I pity the Christians and especially pastors who only read or study or preach out of the New Testament.  The Old Testament is OVERFLOWING with powerful stories of men and women like you and me whom encountered or witnessed the movement of God personally.  I have blogged and spoken extensively about Joshua (if you missed it, check out the Crash series The Joshua Generation).

There is one particular story in the life of Jonathan that fits this category.  Jonathan was the son of King Saul, the first king of the people of Israel.  I was first exposed to this story through the writing of Mark Batterson, who seems to find so much meaning and application in the Old Testament. (See his book In a Pit with a Lion on a Snowy Day for a great example of this).    1 Samuel 14 tells the story of this powerful experience Jonathan had.  I believe there are some key principles for us here.  You can read the story here, then come back for a couple of comments from me.

Jonathan utters a phrase that was super powerful for me. In verse 6, he says, “Perhaps the LORD will act in our behalf. Nothing can hinder the LORD from saving, whether by many or by few.” I find this idea to be incredibly powerful for several reasons.

First, it shows that Jonathan actually believed God was involved in his life and world. There are so many followers of Christ today (including myself) who often fall into what Craig Groeschel calls a “Christian Athiest” (someone who confesses faith in God, but then lives as if He does not exist and is not involved in their life).

Second, Jonathan did not allow his faith to generate passivity in his mind. He did not sit back and go “God is gonna take care of this, all we have to do is pray and watch.”  While there are several instances in the Scriptures where men and women were overwhelmed and God showed up to fight for them in supernatural ways, it is incredible how often the natural result of “being a Christian” today is passivity rather than courageous living.

Third, Jonathan simply acted with courage, without making a big deal of his risky act. In verse 1, the passage reads, “But he did not tell his father.”  Jonathan was not doing this for recognition, to impress his buddies or win his father’s approval.  He was acting because he believed it was his responsibility to act with faith and obey his Heavenly Father.  I am convicted of how often I bring attention to the actions I should simply take because they are the right thing to do.

I love the courage I find in the stories of the men and women in the Old Testament.  I pray that I may live with Jonathan’s kind of courage and faith in God’s role in the lives of His children.