Our second example is drawn from the story of Jonathan, as recorded in 1 Samuel 14:6-12.

And Jonathan said to his young armor-bearer, Come, and let us go over to the garrison of these uncircumcised; it may be that the Lord will work for us. For there is nothing to prevent the Lord from saving by many or by few. And his armor-bearer said to him, Do all that is in your mind; I am with you in whatever you think [best]. Jonathan said, We will pass over to these men and we will let them see us. If they say to us, Wait until we come to you, then we will stand still in our place and will not go up to them. But if they say, Come up to us, we will go up, for the Lord has delivered them into our hand, and this will be our sign. So both of them let the Philistine garrison see them. And the Philistines said, Behold, the Hebrews are coming out of the holes where they have hidden themselves. The garrison men said to Jonathan and his armor-bearer, Come up to us and we will show you a thing. Jonathan said to his armor-bearer, Come up after me, for the Lord has given them into Israel’s hand.  1 Samuel 14:6-12 (AMPC)

The entire land of Israel was in the shadow of oppression of the Philistines and a young man by name Jonathan spoke out of turn, out of context when everyone was shivering away, and said to his armour bearer, perhaps God will work for us and we can dislodge these sons of Belial. His armour bearer, a son of encouragement, said to him, do all that is in thine heart. O that our hearts are in the right place with God! The Lord uses who He chooses, prophet or servant, as long as they fear the Lord. He is no respecter of persons! Don’t look down on yourself when the Lord is asking of you to be a son of encouragement!

Jonathan’s act of faith as captured here tells the story of how each one of us ought to be when it comes to the things that build faith; when it comes to things that please God, remembering that without faith it is impossible to please God. Jonathan’s act of faith was encouraged by the armour bearer! Risk or faith? That’s in our own reasoning, but God vindicated his faith because it stood on God’s command to dislodge the uncircumcised Philistines.

And I ask you, Are you a son of encouragement? Are you an influence for God or an influence for evil? Worth thinking about.

Selah.

Pastor Afolabi Oladele