Jonathan strengthens David's hand in God

The Word for today:
1 Samuel 23:1--24:22

mark this: 1 Samuel 23:14-16

David is hiding in the caves and dens and hills, where God will teach a shepherd boy to be a king. The wilderness is God's classroom, where deliverers, kings, prophets and apostles are trained. Moses went to Midian, David went to Adullam, Elijah went to Horeb, and Paul went to Arabia.

Jesus was trained there, too. To prepare Him for his public ministry, the Spirit drove Him into the wilderness (1).

The wilderness comes in many forms. God trained David by allowing Saul to pursue him continually (2). Or God might seem to withdraw His presence from us temporarily, a season often described as “the dark night of the soul.” In the wilderness comes the revelation that we have nothing within ourselves that sustains us, nothing to cling to but God and His Word.

David was hunted down by Saul. Our adversary, Satan, walks about like a roaring lion, seeking whom he may devour (3).

But Jonathan went to David in the woods and strengthened his hand in God (4). How did he strengthen his hand in God? By reminding David of the Word of the LORD--of God's promise that David would be king.

Learn your Bible well enough to be able to remind others of God's promises. Then, when a friend is in the wilderness, during the dark night of her soul, go to her and strengthen her hand in God.

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(1) Mark 1:12 (2) 1 Samuel 23:14; see also Psalm 54:2-4; (3) 1 Peter 5:8; (4) 1 Samuel 23:16