Once we step out in faith, (which is our battle) then the battle becomes the Lord’s

This is the first of two parts.

The ‘champ’s’ name is Jonathan, the son of King Saul, who is the ‘chump.’ We’ll look at the exploits of the ‘champ’ this week and the wicked deeds of his father next week.

The Israelites demanded that Samuel, God’s current prophetic voice in Israel, find them a king like the nations around them had. God assured Samuel to get them a king because they were not rejecting Samuel’s leading, but God’s!

Saul was chosen as Israel’s first king. However, during his reign the Philistines made plans to totally defeat Israel. They had previously been beaten and driven back, but now were amassing a huge army to finish them off.

To be an Israelite during this time was agonizing  This bold and growing army of Philistines made existing almost impossible. All Israeli weapons were taken and even farm implements had to be sharpened by Philistine blacksmiths for a price.

As their adversaries grew and honed their plan, Saul and his army of 600 men waited for the inevitable. Israel had only two swords. Saul had one… and his son Jonathan had the other.

Desperate and hopeless times!

But one morning, Jonathan wakes up and invites his armor bearer to accompany him on a ‘walkabout.’ There is a small garrison of Philistine soldiers guarding the perimeter of the assembling army. The two walk through a narrow gully and see the enemy encampment above them.

Here’s Jonathan’s plan: “Yes, let’s go across to those heathen,” Jonathan had said to his bodyguard. “Perhaps the Lord will do a miracle for us. For it makes no difference to him how many enemy troops there are!” I Samuel 14:8 LBT

 But it wasn’t really a plan… it was giving God a chance to do something miraculous and unexpected. It was a spiritual entrepreneur looking to break out of a box canyon. It was a pioneer looking for an unknown path into new territory. It was a trusting believer looking at the little in his possession and giving it to God to use to bring unbridled victory!

We’ve been playing it too safe in our religious enclaves. We sit waiting to see what God will do while He’s waiting for us to do what we can do. And if we will, He will add Himself to the equation and assure a mighty win for His Kingdom.

Read how the story ends in I Samuel 14:13-23 and then go out this week prepared for your own victory.