Just Maybe... By Brother Curtis Hansen

             Turn to the book of 1 Samuel chapter 14. We are going to look at some scripture that goes along with faith being placed into action through the son of King Saul, Jonathan. Starting in verse 1;

            Now it came to pass upon a day, that Jonathan the son of Saul said unto the young man that bare his armor, Come, and let us go over to the Philistines' garrison, that is on the other side. But he told not his father.

            And Saul tarried in the uttermost part of Gibeah under a pomegranate tree which is in Migron: and the people that were with him were about six hundred men;

            And Ahiah, the son of Ahitub, Ichabod's brother, the son of Phineas, the son of Eli, the LORD'S priest in Shiloh, wearing an ephod. And the people knew not that Jonathan was gone.

            And between the passages, by which Jonathan sought to go over unto the Philistines garrison, there was a sharp rock on the one side, and a sharp rock on the other side: and the name was Bozez, and the name of the other Seneh. 

            The forefront of the one was situate northward over against Michmash, and the other southward over against Gibeah.

            And Jonathan said to the young man that bare his armor, Come, and let us go over unto the garrison of these uncircumcised: 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.

            And his armor bearer said unto him, Do all that is in thine heart: turn thee; behold, I am with thee according to thy heart.

            Then said Jonathan, Behold, we will pass over unto these men, and we will discover ourselves unto them.

            If they say unto us, Tarry until we come to you: then we will stand still in our place, and will not go up unto them.

            But if they say thus, Come up unto us; then we will go up: for the LORD hath delivered them into our hand: and this shall be a sign unto us. 

        Now, a little bit of background for this scripture. Israel was in battle with the Philistines and were in this moment in hiding from their enemy. King Saul, 600 men, and the priest were actually south from where Jonathan was. They weren't doing anything but sitting under a pomegranate tree. An important note is that the priest Ahiah was a few generations in the line of Eli. Eli was the priest who took in Hannah's son Samuel after she dedicated him to God. Eli also had two wicked sons who handled the ark of the covenant when the Israelites went into battle. They would be slain at the hand of the Philistines and lose the ark to them as well. That's another message for another day. Often times though, the early days of Israel who bring out the ark onto the battlefield as a representation of GOD's power. Often times, it would seem like instant victory to them when the ark showed on the field of battle. Much like today, many people seem to think that God answers people in a loud voice or some fantastic event. So they waste their time looking for something you get in a movie with computer generated effects. God works small. His voice can be revealed with the 5 fold ministry established and operated in some churches. 

        A fact about King Saul was that he often manipulates and improvises his situation because the anointing is removed from him. Improvisation to a blessing has never worked out. You could look at Sarah and Abraham awaiting the promise of a child and her servant Hagar giving birth to Ishmael. Saul would rely on his carnal abilities because there was no relationship with God. In the 13th chapter and in the 15th chapter, the scripture accounts of Saul not following instruction and doing things his way. 

        When we look at the description of the sharp rocks Jonathan and his armor bearer were at they had the names Bozez and Senah. The first name translates as slippery and the other name translates as thorny. When we step out from the convenience of a conservative tightly managed life and transition into something else which is unknown to us, it can lead us into some treacherous situations. That is why it is important to keep praying and seeking God when your life begins to change from what you grew comfortable with into something potentially greater. In the scripture reading, Jonathan is in between rocks while his father, his father's men and the priest are due south at the border. 

        Focus on verse 6- The Lord wants to work for them, either Jonathan and his armor bearer or King Saul and his 600 men. The Lord wants to give you a victory the way he would give Jonathan one against his enemies. "there is no restraint to the LORD to save by many or by few." The Holy Spirit brings all things into remembrance, which is why it is vital for you to have it every day in your life.

        When you are at an impasse or obstacle in life, be careful of who you talk to or share with in that moment. The plan Jonathan has is laid out in verses 8-10, which when you first read it seems like a bad idea. the Bible has a lot of bad ideas if you see it through just logic and reasoning. Like being a large group in front of the Red Sea with an army advancing toward you and you just have to use your rod to part the waters by faith. Sometimes these bad ideas don't seem very logical but with God on your side they succeed. In the scripture Jonathan was aggravated because he was literally stuck between two rocks and in transition. He had an obligation to his father in defending Israel. You don't have to be some super hero in faith to get God to move for you. In a maybe God can still work. Faith without work is dead according to the book of James. You have to do something toward your goal to accomplish it. God has never just blessed a situation where there was no work being done before hand. 

        A question for you; What is greater; the idea of faith or the action of faith? It's the action. Why would God do something what he put in you to do? The idea is not enough. The action is needed for it to work. The Lord is working for you, wants the best for you. All he requires from us is faith but also obedience.