“Saul was staying on the outskirts of Gibeah under a pomegranate tree in Migron. With him were about six hundred men.”- 1 Samuel 14:2
“Sometimes all you need is twenty seconds of insane courage.”- from the movie We Bought a Zoo
Mark Batterson begins Chapter 9 (“Climb the Cliff”) of All In with the bold assertion that if we are courageous enough to take that one cliff-climbing step of faith, our lives will be forever changed. A snapshot of one moment in a person’s life may reveal that person’s true character.
Sitting under a pomegranate tree while his son Jonathan climbed a cliff to fight the Philistines was that snapshot moment for Saul. Saul played not to lose, Jonathan played to win. That, Pastor Batterson states, is the difference between fear and faith. When fear dictates our decisions, we live defensively, reactively, and cautiously. It’s holding out on God rather than going all out for God. The author describes what it means to go all out for God:
“Going all out for God always starts with one step of faith. It’s often the longest, hardest, and scariest step. But when we make a move that is motivated by God’s glory, it moves the heart and hand of God.”
One statement by Jonathan revealed his true character: “Perhaps the Lord will act on our behalf (1 Samuel 14:6).” Too often our reaction is the opposite mentality- that the Lord won’t act on our behalf.
All it takes is one defining decision.
Today’s question: During your desert, transitional journey, how prone have you been to think that the Lord won’t act on your behalf? Please share.
Tomorrow’s blog: “Choose a dictator”
