Stepping in the Light

“And Jonathan climbed up upon his hands and upon his feet, and his armourbearer after him: and they fell before Jonathan; and his armourbearer slew after him.” I Samuel 14:13

I Samuel 14:1-23 tells of an amazing victory won by God’s people because of one young man’s initiative, faith, and courage. King Saul had called the people together to organize an army to defend the people against their enemies, the Philistines. The Philistines had a vast army, but King Saul had only about six hundred men with him. Saul’s son Jonathan saw that they were at an extreme disadvantage, so he took his armor bearer with him and headed toward the Philistine encampment. He was willing to attempt this daring mission because of his great faith in God. Jonathan said, “It may be that the LORD will work for us: for there is no restraint to the LORD to save by many or by few.” As they approached the rock formations that separated them from the Philistines’ garrison, Jonathan formulated a plan. They would walk out into the open where the Philistine guards could see them, and they would respond favorably to whatever the guards said. The Philistines knew that most of the Israelites were in hiding, so they were amused to see two of them appear before them; and they called for Jonathan and his armor bearer to come up to them. Jonathan led the charge (two men against an entire garrison) and their surprise attack created a panic among the Philistines that gave the Israelites the victory. Feeling outnumbered and overwhelmed? Perhaps it is time to go forward for God!

“And Jesus said unto him, No man, having put his hand to the plough, and looking back, is fit for the kingdom of God.” Luke 9:62

Three different people came to Jesus asking to be one of His disciples, and each time Jesus gave them something to consider before making a commitment to follow Him. The first one said, “I will follow you wherever you go.” Jesus told him that He didn’t even have a place to live. In other words, “Are you sure you want to follow someone who doesn’t have a place to live?” Jesus said to another man nearby, “Follow me.” The man said that he had to take care of his aged father first and then he would be able to follow Christ. Jesus said, “Let the dead bury their dead,” meaning, let the spiritually dead take care of those responsibilities. Then another man volunteered to follow Him, but asked permission to first go back to his home and say goodbye to his family. Jesus told him that if a person begins to work for the Lord and then turns back he is not fit for the kingdom of God. Jesus did not say that person could not enter the kingdom of God, but that he wasn’t fit for it. The Bible doesn’t tell us what these three men decided to do, but Jesus definitely gave them some serious food for thought. We have the advantage of being able to compare scripture with scripture in helping us understand how to apply the Lord’s words to our own lives. Jesus is still looking for disciples to follow Him. Do you desire to give your life to Christ? Jesus showed us here that discipleship requires a single focus and a committed heart.

“Then Samuel took a stone, and set it between Mizpeh and Shen, and called the name of it Ebenezer, saying, Hitherto hath the LORD helped us.” I Samuel 7:12

If you are a regular church attender, it is likely that you have occasionally found yourself following along with the congregational singing without paying much attention to the words. The second verse of “Come Thou Fount” begins, “Here I raise mine Ebenezer; Hither by Thine help I’m come; And I hope, by Thy good pleasure, Safely to arrive at home.” Most of us sing those words without really thinking about what they mean. We are singing about a stone that had special significance to the people of Israel. The prophet Samuel had called the people together to encourage them to serve the Lord and to put away the false idols that they had made. The people confessed their sins, destroyed their idols, and asked the prophet to pray for them. When the Philistines heard that the people of Israel were gathered together, they mustered their army and came to fight against the Israelites. The people were afraid and asked Samuel to pray for God to help them. The Lord sent a great thunder against the Philistines that scattered them in all directions, and the Israelites won a great victory. Samuel wanted to be sure that the people would give God the glory for what He had done for them, so he set up a great stone and called it Ebenezer, meaning, “Hitherto hath the Lord helped us.” Are you giving God the glory for the victories that you have experienced in your life? John Newton wrote, “’Tis grace hath brought me safe thus far, And grace will lead me home.”

“Then he took the five loaves and the two fishes, and looking up to heaven, he blessed them, and brake, and gave to the disciples to set before the multitude. And they did eat, and were all filled: and there was taken up of fragments that remained to them twelve baskets.” Luke 9:16-17

Jesus sent the disciples out to preach and do miracles. When they returned, He took them aside into the wilderness to rest. However, it wasn’t long before the people found out where Jesus was. They flocked to the desert to see Jesus, to hear Him teach, and to be healed. As the day wore on, the disciples asked Jesus to send the multitude away; but Jesus had a different plan. Jesus told the disciples that they should feed the multitude. They said that they didn’t have enough food to feed such an enormous crowd (the text says that there were about five thousand men). He instructed the disciples to have the people sit down in groups of 50. He took five loaves of bread and two fish, blessed it, and then began breaking it into pieces. He gave the pieces to the disciples and they distributed the food to the people. The people came to hear Jesus that day because they were spiritually hungry, but they were soon physically hungry as well. Jesus miraculously fed the entire crowd. As He broke the pieces of bread and fish, there continued to be more left until every person was filled. That day, the need of each individual was met directly from the hands of Jesus. To me, this is a beautiful picture of the way He meets our needs today. We still receive everything we need directly from His hands.

“And Ruth said, Intreat me not to leave thee, or to return from following after thee: for whither thou goest, I will go; and where thou lodgest, I will lodge: thy people shall be my people, and thy God my God: Where thou diest, will I die, and there will I be buried: the LORD do so to me, and more also, if ought but death part thee and me.” Ruth 1:16-17

These verses are often used in wedding ceremonies, engraved on wedding gifts, and printed on items that are passed out to guests as mementos of the special occasion. These are wonderful words of commitment; but in their original context, they have nothing to do with a wedding. Naomi had lost her husband and her two sons while living in the land of Moab. She had decided to go back home to the land of Judah, and she encouraged her daughters-in-law to return to their families in Moab. Orpah turned back, but Ruth refused to leave her mother-in-law. No matter how much Naomi pleaded with Ruth to go back to her parents, Ruth remained steadfast in her desire to go with Naomi, and she made it clear that she intended for their relationship to be permanent. Ruth not only promised to go with Naomi and stay with her; but she promised to worship Naomi’s God, to become a citizen of Naomi’s homeland, and to live the rest of her life there. As we read the book of Ruth, we can see that Ruth did exactly as she said she would.

It seems that many people in our society today are afraid of commitment, but commitment is what gives us stability. We need to be committed to God, to our marriages, and to our families. Can you say that you are as committed as Ruth was?

“In those days there was no king in Israel: every man did that which was right in his own eyes.” Judges 21:25 

When the people of Israel did not have a leader, their morals went into a steep decline. They quickly began to worship the gods of the nearby nations. They set up idols and built groves for the purpose of worshipping these false gods. Because there was not a strong political structure, they had a difficult time defending themselves against their enemies. Everyone wanted the benefits of peace, but no one was interested in making the necessary provisions for their national defense. God had promised the people that He would protect them and bless them if they would faithfully worship Him, but they forsook His promises and the covenant that God had made with them. Everyone did whatever they thought was right. It is obvious as you read through the book of Judges that it did not work out well for them as a nation.

Sometimes Christians have this same attitude. They are not interested in what God says about how they should live their lives. They are not willing to allow God’s Word to be the standard by which they judge their decisions. In the book of Judges, each time that the people turned back to God, He raised up a leader to deliver them from their enemies and to guide them in the way of righteousness. On a personal level, we can experience the same kind of victory if we are willing to repent of our sin and renew our commitment to live by His Word.

“Howbeit the hair of his head began to grow again after he was shaven.” Judges 16:22

The life of Samson is a bit of a mystery. Samson demonstrated a great deal of selfishness and very little self-control, but God used Samson to do a number of miraculous feats of strength and to judge the people of Israel for twenty years.

Before Samson was born, an angel appeared to his parents and told them that they would have a son and that he would have a special covenant with God. One of the signs of that covenant was that Samson was never to cut his hair. As long as his hair was not cut, God would use him to do mighty feats of strength.

At the end of Samson’s life, we can see a powerful example of the longsuffering and goodness of God. Samson had single-handedly thrown off the oppression of the Philistines as a result of numerous clashes he had with them. However, Samson fell in love with a Philistine woman named Delilah and the Philistines used Delilah to get to Samson. Delilah pressed Samson until he finally shared the secret of his great strength, and then she immediately told the Philistines. The Philistines cut off his hair, put out his eyes, and placed him in chains. However, something happened as he was chained in the prison house. His hair began to grow again, and God allowed His covenant with Samson to be renewed. Samson was given another chance. It is sad to think about all that Samson lost when he shared his secret, but it is encouraging to see that God gave Samson another opportunity to do a mighty work for Him.

“Give, and it shall be given unto you; good measure, pressed down, and shaken together, and running over, shall men give into your bosom. For with the same measure that ye mete withal it shall be measured to you again.” Luke 6:38

There are two important biblical truths in this verse. The first is that if you give to others, then others will give to you. God doesn’t want us to live a tight-fisted, miserly existence. He wants us to share what He has given to us with those around us. As we learn to share with others, we are not only blessed with the joy of giving; but we also have the opportunity to enjoy the things that others will give to us.

The second truth is that the measuring cup you use when you give is the same one that others will use when they give to you. The larger the measuring cup, the larger the portion will be that is meted out. Have you ever wanted to fill a bowl of soup from a large pot and only had a small spoon to work with? This can be a frustrating task. A large ladle can fill a soup bowl with only one serving. We will enjoy life more if we trade our small teaspoon for a large ladle when it comes to giving.

These truths are both universal. That means that they apply to our giving to the Lord as well as to other people. God wants us to give to Him of our time, our talent, and our treasures. Which measuring cup do you want God to use when He gives to you? He is going to use the same one that you use. So, in essence, you choose God’s measuring cup when you choose yours.

“And he came down with them, and stood in the plain, and the company of his disciples, and a great multitude of people out of all Judaea and Jerusalem, and from the sea coast of Tyre and Sidon, which came to hear him, and to be healed of their diseases; And they that were vexed with unclean spirits: and they were healed. And the whole multitude sought to touch him: for there went virtue out of him, and healed them all.” Luke 6:17-19

Jesus went up into a mountain and had spent the entire night in prayer. In the morning, He chose twelve from the disciples who were following Him and called them apostles. When they came down from the mountain, a multitude had gathered there to hear Him preach, and many among them had come in hopes that they would be healed. As Jesus began healing people and casting out evil spirits, the crowd pressed close to Him. They wanted to touch Jesus because they believed that just a touch would be enough to heal them. Jesus’ power and His compassion were displayed that day as the people crowded closer to Him. The Bible tells us of times when not all of the sick people who came to hear Jesus were healed, but on this occasion we see that He healed them all. Was it because of their faith? Was it because they put forth the effort to try to get close to Jesus and touch Him? Was it because Jesus had spent the night in prayer?  It seems that this is an example of how God wants us to believe that He can solve our problems and meet our needs. Are you reaching out to touch Him today?

“But their scribes and Pharisees murmured against his disciples, saying, Why do ye eat and drink with publicans and sinners? And Jesus answering said unto them, They that are whole need not a physician; but they that are sick. I came not to call the righteous, but sinners to repentance.” Luke 5:30-32

Everyone is capable of displaying self-righteous tendencies from time to time. For the scribes and Pharisees, self-righteousness was the very heart of their understanding of religion. The goal was to be as good as you could be and make sure that as many people as possible were aware of your righteous living. At first glance, this seems logical to a person who has a desire to be known as an upstanding person. However, a self-righteous attitude flies in the face of a Holy God. Jesus often stressed the importance of humility and taking personal responsibility for our sin. The scribes and Pharisees wanted to know why Jesus spent time with people who were living obviously sinful lives. Jesus let them know that those who understand that they are sinners are the only ones who are willing to come to God for help. Jesus was not saying that there were some people who did not need to be saved, but rather that some people are not willing to recognize their need to be saved. Jesus knew that the Pharisees were just as sinful as the publicans, but the Pharisees were not willing to admit their sin. Jesus is still calling for sinners today. He is seeking for those who are sick of their spiritual condition and are willing to call on Him for salvation and forgiveness.