Faith, Works, and Something Incredible

Scripture:
Jonathan said to the young man who carried his armor, “Come, let us go over to the garrison of these uncircumcised. It may be that the Lord will work for us, for nothing can hinder the Lord from saving by many or by few.”
1 Samuel 14:6
Context:
I love the book of Samuel, parts one and two. This narrative about the origins of the kingship of Israel is rife with stories about the greatness of God, the cowardice of the people of Israel, and the heroics of individuals.
This chapter starts out with Jonathon, the son of the King Saul, getting a great idea to go up against the Philistines with just his armor bearer and himself. Ok so I am being a little facetious when I say great idea. In the natural it was actually a pretty dumb decision. But this choice becomes great because of Jonathon’s faith in his God. He climbs through a pass to where the Philistines are encamped. He is so sure that God will deliver the Philistines into his hands that he exposes himself to them. Prior to moving out to where the Philistines would be able to see him he devises a plan to figure out if this is ordained by God or just his own vision of grandeur. His movements are dictated by faith. His actions are that of a man who is utterly secure in the strength of his God. This surety leads to a great victory for the people of Israel. You can tell by the language used by the Philistines that the Israelites were not known for their bravery, but in the midst of the cowardice we see one champion named Jonathon who is willing to stand on the word of his God.
Reflection:
The people of God when acting in faith can achieve the impossible by the hand of God. Acts of faith can and will have major impacts.
Application:
I need to walk in faith like Jonathon. This guy is a real hero. Reading this story we see that he is a valiant, respectable, and honorable young man. These are characteristics that all Christians need. We need to valiantly trust God, we need to respect God and those in authority, and we need to bestow upon God the honor due Him.
I try to walk in faith, and lately God has been hammering me on this issue. He has been showing me that I have been relying on my own strengths. When I fail to trust God valiantly, I am not respecting Him as God, and I am not bestowing upon Him the honor due him. This is where I really start to understand what James is saying when he wrote “faith without works is dead”. Jonathon put his faith into action and as a result we now read about his actions. On his own accord he might have been able to slay a few Philistines before falling by the sword. Instead he led a preemptive strike that paved the way to a great victory.
Do I want to see God do great things? My answer is yes, so I need to be like Jonathon and put my faith into action.
Prayer:
Lord, thank you for showing me that I have failed to live out my faith. Help me to live and act like I believe. Amen…
Sanctifying Statement:
Live like you really believe!