Gospel Reflections #912: Someone's steadfast faith

1 Samuel 14:1 "One day Jonathan, Saul's son, said to the young man carrying his weapons, 'Come, let's cross over to the Philistine outpost on the other side.' Jonathan had not told his father about this."

This begins in a scene where Israel was surrounded by the overwhelming forces of their arch-enemy, the Philistines, and faced a desperate situation.

Jonathan's Faith and Spontaneous Decision

This is the scene where Jonathan, son of King Saul, proposes to his young armor-bearer, "Let us cross over to the Philistine outpost on the other side." 

 Jonathan did not inform his father, Saul, of this plan.

This demonstrates his strong resolve to forge his own path, grounded in trust in God, rather than waiting for his father's permission, who had fallen into unbelief and stagnation.

 It marks the first step in the "victory of Jonathan's faith" depicted throughout Chapter 14, signifying the beginning of action focused not on the size of the army but on "the Lord's salvation."

The Israelite army at that time was short on weapons and trembling with fear, numbering only about 600 men. In contrast, Jonathan, accompanied by a single soldier (his armor-bearer), moved to break the deadlock "by faith." 

This passage teaches us that when many people resign themselves to their circumstances and become paralyzed, the courageous action of one person who believes "God is with us" can become the catalyst that brings victory to the entire nation.

We tend to judge by what we see, become anxious, and struggle on our own. Yet, we should turn our eyes to the unseen God.

However, because we are weak, making such a choice is difficult. That is why God has provided us with the Holy Spirit and fellow believers in faith.

Sometimes, encountering someone's steadfast faith gives us courage and hope.

Only through this process of receiving God's grace from every source do we ourselves become those who share it.

AUTHOR'S BIO: This Gospel Reflections page is written by Masae San, who resides in Hiroshima, Japan. Masae is a dedicated student of the Bible with a deep passion for the Gospel of Jesus Christ. She shares her daily reflections on Gospel perspectives to reach out to others and spread the message of God's true love through a Christ-centered approach. We are sharing her insights here so that you, too, can experience the joy that comes from knowing and understanding the true Gospel and the love of God through Jesus Christ.