All for Jesus

The king sat on his seat, as at other times, on the seat by the wall. Jonathan sat opposite, and Abner sat by Saul’s side, but David’s place was empty. Yet Saul did not say anything that day, for he thought, “Something has happened to him. He is not clean; surely he is not clean.” But on the second day, the day after the new moon, David’s place was empty. And Saul said to Jonathan his son, “Why has not the son of Jesse come to the meal, either yesterday or today?” Jonathan answered Saul, “David earnestly asked leave of me to go to Bethlehem. He said, ‘Let me go, for our clan holds a sacrifice in the city, and my brother has commanded me to be there. So now, if I have found favor in your eyes, let me get away and see my brothers.’ For this reason he has not come to the king’s table.” Then Saul’s anger was kindled against Jonathan, and he said to him, “You son of a perverse, rebellious woman, do I not know that you have chosen the son of Jesse to your own shame, and to the shame of your mother’s nakedness? For as long as the son of Jesse lives on the earth, neither you nor your kingdom shall be established. Therefore send and bring him to me, for he shall surely die.” Then Jonathan answered Saul his father, “Why should he be put to death? What has he done?” But Saul hurled his spear at him to strike him. So Jonathan knew that his father was determined to put David to death. And Jonathan rose from the table in fierce anger and ate no food the second day of the month, for he was grieved for David, because his father had disgraced him. (1 Samuel 20:25–34)

Christians are told that we must totally give our lives to God, trusting Him in all areas of life and giving all to Him. For most of us, this is a process. Events of life and the Holy Spirit reveal what we hold on to and want to possess or control. This reading shows me the extent of what it means to love others more than myself. 

As long as David lived, Jonathan would not sit on the throne as king. After this scene, these two met where Saul could not see or hear them. Jonathon explained the situation and David broke down, mastered by his grief. Then they parted. David to begin a life of danger and wandering, while Jonathan returned to the city to be a dutiful son to Saul. 

One writer says, “The scenes in this chapter are some of the most stirring presented to us in history, whether in old or modern times and we may wonder at the delicacy of feeling and the gentleness of the sentiments which these two men in those old rough times entertained for one another. No ancient writer has set before us so noble an example of a heart-felt, unselfish, and thoroughly human state of feeling, and none has described friendship with such entire truth in all its relations, and with such complete and profound knowledge of the human heart.”

This is an example of loving Jesus Christ to the point that I yield all, even my life, future, ambitions, even my rights, that He reigns and is gloried, no matter what it costs me. I have been a child of God for more than fifty years and am still learning what this means and how stubborn I can be in wanting my own way.

Lord Jesus, forgive such foolishness. You are my everything and yet there are still such things that I cling to as if they are mine. I’m totally glad for Your amazing patience with me and the wonder of Your love, even that You were willing to die that I can live. 

What do I trust the most?

 

It is becoming obvious to me that trials, even small ones, are opportunities to trust God, no matter what is happening, and to be calm because He is in control. This week technical problems are testing my faith. Normally I’ve become upset, even angry, when the Internet is not working, or the television acts up, or my computer hiccups. We had a lightning strike last Friday and I discovered last night that my Pixstar photo display was disconnected from Wi-Fi. It took me an hour to reconnect it. Before that, our TV turned off and would not restart. The server tech gave steps to follow but nothing worked. Then they said they would send a technician in six days. My hubby works from home and uses the web for conference calls. He was dismayed.

For once, I was not upset. I prayed saying, “If this is what You want for us, I accept it. If not, You know what to do.” Within hours, everything was working properly. I don’t know what God did, but realized this morning that the tests were not over. I sat down for devotions and clicked on my Bible software — and it would not open. After a lengthy chat with a service rep and going through several steps to fix it (none worked), I sent them my log files and opened my account online. All is there, but I knew this was another test; would I remain calm trusting the Lord, or get upset and start griping?

Today’s devotional focuses on the last phrase in this verse: “You … are being built up as a spiritual house for a holy priesthood, to offer up spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ” (1 Peter 2:5).

It begins: “Spiritual sacrifices are acts of praise and worship offered to God through Jesus” and I’m thinking in my situation, that means these offerings are offered no matter what else is going on. God is still God and on the throne. He is with me in every situation and has already offered Jesus Christ as a sacrifice on my behalf. That is the important thing, not that everything works properly and life goes smoothly all the time, but that I am a child of God, even part of a holy priesthood. My victory is not that the broken gets fixed but that my heart is at peace because the Lord Jesus Christ is my Savior and my God.

The OT sacrifices had to be perfect lambs, without deformity or blemish and sacrificed in a prescribed manner. This depicts the supreme sacrifice of Christ on the cross. When He died, the veil that separated the Holy of Holies from the rest of the Temple split in two. This signifies personal access to God through Christ and after that, those OT animal sacrifices were no longer required.

We have been sanctified through the offering of the body of Jesus Christ once for all. And every priest stands daily at his service, offering repeatedly the same sacrifices, which can never take away sins. But when Christ had offered for all time a single sacrifice for sins, he sat down at the right hand of God, waiting from that time until his enemies should be made a footstool for his feet. For by a single offering he has perfected for all time those who are being sanctified. (Hebrews 10:10–14)

As the devotional says, nothing further is needed for salvation. The spiritual sacrifices that believers offer aren’t sacrifices for sin, but are acts of praise and worship that flow from a redeemed life. They’re the fruit of salvation and are acceptable to God because they’re offered through His Son.

What does this look like in life? It is praising and worshiping God out of a calm assurance that He is who He is and knows what He is doing, that He is taking care of my life and working to transform me into the image of His Son, using all things to do it, even trials, big or small. In the long-term scheme of life, the events of this week are what we often call ‘first-world problems’ and a threat to the good, comfortable life that is a blessing from God — but with the power to draw us into depending on the good life instead of the One who gives it. Trials test me: who or what am I trusting?

PRAY: Jesus, You are my High Priest, my mediator who gives me access to God. Seeking Your will and living in faith and in Your righteousness means sacrificing my old sinful nature — even those I wants that seem good to me. However, I know that I’m called by Your love and blessed so my entire life will be a continuous sacrifice of love, praise, and obedience to You. Thank You for the trials that show me what You want from me, and thank You for producing in me a response of faith and even joy in those trials. You are an incredible Savior and a faithful God who loves me and wants the very best for me.

PONDER: Read Hebrews 10 and be thankful that Christ’s sacrifice was made that I might also sacrifice my life — for the glory of God.