Maybe you feel like that. You want things to happen, and you want to make them happen. That’s how Jonathan felt, but he saw things from God’s point of view, because he was a true believer. He was ready to fight and to share the victory.
Are you ready to fight? God will give you plenty of fighting to do against enemies like selfishness and jealousy and pride, beginning with your own self. You can’t win unless you ask God Himself to give you strength, and then you’ll have victory to share. Here is Jonathan’s story.
He had only a thousand men in his army, which was a small army compared with his Philistine enemies. However, he defeated the military post of the Philistines in Geba, because he knew they had no business being there, and they were spoiling the land.
The Philistines heard about Jonathan defeating their military post in Geba, and Jonathan’s father, King Saul, knew what would happen. So he blew a trumpet to gather his army together. The Philistines also got ready to fight with Israel. Guess how many of them came together to fight—30,000 chariots, 6000 horsemen, and so many people they were like the sand on the seashore!
King Saul’s little army was really scared! They hid in caves, in thick bushes, behind rocks, on cliffs and in pits, and a few of them followed him, but they were shaking. King Saul was a religious man, and he knew that he should call upon God for help. Samuel the priest promised to come within seven days to offer a burnt offering.
Why couldn’t King Saul offer it himself? Because he lived before our precious Saviour came to earth and died on the cross for our sins. King Saul must do what God told him to do. It was Samuel’s job to offer a burnt offering, not King Saul’s.
And you must do what God says too. There is only one Saviour and only one way to make Him your very own Saviour. Trust Him now! Don’t try some other way. Jesus said, “I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man [comes] unto the Father, but by Me” (John 14:66Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me. (John 14:6)). There is no other way.
King Saul saw his army sneaking away, but he waited for Samuel. He waited, but not quite long enough. He decided to offer the burnt offering himself. As soon as he had finished, Samuel came, and King Saul went out to meet him.
Samuel said, What have you done? King Saul had a long explanation, but it would not do. He had been plainly told to wait for Samuel to offer the burnt offering, and he had done it himself foolishly, disobeying God’s command. Samuel announced that King Saul’s kingdom would not continue—not then and not forever.
Is it that bad to disobey God just a little bit? Can’t I trust someone else besides Jesus and have my own way to get to heaven?
There is only one Saviour, and He is the only offering that will take away your sins. That offering was Jesus and His blood shed on the cross that paid the penalty for sin. He is the only way to God Himself and His home in heaven. Will you believe and trust Jesus now?
In another issue of this paper we’ll tell you what happened next. In the meantime, you may read the whole story in 1 Samuel, chapters 13 and 14.
ML-09/23/2012