SixThirty3 Student Ministry

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Today's passage was 1 Samuel 20:1-42. In the passage, David approaches Jonathan looking to find out what he has done that has made Saul want to kill him. Jonathan finds it hard to believe that his father wants to kill David. David devises a test to reveal Saul's true feelings toward him to Jonathan and makes Jonathan swear to reveal to David the results of the test. Jonathan carries out the test (almost losing his life in the process when his own father tried to kill him) and is upset to find out that his father indeed wants to kill David. True to his word, Jonathan reveals the results of the test to David, and the two weep at the separation that Saul's jealousy and hatred toward David brings upon them.

Just one thing that God really spoke to me about this morning:

Honor your covenants regardless of personal feelings. David and Jonathan had entered into a covenant together. Never was that covenant tested more than in this case. Here you have the love for a father pitted against the covenant made with a friend. Can you imagine how it must have pained Jonathan to have to choose the covenant he made with his friend over the love he had for his father? Vs. 34 said this about Jonathan: "He got up from the table in fierce anger and did not eat any food that second day of the New Moon, for he was grieved because of his father's shameful behavior toward David."

At times, the covenants we make with people will be SEVERELY tested. Maybe it's a marriage covenant; maybe it's a covenant we make with a friend; maybe it's some other covenant. Whatever the case may be, we will be forced to choose between keeping our covenant or surrendering to that which is testing our commitment to keeping our covenant.

Friendships like David and Jonathan's are rare. In a world which values people and things simply for how they can be used to selfishly benefit a person, finding someone who cares for another individual as he does himself is like finding the proverbial needle in a haystack. Jesus said the second greatest commandment is to "love your neighbor as yourself."

Will you? Will you sacrifice your desires for those of another? Will you love them as you love yourself?

Today's text: 1 Samuel 19:1-24

Today's passage records Saul's intense jealousy toward David and his numerous attempts to murder David. His son Jonathan reasons with his father and secures a temporary peace when Saul agrees not to kill David. That lasts only until the Israelites go to war with the Philistines again and David leads the Israelites to victory over the Philistines. Saul's jealousy rears its ugly head again and he tries to pin David to the palace wall with a spear (yes--AGAIN!!! If I was David, I think I might have remembered how Saul had tried to kill me by pinning me to a wall with his spear twice before and at least made sure that there wasn't a spear in the room with us!). David flees to his home but Saul sends agents to pursue him there also. With the help of Michal, David escapes to Naioth where he hides. Saul sends 3 different groups of agents to grab David and bring him back but each time the Spirit of God came upon the agents and they were unable to bring David back. Finally, Saul himself goes after David but he encounters the same fate as the agents he had sent before.

Here's what God spoke to me about this morning:

1. Jealousy is an ugly thing. It prevents us from walking in step with God. Saul's jealousy of David led to his murderous pursuit of him. It wasn't logical--all David had done was lead the Israelites to victory over the Philistine army. You would think the Israelite king would be happy about that. But he wasn't! He was jealous of David's ability and notoriety.
   
   Jealousy blinds us to the truth. It keeps us from walking in step with God. It has DEVASTATING effects on our lives. Which is why we need to search our hearts for any trace of jealousy. Do we rejoice in the successes of others or do their successes and victories leave us frustrated or discouraged.
   
2. God protects His own. Saul had plenty of opportunity to kill David. He tried numerous times and various ways to do it. But each time God delivered David from him. No matter how hard Saul tried, he couldn't kill David.
   
   Do you belong to God? Are you sealed by the Holy Spirit? If you are His child, then rest in knowing that there is NOTHING that comes against you that He hasn't allowed; nor that He can't protect you from! Those who are His rest securely in HIs hand.

Today's text was 1 Samuel 18:10-30. Here is what God revealed to me.

1. The secret to success is found in Him. 1 Samuel 18 is a dramatic picture of 2 very different men--one of his way down (Saul) and one on his way up (David). The difference between the two men is found in vs. 12: "the LORD was with David but had left Saul.:" Because of his disobedience back in 1 Samuel 13, God removed His hand of blessing from Saul.
   
   We need to understand that the secret to success in life is found in our relationship with God through Jesus Christ. We will be utter failures in life unless we are intimately connected to Him. Jesus said it this way in John 15:5--"I am the vine; you are the branches. The one who remains in Me and I in him produces much fruit, because you can do nothing without Me." If we live "disconnected" from God, it doesn't matter what we do or how many people know us or love us--we will be failures. It is only by living in an intimate relationship with Jesus Christ that we accomplish anything of eternal value. That kind of connection is so much more than a "once a day meeting"! It's a continual, moment by moment awareness of the Holy Spirit's presence. It's living in constant connection with Him!
   
   Here are some questions I'm asking myself to evaluate my life in this area:
   
        * Is there any element of disobedience in my life of which I need to repent?
        * Am I continuously aware of the Holy Spirit's presence in my life? Why or why not?
        * What can I do to be more aware of the Spirit's presence on a moment by moment basis?
        * How do I define "success" in my life?

A couple of students have commented recently about how they thought I should post my thoughts about my personal Bible study times again. So, here goes.

Currently I'm going through the book of 1 Samuel. This morning I read 1 Samuel 18:1-9. Here's what God said to me:

1. Live to please God only. There will be people in life who will love you and others who might despise you. David simply obeyed God and lived to exalt Him. In 1 Samuel 18, you have 2 people--Saul and Jonathan--who had different responses to David. Saul was jealous of David's success and the affection the people had for him and it led him to despise David. Jonathan, on the other hand, loved David. He even went so far as to enter into a covenant friendship with David.
   
   David could not control how people felt about him or responded to him...NEITHER CAN WE! We need to quit living to make others happy and simply live to please the One who has died to give us life! (2 Corinthians 5:15)
   
   
2. Celebrate others' successes. It would have been easy for Jonathan to be jealous of David's successes just as Saul was. Jonathan was "heir apparent" to the throne. Now, 1 Samuel 16 reveals that God had already chosen David to succeed Saul on throne but most of the Israelites didn't know that yet. In their minds Jonathan would become king once his father died. So how does the "heir apparent" treat the war hero? He loves him as he loved himself. Instead of being jealous of David's success--like his father was--Jonathan celebrated David's success. 
   
   The way we respond to the successes of others says a lot about us. If we are insecure in who we are then we will respond as Saul responded to David—in jealousy. If we are secure in who we are—or, better yet, WHOSE we are—then we will celebrate with others when they are blessed with success.
   
   
3. Be a friend like Jonathan. Jonathan loved David like he loved himself. He gave David his robe, military tunic, sword, bow, and belt as a part of the covenant friendship that he entered into. Jonathan didn’t just say he was a friend, his actions proved it.
   
   What kind of friend are you? Are you more talk than action? I pray that the world would be able to look at our friendships and see something different!