LifeLink Devotions for Monday, April 7, 2025

I hurt. I know why. I used muscles that have been inactive for too long. In preparation for summer activities I have been walking on the treadmill and lifting some weights, but I can only do it every third day because it takes that long for my body to recover.  It’s hard getting old.

That got me thinking about spiritual exercise. 1 Timothy 4:7-8 says, “Exercise yourself toward godliness.  For bodily exercise profits a little, but godliness is profitable for all things, having promise of the life that now is and of that which is to come.”

Daniel Henderson of Strategic Renewal wrote a devotional about the kind of exercise we all need – the exercise of the mind so that it is renewed according to godliness. His four step plan made perfect sense, so I share it with you today giving Pastor Henderson full credit. Thanks Dan.

The Eternal Exercise Plan

First, I can exercise my feet, standing firm, “planted in the house of the Lord.”  I find it sad when people mature physically but shrink into spiritual pygmies because they stop choosing to plant their lives in the place of passionate worship.  I want to keep “pressing on” in my pursuit of God in my everyday practice of His presence.  Someday, I want to be that old dude who the young people laugh at (but secretly admire) because he is unrestrained and cuts loose in worship, even if he looks a little goofy.  I don’t want to stay home and watch “senior citizens’ church” as long as I can stand among the godly with my heart soaring in His presence in the courts of our God.

Second, I can exercise my tongue, “declaring that the Lord is upright.”  When this kind of praise frames the substance of my speech there is little room left to whine about the parts that don’t work and complain about my pain.  

Third, I can exercise my heart, trusting fully that “He is my rock and there is no unrighteousness in Him.”  Of course, energy wanes, days get lonely, and the scoreboard of significance becomes blurred – but the Lord is still my security and there is no unrighteousness in Him.  I will trust and obey these great truths – and be happy in Jesus. 

Finally, I can exercise my eyes, focusing on the reality of eternal significance, not just the earthly vapor of this physical life.  Paul says it this way: “Therefore we do not lose heart.  Even though our outward man is perishing, yet the inward man is being renewed day by day.  For our light affliction, which is but for a moment, is working for us a far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory, while we do not look at the things which are seen, but at the things which are not seen.  For the things which are seen are temporary, but the things which are not seen are eternal” (2 Corinthians 4:16-18).  As a child I sang, “Be careful, little eyes, what you see.”  As I approach the finish line I must sing, “Be careful, little eyes, HOW you see.”

Now the tough part – being disciplined enough to exercise every day.

No Pain, No Gain!

Know Pain – Know Gain!

Godliness with contentment is great gain. (1 Timothy 6:6)

Pastor John

LifeLink Devotions for Friday, April 4, 2025

Firewalkers fascinate me. How do they not burn their feet? Is it a trick or have they really learned not to focus on the pain of the fire because their eyes are fixed on getting through it?

There are numerous examples of people who have been through the fires of adversity and seem to come out unburned. How do they do it? Are they tricking us, or is it because they have their eyes focused on what’s at the end?

Listen to these words from the prophet Zechariah.

Zechariah 13:8-9 “In the whole land, declares the LORD, two thirds shall be cut off and perish, and one third shall be left alive. And I will put this third into the fire, and refine them as one refines silver, and test them as gold is tested. They will call upon my name, and I will answer them. I will say, ‘They are my people’; and they will say, ‘The LORD is my God.’ ”

Here are some simple yet profound thoughts about how to be a firewalker.  

• The fire is guaranteed by God.

• The fire is designed by God.
• The fire is controlled by God.
• The fire is a test of my faith in God.
• The fire refines my faith in God.
• The fire motivates me to call upon God.
• The fire produces confidence in God.

Psalm 66:12  ”we went through fire and through water; yet you have brought us out to a place of abundance.”

Isaiah 43:2 “When you pass through the waters, I will be with you; and through the rivers, they shall not overwhelm you; when you walk through fire you shall not be burned, and the flame shall not consume you.”

1 Peter 4:12-13  “Beloved, do not be surprised at the fiery trial when it comes upon you to test you, as though something strange were happening to you. But rejoice insofar as you share Christ’s sufferings, that you may also rejoice and be glad when his glory is revealed.”

My simple goal today is to be a fire-walker.

Pastor John

LifeLink Devotions for Thursday, April 3, 2025

Cost and care are proportional. That which costs little gets cared for little. That which costs much gets cared for extensively.

Homeowners understand this principle. We know the cost of the home, so we invest even more in its care. I am in the process right now of preparing for an exterior maintenance project including insulation and soffit repair. It’s an investment of time and money that is necessary to maintain the value of the home. I care because I know what it cost.

Many today do not care about their spiritual condition because they don’t understand the price that was paid on their behalf so they could have their sins forgiven. Many don’t even know that they need their sins forgiven.

Isaiah 44:22-23 “I have blotted out your transgressions like a cloud and your sins like mist; return to me, for I have redeemed you. Sing, O heavens, for the LORD has done it.”

But the saddest condition is found in the hearts of those who claim to know their need, have asked for forgiveness, but then walk back into the ways of sin with little regard for Jesus. Equally sad are those who put on a new exterior paint job of righteousness but inside live for the pleasures of the immediate and long for the value of power, possessions, and posterity offered by this world. If only they knew the cost of what they claim to possess in Christ.

God paid an unimaginable price for the forgiveness of our sin. We owed Him our lives, and He gave us His life. Read carefully this well-known passage of God’s Holy Word and try to imagine the emotional and physical pain God suffered as He placed Himself in our deserved position of death. Don’t skim it. Digest it.

Isaiah 53:1-12  “Who has believed what he has heard from us? And to whom has the arm of the LORD been revealed? For he grew up before him like a young plant, and like a root out of dry ground; he had no form or majesty that we should look at him, and no beauty that we should desire him.  He was despised and rejected by men; a man of sorrows, and acquainted with grief; and as one from whom men hide their faces he was despised, and we esteemed him not. Surely he has borne our griefs and carried our sorrows; yet we esteemed him stricken, smitten by God, and afflicted. But he was wounded for our transgressions; he was crushed for our iniquities; upon him was the chastisement that brought us peace, and with his stripes we are healed. All we like sheep have gone astray; we have turned—every one—to his own way; and the LORD has laid on him the iniquity of us all. He was oppressed, and he was afflicted, yet he opened not his mouth; like a lamb that is led to the slaughter, and like a sheep that before its shearers is silent, so he opened not his mouth. By oppression and judgment he was taken away; and as for his generation, who considered that he was cut off out of the land of the living, stricken for the transgression of my people? And they made his grave with the wicked and with a rich man in his death, although he had done no violence, and there was no deceit in his mouth. Yet it was the will of the LORD to crush him; he has put him to grief; when his soul makes an offering for guilt, he shall see his offspring; he shall prolong his days; the will of the LORD shall prosper in his hand. Out of the anguish of his soul he shall see and be satisfied; by his knowledge shall the righteous one, my servant, make many to be accounted righteous, and he shall bear their iniquities. Therefore I will divide him a portion with the many, and he shall divide the spoil with the strong, because he poured out his soul to death and was numbered with the transgressors; yet he bore the sin of many, and makes intercession for the transgressors.”

Now that we have a little more understanding of the cost of what we possess, maybe we will care about it a little more.

Pastor John

LifeLink Devotions for Wednesday, April 2, 2025

When our grandchildren were small, Denise and I would take one of them every Tuesday afternoon for grandparent’s day. We played games, did projects, had fun, and ate supper together. We still try to do that now but on a different scale because of their age. I remember one particular Tuesday which was  Liam day.

We finished painting the birdhouse we had been building and then decorated Easter eggs.  After a Swedish pancake supper, we sat down to play a game of attack Uno. After winning the first game, grandpa was already at Uno in the second game after playing his next to last card. Liam, whose hand was loaded with cards, was next to play. A slight smile started in the corner of his mouth as he reached for a card. The smile grew as he laid it on the discard pile. He spoke with excited enthusiasm and said, “I trade hands with grandpa!”

One thing you must know about Liam is that he has never been able to contain his excitement and enthusiasm. It spews out of him resulting in a smile that captures his face and energy expressed in uncontrollable jumping.

After trading hands with me, his energy level started rising. He had just played a trade hands card and now only had one card in his hand while I sat there sorting through 20 of them. On the next turn around the table he played that last card and won the game. He laughed. He jumped. He showed off his contagious smile. His enthusiasm was abundant as he repeated the same phrase over and over again. “I did it! I did it!”

That memory reminds me of how I should respond whenever I hear the Gospel. It’s not a perfect analogy of what happened on the cross, but it will suffice for my heart for a while. Hanging on the cross, Jesus traded hands with us. I had a losing hand which guaranteed my eternal defeat. Jesus had the winning hand. In the game, I would never have initiated the trade, but Jesus did. He took my losing hand as His own and gave me a winning hand I didn’t deserve. My trade with Liam was forced upon me, but Jesus traded willingly. He did it!

As I thought about that trade, I was reminded of its cost from the prophetic twenty-second Psalm. It describes the horror of Christ’s crucifixion. Then at the end we read this.

Psalm 22:27-31 ²⁷ All the ends of the earth shall remember and turn to the LORD, and all the families of the nations shall worship before you. ²⁸ For kingship belongs to the LORD, and he rules over the nations. ²⁹ All the prosperous of the earth eat and worship; before him shall bow all who go down to the dust, even the one who could not keep himself alive. ³⁰ Posterity shall serve him; it shall be told of the Lord to the coming generation; ³¹ they shall come and proclaim his righteousness to a people yet unborn, that he has done it.

Here’s how Isaiah says it in Isaiah 44:22-23.  ”I have blotted out your transgressions like a cloud and your sins like mist; return to me, for I have redeemed you. Sing, O heavens, for the LORD has done it.”

Shout it. Jump around. Laugh with unspeakable joy. Jesus did it!  Jesus did it!

Pastor John

LifeLink Devotions for Tuesday, April 1, 2025

When it comes to finding something that has been misplaced, I am the worst! What’s really upsetting is that I am usually the one who misplaced it. You’d think I’d be able to remember where I put it, but I waste a lot of time looking in all the wrong places.

When we are searching for something we look in a lot of places where it isn’t before we find the place that it is. Sometimes we are fortunate and find it quickly. Other times we search for days. In the midst of the physical search we are also doing a mental search of all the possibilities. We ask ourselves all kinds of questions about what we were doing, where we went, and so on. That is all part of the process of reaching a solution.

I think the same thing is true about our search for the peace of God when we are in trouble or when we are hurting. There is a process that is affirmed in Scripture, and when we accept the fact that God understands the process we can unload a lot of guilt from our hearts.

I find the process illustrated in the life of Asaph, who wrote the seventy-seventh Psalm. I encourage you to read it.

Psalm 77:1-15  
¹ I cry aloud to God, aloud to God, and he will hear me. ² In the day of my trouble I seek the Lord; in the night my hand is stretched out without wearying; my soul refuses to be comforted. ³ When I remember God, I moan; when I meditate, my spirit faints. Selah ⁴ You hold my eyelids open; I am so troubled that I cannot speak. ⁵ I consider the days of old, the years long ago. ⁶ I said, “Let me remember my song in the night; let me meditate in my heart.” Then my spirit made a diligent search: ⁷ “Will the Lord spurn forever, and never again be favorable? ⁸ Has his steadfast love forever ceased? Are his promises at an end for all time? ⁹ Has God forgotten to be gracious? Has he in anger shut up his compassion?” Selah ¹⁰ Then I said, “I will appeal to this, to the years of the right hand of the Most High.” ¹¹ I will remember the deeds of the LORD; yes, I will remember your wonders of old. ¹² I will ponder all your work, and meditate on your mighty deeds. ¹³ Your way, O God, is holy. What god is great like our God? ¹⁴ You are the God who works wonders; you have made known your might among the peoples. ¹⁵ You with your arm redeemed your people, the children of Jacob and Joseph. Selah

Check out verses seven through nine. Asaph has just stated that his spirit is making a diligent search to find comfort in time of trouble. His search begins with questions:

• Has God stopped being good?
• Has God stopped loving me?
• Are God’s promises no longer valid for me?
• Do I now have to earn everything from God because He forgot His grace?
• Doesn’t He care about me any more?

Most of us would beat ourselves up over asking such questions. Maybe our well-intentioned Christian friends would advise us to repent of such questions because they show a lack of faith. We certainly feel guilty for even starting down the road of doubt. But look at the process through which Asaph goes. After asking the questions, he indicates he took a break to meditate and contemplate what God would say in response. That’s what I think Selah means. As his mind gets clarity, he identifies where God wants him to find the answers to his questions. He will appeal to the previous faithfulness of God and his work.

• God’s right hand has never failed to uphold me.
• His mighty deeds are consistent throughout history and testify to his faithfulness.
• The path God has chosen for me is in perfect harmony with His holy nature.
• What other option do we have that can give such hope and security as our great God?
• I am one of your redeemed people. You bought me with the price of your Son’s life. I am a child of God.

And Asaph rested! Selah.

Go ahead. Ask your questions. But after asking them, take a break and listen for God’s response. You will find the hope and peace for which you are searching.

Pastor John

LifeLink Devotions for Monday, March 31, 2025

Quick, what’s the shortest verse in the Bible?  Right! John 11:35 – Jesus Wept.

What’s the longest verse? You had to think a little more didn’t you. It’s Esther 8:9. I will let your curiosity be satisfied through personal investigation.

What’s the longest chapter in the Bible? Psalm 119.

We find pleasure in knowing Bible trivia. But I wonder how many of us really know the subject of the trivia. How many of the following questions could we answer from memory because we have truly studied and absorbed God’s Word?

• Where can we look to find encouragement when we are discouraged?
• Where can I look to get help for someone who is grieving?
• Where can I look to answer someone’s question about the existence of God?
• Where are the verses that reveal the Trinity of God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Spirit?
• Where can I turn to show someone the forgiveness that is available from God through Jesus Christ?
• What verses would I show someone to help them get saved?

I wish I had a better memory of God’s Word to help people in everyday life. We all want to, but life is so busy with so much stuff that we just don’t take the time to study the Bible for ourselves. We hope to go away from church on Sunday morning with one little nugget that we can remember and we hope our memory doesn’t fail when we need it. But very few of us really take the time to prepare for the mission to which God has called us.

Let’s compare it to our place of employment. Those with a good work ethic do everything they can to learn everything they can about their job so they can excel at it. Some people even take additional training and classes. Many do research on their own time so they can understand their job better. Good employees are familiar with the job manual and the company policy manual, so they know they are working within the prescribed guidelines. Great employees are both teachable and self-taught.

In the 119^th Psalm, the phrase “Teach me Thy statutes” occurs eight times. Followers of Jesus are to be constantly praying this to God. Those who have been called to the mission of Jesus Christ are to be passionate about knowing Him, knowing His commands, and knowing His policies and procedures so they can serve Him faithfully and effectively. It takes determination to study His Word. Read the Bible. Don’t start by reading a book about the Bible – READ THE BIBLE! Let the Holy Spirit be your teacher, not your pastor or some famous preacher. READ THE BIBLE. Study it. Memorize it. Hide it away in your heart as your own commitment to holy living and to helping others.

Do you remember the story of William Wilberforce? He was the British politician who pursued the abolishment of slavery. In the midst of a London political crisis, he wrote in his diary: “Walked from Hyde Park Comer, repeating the 119th Psalm in great comfort.” He had memorized the longest chapter in the Bible. British art critic John Ruskin said: “It is strange that of all the pieces of the Bible which my mother taught me, that which cost me most to learn, and which to my child’s mind was most repulsive, the 119th Psalm, has now become, of all, the most precious to me in its glorious passion for the law of God.”

Read the Bible. Study it. Hide it away in your heart. It is the instruction manual for God’s service. You have been called to an eternal mission. How are you preparing to serve faithfully and to the fullest capacity?

Pastor John

LifeLink Devotions for Friday, March 28, 2025

“The itch of self-regard craves the scratch of self-approval.”

That opening line of adevotional by John Piper captured my attention. I kept reading.

“That is, if we are getting our pleasure from feeling self-sufficient, we will not be satisfied without others seeing and applauding our self-sufficiency.”

The fierce beast of approval needs to be dealt with. This beast attacks all of us, and under the direction of the enemy of our souls he knows the perfect time to seek to devour us. He stalks us waiting for those moments of rejection and conflict, resulting in doubt of our identity. Immediately he is right there to convince us we are correct in our assessment of our worth. He offers us a solution that is ultimately destructive, but we choose the lure of the immediate that disguises the destructive outcome. We choose to seek self-approval. 

The devotional continued.

“This is ironic. Self-sufficiency should free the proud person from the need to be made much of by others. That’s what “sufficient” means. But evidently there is a void in this so-called self-sufficiency.

“The self was never designed to satisfy itself or rely upon itself. It never can be sufficient. We are but in the image of God, not God himself. We are shadows and echoes. So there will always be an emptiness in the soul that struggles to be satisfied with the resources of self.

“This empty craving for the praise of others signals the failure of pride and the absence of faith in God’s ongoing grace. Jesus saw the terrible effect of this itch for human glory. He named it in John 5:44, “How can you believe, when you receive glory from one another and do not seek the glory that comes from the only God?” The answer is, you can’t. Itching for glory from other people makes faith impossible… if you are bent on getting the satisfaction of your itch from the scratch of others’ acclaim, you will turn away from Jesus.”

Here’s how I battle the beast.

• Colossians 1:11-14 “May you be strengthened with all power, according to his glorious might, for all endurance and patience with joy,  giving thanks to the Father, who has qualified you to share in the inheritance of the saints in light.  He has delivered us from the domain of darkness and transferred us to the kingdom of his beloved Son, in whom we have redemption, the forgiveness of sins.”
• Titus 2:11-14 “For the grace of God has appeared, bringing salvation for all people, training us to renounce ungodliness and worldly passions, and to live self-controlled, upright, and godly lives in the present age,waiting for our blessed hope, the appearing of the glory of our great God and Savior Jesus Christ, who gave himself for us to redeem us from all lawlessness and to purify for himself a people for his own possession who are zealous for good works.”
• 1 John 3:1 “How great is the love the Father has lavished on us, that we should be called children of God! And that is what we are! The reason the world does not know us is that it did not know him.”

God’s Holy Word convinces me that I belong to Him through Jesus Christ my Lord. He has delivered me. He has redeemed me. He has qualified me. He has lavished love on me. I am His child. I need no other approval. I am zealous to do His work, and I am doing it for His glory not for my recognition.

Thank you Jesus for your grace.

Pastor John

LifeLink Devotions for Thursday, March 27, 2025

We all have needs. Daily my need for golf and fishing is increasing. But this morning the Lord helped me to understand my specific need right now by leading me to several verses that helped me re-focus my heart and mind on His purpose for my life and how to handle all the activity that surrounds me.

Psalm 34:18 — “The LORD is near to the brokenhearted and saves the crushed in spirit.”

Psalm 46:1 — “God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble.”

James 4:8 — “Draw near to God, and he will draw near to you.”

Jeremiah 29:12-13 — “Then you will call upon me and come and pray to me, and I will hear you. You will seek me and find me, when you seek me with all your heart.”

Psalm 145:18 – “The LORD is near to all who call on him, to all who call on him in truth.”

I tend to do life in my own strength, exhausting myself with a to-do list. I even ignore time with Jesus. I get more concerned about working for Him than resting in Him. I’m about to expose some flaws to you. When I choose to miss my time with Jesus, I begin to see people who request things from me as “pains” rather than “partners.” I begin to focus on the external negatives of their behavior rather than the humble condition of their heart. I form opinions about their motives. I begin to blame myself for not having more energy or more time to do what they want. I begin to believe the lie of the Enemy that I am not spiritual enough because I didn’t do everything they needed.

Then this morning I fell into the arms of Jesus and rested. He assured me that I was right where He needed me to be so that His grace could take over. He assured me that I am just one small piece of His body and that not everyone is called to be passionate about the same thing, except to love Him and love others. I knew I was not focused on love, but on labor, and He assured me that He wasn’t. He loves me. He will use me if I love Him. That’s all I need to know.

Charles Wesley wrote,

Be Thou, O Rock of Ages, nigh!
So shall each murmuring thought be gone;
And grief and fear and care shall fly,
As clouds before the mid-day sun.

Jesus spoke to me through a devotional I read this morning:

“Take courage. Often turn to the Lord, who is watching you, poor frail little being as you are, amid your labors and distractions. He enables you to bear your troubles patiently and gently, for love of Him who only allows you to be tried for your own good. Raise your heart continually to God, seek His aid, and let the foundation stone of your consolation be your happiness in being His. All trouble and annoyances will be comparatively unimportant while you know that you have such a Friend, such a Stay, such a Refuge.”

Let’s join together and replace labor with love.

Pastor John

LifeLink Devotions for Wednesday, March 26, 2025

Twelve years ago during severe blizzards in Japan, a father froze to death while sheltering his daughter. Mikio Okada died as he tried to protect his only child, Natsune, against winds of up to 68 miles per hour and temperatures that plunged as low as 21 degrees, making for windchills of 20 below zero.

Mr. Okada called his relatives to say that he was stranded and that he and Natsune would try to walk to their destination. But they were both found just 300 yards from the truck. Mr. Okada was reportedly found hunched over his daughter, cradling her in his arms and apparently using his body and a warehouse wall to provide shelter. He had taken off his jacket to give to the child. The young girl was taken to a hospital near their home where she was found to have no serious injuries.

That story illustrates several principles, not the least of which is that true love is sacrificial. The apostle John wrote, “In this is love, not that we loved God, but that he loved us and sent his Son to be the atoning sacrifice for our sins.”

But the principle that sticks out to me today is this – God is able to save us if we will stay within His reach. No matter what our situation or circumstances, God has not moved away to become simply an observer from a distant vantage point. If there is an apparent distance between us and God it is because we have moved, not Him. His arm has not been shortened. His ears have not become dull so that He cannot hear our cries for help.

The problem is not with God, who never changes, but with us because we change all the time. We change our minds about whether or not we can trust God and His Word. We change our minds about whether we will obey Him or follow our own personal plan of performance. We make choices every day to love Him and then turn around and love ourselves more. But what we may not consider as we think about those choices is that every choice we make to leave God out of individual moments in our lives makes us responsible for the outcome of those choices.

Isaiah 59:1-2   “Behold, the LORD’s hand is not shortened, that it cannot save, or his ear dull, that it cannot hear; but your iniquities have made a separation between you and your God, and your sins have hidden his face from you so that he does not hear.”

God made a choice to love us and reach out to us in His Son Jesus Christ. His choice will never change. God also made a choice that those who reject Jesus will suffer severe consequences, not only in this life but in eternity. That choice will also never change. Our choices either bring us into the arms of Jesus for protection against all the storms of life, or they move us away from God’s protection and make us vulnerable to the storms of life.

God has put Himself between you and the storm of sin. He has offered to save you from the storm, not so much by wrapping you up but rather by filling you up with the eternal warmth of His love. His Holy Spirit, dwelling in all who have repented of their sin and have run into His arms for forgiveness, provides a constant fire of holiness within us. Never again do our hearts need to grow cold. Never again do we need to fear being out of reach of the arms of God. He is in us, and His love never changes.

If you feel distant from God today, it is not because He has moved – you have. Run to Him and discover that the fire of salvation is still blazing, and it will never be extinguished.

Pastor John

LifeLink Devotions for Tuesday, March 25, 2025

One night I had the privilege of being the speaker at AWANA Council Time for the 3^rd through 5^th graders. I started by asking the students who they thought was my favorite Bible Character. I called on one of many children that had raised their hand and after hearing his response I clarified the question to state “Other than Jesus, who is my favorite Bible character.”

After two dozen incorrect guesses, I finally revealed the answer. The life of Jonathan, King Saul’s son and King David’s best friend, has always deeply touched my heart with its principles of friendship and love. Two of the three principles of a good friend I shared last night are still on my mind this morning.

As Saul’s son, Jonathan was next in line for the throne of Israel. He became a mighty warrior, but even in his military success he was learning an important principle of friendship and success – do your best without concern for who gets the credit.

 1 Samuel 13:3-4  “Jonathan defeated the garrison of the Philistines that was at Geba, and the Philistines heard of it. And Saul blew the trumpet throughout all the land, saying, “Let the Hebrews hear.”  And all Israel heard it said that Saul had defeated the garrison of the Philistines…”

Jonathan had just won an incredible battle with only a few men, and yet his dad the King took all the credit.

Former United States President John F. Kennedy said, “There’s no limit to what a man can accomplish if he doesn’t care who gets the credit.” Too many friendships are ruined by a self-exalting competitive spirit that seeks honor and recognition for everything done. This was not Jonathan’s way, as we will see.

Through the course of his reign, Saul became disobedient to God and his Kingdom was taken from him. Without Saul’s knowledge, David was anointed as the next King of Israel.

Then came the day of David’s victory over Goliath, the Philistine warrior. After the battle, Saul took David into his household and made him his chief warrior. David was unprepared for being a military leader, but God had ordained a plan. When Saul was finished talking to David, the Bible says that “the soul of Jonathan was knit to the soul of David, and Jonathan loved him as his own soul.”

This is utterly amazing. Jonathan had every right to be angry with his father for messing up his future. His chance to be King was gone. GONE!  And now, standing in front of him, was the young man who would be king; the one who would get all the honor and recognition that could have been his. OUCH!

Yet notice the Spirit of God in Jonathan’s heart. He chooses to love David rather than hate him. He chooses to put action to his love and he “stripped himself of the robe that was on him and gave it to David, and his armor, and even his sword and his bow and his belt. And David went out and was successful wherever Saul sent him, so that Saul set him over the men of war. And this was good in the sight of all the people and also in the sight of Saul’s servants.” (1 Samuel 18:4-5). David took the very position that Jonathan had held, and Jonathan helped him get it.

Jonathan showed no anger toward the person who took his job and his title. Instead, Jonathan came alongside David and assisted his success. That’s what true friends do.

After I was done speaking to the students the AWANA Commander came forward to give the students the evening’s results of the ongoing missionary offering contest. One of the teams had taken a huge lead over the other. He asked the team that was behind to cheer for the team that was ahead. The response was not good. I actually heard booing. I guess I need to tell the story over again. But before I do, I’d better make sure I’m cheering others who are getting ahead of me, especially those times when I think I deserve to get ahead.

Pastor John