Maybe Is Good Enough

6 Jonathan said to the young man, “Let's cross over to the camp of those heathen Philistines. Maybe the Lord will help us; if he does, nothing can keep him from giving us the victory, no matter how few of us there are.”
7 The young man answered, “Whatever you want to do, I'm with you.”
8 “All right,” Jonathan said. “We will go across and let the Philistines see us. 9 If they tell us to wait for them to come to us, then we will stay where we are. 10 But if they tell us to go to them, then we will, because that will be the sign that the Lord has given us victory over them.” 1 Samuel 14:6-10 (GNT)

Jonathan’s father, King Saul, was camping under a pomegranate tree. He had with him lots of soldiers and a priest. Everything he needed to fight the Philistines as God had directed him to do. Instead, he camped and did nothing.

Jonathan on the other hand said “Let’s do something.” I love this story and, at the same time, I cringe at this story. Jonathan says “Let’s go. Maybe the Lord will help us.” Maybe? And then, the things he says that define how God is going to help them are not awfully reassuring. They are either going to wait for the Philistines to come to them or they will go to them. Either way, they are in a battle and maybe God will help.

The part I love is that Jonathan was a man of action. He didn’t sit around on the sidelines waiting to figure out what God wanted. He chose action and expected God to show up. I also love that the conditions of his involvement were, well, ridiculous. Either way you are in a battle. Either way, you are in the mix. The defining factor was that he expected God to deliver. He trusted that he would lead and the outcome would be as God wanted.

You know the part that makes me cringe? I don’t always act like Jonathan. Sometimes I want to sit and wait for a clear sign …. like a written note with all the details …. before I move forward. I am not sure what I am supposed to do so I don’t do anything. And in that decision, I am not trusting God. I am not trusting that he is more powerful than my circumstances. I am not trusting that even if I do the wrong thing he can make it the right thing.

I want to be more like Jonathan. I want that boldness that comes from believing and trusting and moving out just because I know who God is and what he can do. What are you holding on that you should be moving toward? Today, let’s take action to move forward and trust that God will work out the details…even if we don’t know what they are.

Made For More

Jesus replied, “I am the bread of life. Whoever comes to me will never be hungry again. Whoever believes in me will never be thirsty. John 6:35 (NLT)

In the story of the Rich Young Ruler in the gospels, the ruler came to Jesus and asked him what he needed to do to be saved. Jesus cites the Commandments. The Rich Young Ruler asks which one. Jesus tells him and he says “But I’ve already done that.” Then Jesus takes it up a notch and tells him to sell everything he has and help the poor. At which point the Rich Young Ruler walks away.

You know, sometimes I identify with this man. I am doing everything I know to do to be a Christ Follower but there seems to be something missing. Deep in my soul I know there is more to this walk than just checking the boxes and following the rules. We were not designed to follow a list of rules but instead to be in a relationship with Jesus.

That relationship consists of conversations and a calling. The calling is more than tradition and things we do to feel good about ourselves. It is a real-life give and take where we step outside the box and into the deep waters. It is the place where we respond when Jesus he says “Follow me.” Stepping out of our comfort zone into the realm of difficult is where we find the fulfillment the Rich Young Ruler was looking for. It’s where we find our heart’s desire.

He knew there was more. We do too deep in our core. The question becomes when Jesus tells you what you need to do to discover what your heart is burning for, what will your answer be? Will you walk away like the Rich Young Ruler? Or will you stay and step into the deep?