Anointed: A Study in 1 SamuelSample

What does it say?

Jonathan confirmed that his father, Saul, intended to kill David. David and Jonathan took an oath to show kindness to each other’s families. David fled Israel.

What does it mean?

Jonathan was in line for the throne, yet he blessed David and humbly asked him to be kind to his family when David became king. He had every reason to be jealous. Instead, Jonathan submitted to God’s will for David to be king. Initially, all of this may seem unfair. It wasn’t Jonathan’s fault that his father turned from God and that his line would be removed from the throne. Still, Jonathan trusted God and gave up his own expectations. He embraced the plans God had for him, standing strong in what he believed to be God’s will for David and for Israel.

How should I respond?

We all get jealous sometimes and feel that life is unfair. We often get upset with God when things don’t go the way we expect, or we don’t get what we think we deserve. It’s important to remember that everything we have is a gift from God – not something we’ve earned. What expectation are you holding on to? What is God asking you to give up? It may seem unfair on the surface. But God’s plan will always be infinitely better than anything you could dream up. Will you trust God and embrace the changes He may be bringing about in your life? Let your expectations go, and you’ll see that God has something even better in store.