep the commandments of God and have the testimony of Jesus Christ. This is the reality, we are at war, we need to hear the trumpet and get into the battle, remembering that, “we do not war according to the flesh. 4 For the weapons of our warfare are not carnal but mighty in God for pulling down strongholds,” (2 Cor 10:3) The Word of God, the Spirit, and prayer are what we need to enter the fray and have victory in our daily battles.

Keeping On Target

# 163 - Today's Du-votional comes from: 1Sa 12:23 "Moreover, as for me, far be it from me that I should sin against the LORD in ceasing to pray for you; but I will teach you the good and the right way. 24 "Only fear the LORD, and serve Him in truth with all your heart; for consider what great things He has done for you. 25 "But if you still do wickedly, you shall be swept away, both you and your king." Samuel says, I will pray for you, but I will also keep teaching you the good and right way to live. The word “teach” here is interesting, it means to aim like an arrow. When you consider that to sin is to miss the mark, you get a great picture of what teaching from the Word of God is meant to do. Samuel seeks to teach in such a way to keep the people on target. And here is the good and right way. Fear the Lord alone. Don't give your reverence or loyalty to anyone or anything else. Serve Him, be like a slave to Him without hypocrisy, and with all your heart. Considering all the great things He has done for you will go a long way in providing the necessary incentive to keep those arrows pointing in the right direction. Take time often to reflect on what God has done for you. A good place to start is the cross. But if you do wickedly, that is, if you count what He has done for you as nothing, or we might say, despise His grace, then you will be swept away. The idea of being swept away is to be scraped off, gathered into a pile and scattered to the wind with the swift motion of a broom. Let's not be foolish enough to think that God doesn't mean what He says here. For He did just that to His people when they turned away from Him. He swept them out of their land and into captivity, dispersing them to the wind, like a broom to a pile of dust. Not a pretty picture, and not the way I want to end up, how about you? Let us consider the cross anew today and get back on target.