In The Midst Of Trials Series

Before we celebrate our relationship with God through Jesus Christ today in Communion, let us continue to learn from the Book of 1 Samuel. Please open your Bibles to chapter 20 of 1 Samuel…..

The chapter is a bit long but we need to read all 42 verses to understand the story and grasp Biblical principles to apply for our lives today. Read along with me 1 Samuel 20:1-42. Listen carefully, the almighty God is telling the story….

v1-3: King Saul hid from his son Jonathan his hatred for David! Jonathan was fooled by his father!

v4: again, out of his godly love of David, Jonathan was willing to help him!

And so in v5-7: David proposed plan.

In v8-10: How honest were Jonathan and David to each other??

We can note that Jonathon was so honest that he was willing to do whatever it took to make things right with David. David was so honest, he was willing to die for the truth!

What made David and Jonathan so honest with each other??

David and Jonathan were committed to God!

And because of their commitment to God and each other, v11-15: David and Jonathan had a private discussion not only with each other but with who?? David and Jonathan had a conversational prayer time with God!

And let us note that v23: confirms their time with the Lord!

In v16-22: Jonathan proposed a plan.

And basically in v24-40: The prayers and plans of David and Jonathon were realized!

And v41-42 give us the main lesson in this story: In the midst of wickedness and trials in life, we can still live with God’s love and love for each other!

What happened?

a. David bowed down 3 times before Jonathan = a sign of respect!

b. they “kissed” each other – a sign of adoration! Let us quickly note that again David and Jonathon had godly love for each other; and that kiss was a gentle touch, not a passionate one. what happened with Jonathan and David should not surprise us; it should still happen today! Like many of you, when the Dorrells left last week, I kissed both Duncan and Mary and I wept.

c. desired peace for each other, both personally and for their families!

d. They called on God!

Are there trials in our lives today? Is there wickedness in our world? Let us follow the example of David and Jonathon.

1. Commit to the One and Only True God (Father, Son Jesus Christ, and Holy Spirit)!

If you are not committed to the Triune God, you will end up wicked like King Saul!

If you are a Believer of the Triune God, recommit your life to Jesus Christ by partaking Communion this morning.

2. As we trust God, let us be honest with the ones we love!

3. Partner in faith with someone and pray together often!

4. Live with God’s love and love your Christian brothers and sisters! Think about this everyday!