Strengthened His Hand
“And Jonathan, Saul’s son, rose and went to David at Horesh, and strengthened his hand in God.”—1 Samuel 23:16
It is during times of great desperation when the circumstances are beyond our ability to contend with or comprehend that God sends others to strengthen our hand in God. Samuel had anointed David to be the next king of Israel, but David’s father-in-law, commander-in-chief, and the dad of his best friend, wanted to kill him. King Saul was so jealous of David’s commitment to God, of the honor he received among men, and the love and esteem his family held for him, that he sought to have him killed. Knowing that if he stayed with Saul he would die, David fled for several years as Saul vainly pursued him. Such a situation could make the strongest of saints discouraged and down. And David was no exception. After escaping Saul’s army yet again, David went to the wilderness of Ziph at Horesh. And Jonathan, Saul’s son, heir to the throne, David’s brother-in-law, and his best friend, came to him at Horesh and strengthened his hand in God. What is it that Jonathan did? He reminded David of God’s promise to him. He said, “Do not fear, for the hand of Saul my father shall not find you. You shall be king over Israel, and I shall be next to you. Saul my father also knows this” (1 Samuel 23:17).
Jonathan’s faith is phenomenal. Rather than assert his hereditary right to the throne of Israel, he looked to God’s promise to David. Jonathan loved David “as his own soul” (cf. 1 Samuel 18:1, 3; 20:17) and set aside everything for the will of God. To strengthen David’s hand in God, he came alongside him and reminded him of what God had promised. It was God who had decreed it, and it would be God who would bring it about. It didn’t matter what Saul did, for he was simply an earthly human king—but God was the divine Lord of Glory who could not be defeated.
How many of us need Jonathans in our lives who continually take us back to God! We need to constantly be reminded of what God has done for us in and through Christ! And when times get tough and even those who should be closest to us or looking out for us seem disinterested or unhelpful, we must go back to God and find our strength in Him! Our strength must not come from ourselves, but from Him and Him alone. Anything else is foolishness and setting us up for a great failure. We find our strength in God and what He has done and will do for all of those who have trusted in the sacrifice of His one and only Son!
God grant us Jonathans in this world who continually look to the will and word of God before all things! Individuals who set aside their own thoughts of glory for the sake of God’s kingdom! And may God enable us to be Jonathans that we might encourage others in their walk with Christ for the furtherance of His glory and His kingdom both now and forevermore! Amen.
It is during times of great desperation when the circumstances are beyond our ability to contend with or comprehend that God sends others to strengthen our hand in God. Samuel had anointed David to be the next king of Israel, but David’s father-in-law, commander-in-chief, and the dad of his best friend, wanted to kill him. King Saul was so jealous of David’s commitment to God, of the honor he received among men, and the love and esteem his family held for him, that he sought to have him killed. Knowing that if he stayed with Saul he would die, David fled for several years as Saul vainly pursued him. Such a situation could make the strongest of saints discouraged and down. And David was no exception. After escaping Saul’s army yet again, David went to the wilderness of Ziph at Horesh. And Jonathan, Saul’s son, heir to the throne, David’s brother-in-law, and his best friend, came to him at Horesh and strengthened his hand in God. What is it that Jonathan did? He reminded David of God’s promise to him. He said, “Do not fear, for the hand of Saul my father shall not find you. You shall be king over Israel, and I shall be next to you. Saul my father also knows this” (1 Samuel 23:17).
Jonathan’s faith is phenomenal. Rather than assert his hereditary right to the throne of Israel, he looked to God’s promise to David. Jonathan loved David “as his own soul” (cf. 1 Samuel 18:1, 3; 20:17) and set aside everything for the will of God. To strengthen David’s hand in God, he came alongside him and reminded him of what God had promised. It was God who had decreed it, and it would be God who would bring it about. It didn’t matter what Saul did, for he was simply an earthly human king—but God was the divine Lord of Glory who could not be defeated.
How many of us need Jonathans in our lives who continually take us back to God! We need to constantly be reminded of what God has done for us in and through Christ! And when times get tough and even those who should be closest to us or looking out for us seem disinterested or unhelpful, we must go back to God and find our strength in Him! Our strength must not come from ourselves, but from Him and Him alone. Anything else is foolishness and setting us up for a great failure. We find our strength in God and what He has done and will do for all of those who have trusted in the sacrifice of His one and only Son!
God grant us Jonathans in this world who continually look to the will and word of God before all things! Individuals who set aside their own thoughts of glory for the sake of God’s kingdom! And may God enable us to be Jonathans that we might encourage others in their walk with Christ for the furtherance of His glory and His kingdom both now and forevermore! Amen.
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