The Lord Will Not Forsake His People Series

Each of us is facing a different kind of challenge each day.

Some of you are facing some health issues.

I just heard of a news regarding our close relative who has been diagnosed with cancer.

She is going through rough times right now and we had to help her deal with her new challenge.

Some of you are facing some financial issues, or relationship problems, or probably some challenges at work.

I want to remind you that the Lord will not forsake you if you will ask His daily guidance in your life.

Regardless of how difficult those challenges might be, you can be able to overcome them and grow in the process.

That is what we are going to talk about today.

Last week, we studied about the bad decisions of King Saul and consequently bringing along the entire Israel in a very difficult situation.

He was the complete opposite of the godly integrity of Samuel all his life.

However, in spite of his weaknesses, in spite of his failures and many misgivings, God has proven that He will never forsake His own people. Israel.

Imagine, Saul the king, provoking the strong and well-armed Philistines into a war even if they have no armors and no army?

It was a big military gamble.

Imagine, Saul provoking God by offering the sacrifice which was supposed to be done by Samuel.

It was a big spiritual gamble.

But in spite of these foolish decisions, the Lord intervened and restrained the Philistines from completely destroying Israel.

Even if the enemy had a vast army as numerous as the sand on the seashore compared to the six hundred men of Israel, God did not allow Israel's defeat.

God's invisible power will protect His very own people from her enemies.

And He will do that to each and every one of us if we trust Him.

We are always safe under His strong and powerful hands.

The Psalmist declared in 94:14 (NIV) "For the LORD will not reject his people; he will never forsake his inheritance."

Look at those two things God will not do to us: "Not reject and never forsake His people."

Why? Because they are God's inheritance, God's treasures.

Of course, God is talking about the nation of Israel here.

But when you receive Christ as Lord and Savior, we have been grafted in and became part of the new spiritual Israel who belong to Him.

You and I are very precious to God's sight.

Even though we failed in the past or made horrible mistakes, yet God will never ever forsake us.

Because He loved us so much.

He cares for every one of us.

He might discipline us or chastise us due to our sins but all these are for our own good to make us stronger each day.

This is the message of 1 Samuel chapter 14.

Actually, chapter 14 is a very long chapter - consisting of 52 verses.

But we will divide these into two messages and continue with the second part next year after the Christmas season.

We will focus our study today in the life of Jonathan, the son of King Saul.

We will learn how his faith and courage led him to victory in spite of the overwhelming dangers ahead.

We will look at three things:

1. Jonathan's faith and courage.

2. Jonathan's search for God's direction

3. Jonathan's victory through God's intervention.

THE LEGACY OF JONATHAN.

1. JONATHAN'S FAITH AND COURAGE. 1 Samuel 14:1-5 (NIV) 1 One day Jonathan son of Saul said to his young armor-bearer, “Come, let’s go over to the Philistine outpost on the other side.” But he did not tell his father. 2 Saul was staying on the outskirts of Gibeah under a pomegranate tree in Migron. With him were about six hundred men, 3 among whom was Ahijah, who was wearing an ephod. He was a son of Ichabod’s brother Ahitub son of Phinehas, the son of Eli, the Lord’s priest in Shiloh. No one was aware that Jonathan had left. 4 On each side of the pass that Jonathan intended to cross to reach the Philistine outpost was a cliff; one was called Bozez and the other Seneh. 5 One cliff stood to the north toward Mikmash, the other to the south toward Geba.

In verse 1, we find the faith and courage of Jonathan.

He said to his armor bearer, "Come, let's go over to the Philistine outpost on the other side."

Notice that he resolved to go to the camp of the Philistines without telling his father about it.

Why wouldn't he tell his father? Probably because he knew right away that his father would forbid him.

Jonathan knew how discouraged his father was at that moment and might not even ask his advice.