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. 

Becoming a butterfly . . .

The dictionary says that metamorphosis, usually concerning insects or amphibians, is the process of transformation from an immature form to an adult form in two or more distinct stages. In people, it means “a change of the form or nature of a thing or person into a completely different one, by natural or supernatural means.”

I like that last definition because it agrees with the way the Bible uses the Greek version of this word. Here is translated “transformed” and is about being changed from the inside out . . .

I appeal to you therefore, brothers, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable to God, which is your spiritual worship. Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind, that by testing you may discern what is the will of God, what is good and acceptable and perfect. (Romans 12:1–2, emphasis mine)

The first eleven chapters of Romans describe salvation: why we need it and how God makes it happen. The next section describes how salvation transforms our lives. Those who have been given the life of Christ will do these things, beginning with presenting or offering their entire self to God, worshiping Him as living sacrifices.

A young missionary once said that “the only problem with living sacrifices is that they keep crawling off the altar.” At the time, that seemed funny but true. Now I realize that it isn’t the living sacrifice that does this because it never has the desire to move away from Jesus. Rather, it is the old sinful nature pulling me away from being totally dedicated to the Lord.

The rest of this passage is a big clue to why that happens — my mind needs to be renewed. Like the caterpillar that goes into a little case and is changed to a butterfly, my way of thinking needs renovating. However, I cannot do that; it is a supernatural task that only God can do.

I’m going through written copies of my thoughts about God from years past. Some of them are solidly biblical and giving me a smack because I saw truth then but it didn’t change me at the core of how I think. Perhaps I didn’t obey or I didn’t spend enough time in silence and meditation. I allowed distractions to take me off somewhere else.

Whatever the reasons, eventually many of those lessons did change my life, but only after experiences and trials that pressed me again and again back to that altar. I kept crawling off because my heart resisted God’s ideas in favor of my own.

Yet these two verses have always held a special place. I know that change is about yielding to God and resisting sin. I know that transformation is about thinking His thoughts and recognizing the dangers and depravity of my selfish ideas. It is also about focus. The butterfly is formed when the caterpillar is motionless. It does not try to fly before God forms its wings. Then it struggles to get out and, in that trial, it is strengthened. I tend to resist the trials, rush to the next things, and not take the time to focus on what God wants to do with me.

^^^^^^^^^^^^^

Jesus, this process of sacrifice and transformation is the way to discern Your will. I try to find it the hard way (by foolishly trying my own way until I run out of ideas). Far better to let to take time to let You do Your renovating work in my mind. Only then can I be certain that doing things Your way is good, acceptable and perfect!

Today’s thankful list . . .

God gives me time to learn the lessons of change.

He also gives me the mind of Christ so I can think His thoughts.

Opportunity to help a young family move that has never moved before.

The wildlife reserve right beside our home with its walking trails.

After weeks of pain, my feet are not sore!

Progress on another quilt.

Costco’s seed and nut brittle.