Recognizing God's Will

David and Jonathan had one of the most celebrated friendships in the Bible. Yet, the two of them had just cause to hate each other. Jonathan was the son of King Saul, the man who was literally doing everything in his power to hunt down and kill David. David stood as the one man who would take over King Saul's throne - a throne that by right belonged to Jonathan.

However the two men were closer than brothers. They loved and looked out for one another. They recognized the honor and grace that each of them had inside and respected one another. They didn't allow outside circumstances or inward envy or selfishness to taint their views of the other. Because they were able to remain humble, they were able to experience a friendship that was beyond comparison.

Both of them respected the Lord in their friendship. David refused kill King Saul because He respected how the Lord had chosen Saul to be King. Even when he had every reason to take out his enemy, David chose to honor the Lord's will.

Jonathan respected God's call on David's life. He did not become bitter or envious when he realized that David would one day reign as king over Israel. Instead, Jonathan honored the Lord and did his best to protect the future king.

Do you recognize and respect the will of God for those around you? When you see other people, are you looking with the eyes of the spirit? Or, are you looking at things in a selfish or envious light?

We must make strides to always remain humble and remember that God's will far outweighs our own. We must not look with resentment on someone whom God has placed in a position, even when they may be abusing their place. We can't become bitter when God chooses someone else to take on a task that we might have thought belonged to ourselves.

In all things we must recognize God's omniscient control. In all things we must remind ourselves that His will is what's best. With everything, we should choose to follow after Him because it will all work together for our good in the long run.

Verse of the Day: At last Jonathan said to David, “Go in peace, for we have sworn loyalty to each other in the LORD’s name. The LORD is the witness of a bond between us and our children forever.” 1 Samuel 20:42a