Day 4: One in spirit
Jonathan spoke well of David to Saul his father and said to him, “Let not the king do wrong to his servant David; he has not wronged you, and what he has done has benefited you greatly (1 Samuel 19:4).
Heavenly Father, Most High God, You are sovereign over all kingdoms on earth and You give them to anyone You wish (Daniel 4:17). You chose David to replace Saul, sending Samuel the prophet to anoint him as king: So Samuel took the horn of oil and anointed him in the presence of his brothers, and from that day on the Spirit of the Lord came powerfully upon David. (1 Samuel 16:13).
Jonathan, Saul's son would have been the natural successor to the throne. And even though You chose David instead, Jonathan did not harbor a grudge against him—in fact, Jonathan became one in spirit with David, and he loved him as himself (1 Samuel 18:1). And as his father raged and seethed, and erupted with bitter anger and violent fury, Jonathan continued to be a loyal friend to David, constantly shielding him from Saul's deadly machinations.
Father, help us to choose Jonathan's path and not Saul's. It isn't just kingdoms that You give to anyone You wish—in Your sovereignty, Your wisdom, and Your providence You guide all things, determine all things, give all things.
In the body of believers, we are called and equipped according to Your purpose: There are different kinds of gifts, but the same Spirit distributes them. There are different kinds of service, but the same Lord. There are different kinds of working, but in all of them and in everyone it is the same God at work (1 Corinthians 12:4-6). The Lord Jesus Himself distributed gifts at the conclusion of His redemptive work:
“When He ascended on high, He took many captives and gave gifts to His people...” So Christ himself gave the apostles, the prophets, the evangelists, the pastors and teachers, to equip His people for works of service, so that the body of Christ may be built up until we all reach unity in the faith and in the knowledge of the Son of God and become mature, attaining to the whole measure of the fullness of Christ (Ephesians 4:8, 11-13).
Lord, remind us that we are called according to Your purpose (Romans 8:28). Remind us that You have called us away from the world's custom of lording it over others (Matthew 20:25). Remind us that You have called us to higher ground.
Help us to be one in spirit. Help us to affirm, support, and encourage each other. Let us not become conceited provoking and envying each other (Galatians 5:26).
Give us the attitude of Jonathan, who did not see threat or competition, but a brother and a friend. Give us the same purity of heart that allowed Jonathan to speak up for David (1 Samuel 19:4), and to go to him in his distress and help him find strength in God (1 Samuel 23:16).
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