Do Not Be Afraid, Christian - A Story Giving Perspective
Copyright (c) 2010 Peter Rubel
Are you a Christian who struggles with anxiety and fear? Here's a story that gives a perspective that apparently God thought we needed to hear.
Imagine yourself in these people's position! King Saul was with an army of two thousand foot soldiers, and his son Jonathan commanded an army of a thousand. Trouble was brewing, so Saul summoned more men from all Israel. Then a Philistine army of six thousand charioteers (two per chariot) and foot soldiers "as numerous as the sand on the seashore" marched forth and camped not far from Saul and Jonathan. Saul and the Philistines were enemies. A battle was inevitable.
But the odds were actually worse. The Philistines had previously conquered Israel and taken away all their swords and spears (1 Samuel 13:22). Only Saul and Jonathan had swords.
How do you think you'd feel as an Israelite soldier, maybe armed only with sticks and stones? Most deserted or hid until about six hundred remained, and these were "quaking with fear" (1 Samuel 13:7). Even if there had been only six thousand Philistine foot soldiers, there would have been twenty armed Philistines for every unarmed Israelite soldier.
Now comes the interesting part. Jonathan knew "nothing can hinder the Lord from saving, whether by many or by few" (1 Samuel 14:6), so after receiving the Lord's guidance, he and his armor bearer--that's two people with one sword--attacked a small Philistine outpost... and they killed twenty of the enemy (v. 14).
How did Jonathan and his armor-bearer act with such courage when his nation was afraid, out-manned and out-gunned (so to speak)? He believed God could deliver despite the odds, for God was greater than all the military might combined. And he believed that God had approved his mission to the Philistine outpost.
And what happened next suggests that Jonathan alone was right to trust God in his action. The earth shook at the point of Jonathan's outpost victory, causing the whole Philistine army collectively to have a "panic attack," perhaps in part because they remembered stories of what the Israelite God has done.
Panic can make one do strange or unwise things. The Philistines fought each other in the confusion (v. 20). The then-emboldened Israelite deserters rejoined their fellows in attacking the Philistines, and the Philistines were defeated in their terror.
In other words, the story as it is related implies that the Lord saved "by few," namely by the instigation of Jonathan and his armor bearer. The Philistine threat was a test of faith. In that circumstance, would we be afraid or would we believe and act?
The story also warns us that our faith must be acted out in ways that the Lord approves or according to His directions. Had Jonathan fought the Philistine outpost when the Lord wanted them to refrain, Jonathan would have acted foolishly and without the Lord. No doubt Jonathan would have been defeated and would have provoked Philistine retribution.
Indeed, Jonathan's father Saul in fear had offered sacrifice in a way contrary to what the Lord had said (1 Samuel 13:7-14), hoping for the Lord's blessing by blatantly disobeying the Lord.
If we exercise our religion in ways contrary to what God has directed, God will not bless our self-centered endeavors.
But in principle, when a Christian is afraid, the solution is to believe and act upon what God says despite the army of problems we may see around us. If we can trust God with our very lives as Jonathan did, surely we can also trust Him for lesser matters.
God can deliver by many or by few, and when He delivers a Christian, that Christian has trusted and obeyed God. Do not let fear conquer faith.
Are you a Christian who struggles with anxiety and fear? Here's a story that gives a perspective that apparently God thought we needed to hear.
Imagine yourself in these people's position! King Saul was with an army of two thousand foot soldiers, and his son Jonathan commanded an army of a thousand. Trouble was brewing, so Saul summoned more men from all Israel. Then a Philistine army of six thousand charioteers (two per chariot) and foot soldiers "as numerous as the sand on the seashore" marched forth and camped not far from Saul and Jonathan. Saul and the Philistines were enemies. A battle was inevitable.
But the odds were actually worse. The Philistines had previously conquered Israel and taken away all their swords and spears (1 Samuel 13:22). Only Saul and Jonathan had swords.
How do you think you'd feel as an Israelite soldier, maybe armed only with sticks and stones? Most deserted or hid until about six hundred remained, and these were "quaking with fear" (1 Samuel 13:7). Even if there had been only six thousand Philistine foot soldiers, there would have been twenty armed Philistines for every unarmed Israelite soldier.
Now comes the interesting part. Jonathan knew "nothing can hinder the Lord from saving, whether by many or by few" (1 Samuel 14:6), so after receiving the Lord's guidance, he and his armor bearer--that's two people with one sword--attacked a small Philistine outpost... and they killed twenty of the enemy (v. 14).
How did Jonathan and his armor-bearer act with such courage when his nation was afraid, out-manned and out-gunned (so to speak)? He believed God could deliver despite the odds, for God was greater than all the military might combined. And he believed that God had approved his mission to the Philistine outpost.
And what happened next suggests that Jonathan alone was right to trust God in his action. The earth shook at the point of Jonathan's outpost victory, causing the whole Philistine army collectively to have a "panic attack," perhaps in part because they remembered stories of what the Israelite God has done.
Panic can make one do strange or unwise things. The Philistines fought each other in the confusion (v. 20). The then-emboldened Israelite deserters rejoined their fellows in attacking the Philistines, and the Philistines were defeated in their terror.
In other words, the story as it is related implies that the Lord saved "by few," namely by the instigation of Jonathan and his armor bearer. The Philistine threat was a test of faith. In that circumstance, would we be afraid or would we believe and act?
The story also warns us that our faith must be acted out in ways that the Lord approves or according to His directions. Had Jonathan fought the Philistine outpost when the Lord wanted them to refrain, Jonathan would have acted foolishly and without the Lord. No doubt Jonathan would have been defeated and would have provoked Philistine retribution.
Indeed, Jonathan's father Saul in fear had offered sacrifice in a way contrary to what the Lord had said (1 Samuel 13:7-14), hoping for the Lord's blessing by blatantly disobeying the Lord.
If we exercise our religion in ways contrary to what God has directed, God will not bless our self-centered endeavors.
But in principle, when a Christian is afraid, the solution is to believe and act upon what God says despite the army of problems we may see around us. If we can trust God with our very lives as Jonathan did, surely we can also trust Him for lesser matters.
God can deliver by many or by few, and when He delivers a Christian, that Christian has trusted and obeyed God. Do not let fear conquer faith.