• Devotional

    Christian Devotional – August 21, 2020

    Always Second – #7 Jonathan changes his allegiance. Up to this point, Jonathan has been following his father’s leadership, even when he disagreed with it. Now, he makes a change. Read 1 Samuel 18:1-4. Now it came about when he had finished speaking to Saul, that the soul of Jonathan was knit to the soul of David, and Jonathan loved him as himself. Saul took him that day and did not let him return to his father’s house. Then Jonathan made a covenant with David because he loved him as himself. Jonathan stripped himself of the robe that was on him and gave it to David, with his armor, including…

  • Devotional

    Christian Devotional – August 20, 2020

    Always Second – #6 Jonathan is willing to follow God’s commands. As the battle has continued, it comes a point where God stops answering Saul and he wants to know why. So he sets up a test. Read 1 Samuel 14:37-45. Saul inquired of God, “Shall I go down after the Philistines? Will You give them into the hand of Israel?” But He did not answer him on that day. Saul said, “Draw near here, all you chiefs of the people, and investigate and see how this sin has happened today. For as the Lord lives, who delivers Israel, though it is in Jonathan my son, he shall surely die.”…

  • Devotional

    Christian Devotional – August 19, 2020

    Always Second – #5 Not sure what Saul was thinking. Saul put the people under a vow that they would not eat anything, but Jonathan didn’t hear that and when he did he definitely had an opinion about that vow. Read 1 Samuel 14:24-30. Now the men of Israel were hard-pressed on that day, for Saul had put the people under oath, saying, “Cursed be the man who eats food before evening, and until I have avenged myself on my enemies.” So none of the people tasted food. All the people of the land entered the forest, and there was honey on the ground. When the people entered the forest,…

  • Devotional

    Christian Devotional – August 18, 2020

    Always Second – #4 Even with all the news that we read about in the last chapter, Jonathan continues to give his very best. Today, we see as Jonathan experiences and amazing victory. Read 1 Samuel 14:1-15. Now the day came that Jonathan, the son of Saul, said to the young man who was carrying his armor, “Come and let us cross over to the Philistines’ garrison that is on the other side.” But he did not tell his father. Saul was staying in the outskirts of Gibeah under the pomegranate tree which is in Migron. And the people who were with him were about six hundred men, and Ahijah,…

  • Devotional

    Christian Devotional – August 17, 2020

    Always Second – #3 Johnson was prepared. So often, when we find ourselves in 2nd place, it becomes easy to relax and slack off a bit. Yet, Jonathan was prepared for the events that were coming his way. Read 1 Samuel 13:15-23. Then Samuel arose and went up from Gilgal to Gibeah of Benjamin. And Saul numbered the people who were present with him, about six hundred men. Now Saul and his son Jonathan and the people who were present with them were staying in Geba of Benjamin while the Philistines camped at Michmash. And the raiders came from the camp of the Philistines in three companies: one company turned…

  • Devotional

    Christian Devotional – August 16, 2020

    Always Second – #2 Saul shows his true heart and disobeys God. It’s interesting, even though this passage doesn’t directly deal with Jonathan, it has profound impact on him. You can read the full story of what Saul does in 1 Samuel 13:5-14, but we’re going to just look at verses 13 and 14. Samuel said to Saul, “You have acted foolishly; you have not kept the commandment of the Lord your God, which He commanded you, for now the Lord would have established your kingdom over Israel forever. But now your kingdom shall not endure. The Lord has sought out for Himself a man after His own heart, and…

  • Devotional

    Christian Devotional – August 15, 2020

    Always Second – #1 The life of Jonathan will be the focus of my next study. Given some of my current circumstances, God brought this to me as my next topic and I am looking forward to the learnings and encouragement that God brings through the study of His Word. Lets start by reading 1 Samuel 13:1-4. Saul was thirty years old when he began to reign, and he reigned forty two years over Israel. Now Saul chose for himself 3,000 men of Israel, of which 2,000 were with Saul in Michmash and in the hill country of Bethel, while 1,000 were with Jonathan at Gibeah of Benjamin. But he…

  • Devotional

    Christian Devotional – August 14, 2020

    Double Portion – #35 Elisha has died and was buried. And now, just to confirm where his power came from, God does one more miracle through Elisha. Read it 2 Kings 13:20-21. Elisha died, and they buried him. Now the bands of the Moabites would invade the land in the spring of the year. As they were burying a man, behold, they saw a marauding band; and they cast the man into the grave of Elisha. And when the man touched the bones of Elisha he revived and stood up on his feet.2 Kings 13:20‭-‬21 NASBhttps://bible.com/bible/100/2ki.13.20-21.NASB A man who was dead was thrown into the grave of Elisha, then he…

  • Devotional

    Christian Devotional – August 13, 2020

    Double Portion – #34 We’re nearing the end of Elisha’s life. Several kings have changed and still God was in control. Now it is time for Elisha to go to be with the Lord. Read 2 Kings 13:14-19. When Elisha became sick with the illness of which he was to die, Joash the king of Israel came down to him and wept over him and said, “My father, my father, the chariots of Israel and its horsemen!” Elisha said to him, “Take a bow and arrows.” So he took a bow and arrows. Then he said to the king of Israel, “Put your hand on the bow.” And he put…

  • Devotional

    Christian Devotional – August 11, 2020

    Double Portion – #33 God fulfills his word. As we saw yesterday, God had Elisha give an unusual order. Today, we see that order fulfilled and all the ramifications of it. Because of the length, I’m not going to copy the entire passage here, but it’s well worth reading. Read 2 Kings 9:4-37. We’re going to focus on verse 13. Then they hurried and each man took his garment and placed it under him on the bare steps, and blew the trumpet, saying, “Jehu is king!”2 Kings 9:13 NASBhttps://bible.com/bible/100/2ki.9.13.NASB After the servant did what Elisha commanded him, all the people followed Jehu. They recognized the authority of God and the…