March 25th

March 25th -- 1 Samuel 14:1-23 (http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=1%20Samuel%2014:1-23&version=NLT)

Jonathan's daring plan ; Israel defeats the Philistines

(We skip right into a war/battle just so you all know) Jonathan, Saul's son, decides to go off on his own to the Philistine outpost with just his armor bearer, telling no one else. Meanwhile Saul and his 600 men are camped out at the edge of Gibeah. Yet off on his own with his armor bearer we have Jonathan, who is wandering down between the two big cliffs to get to the Philistine outpost. He says to the armor bearer God will help them. He says they will go down, and let the guard see them. If they say "Stay where you are or we'll kill you" then we are not meant to fight them, but if they say "Come on up and fight" it will be sign God is with us, and we will fight and God will help us defeat them. They go up and the Philistines tell them to come and fight, so they do. They kill about 20 men, and suddenly panic strikes the Philistine camp, followed by an earthquake.

Saul's lookouts catch a glimpse of all this, and Saul takes a role call, thinking some of his soldiers started a fight. He finds only Jonathan missing with his armor bearer. Saul calls on a priest at first, but eventually just goes to the Philistine camp as they become louder with panic. They find the Philistines in a panic, killing each other due to the panic. All the peoples unite and drive away the Philistines, who run away. So God saved Israel in that battle (the war kept going, though).

I love this story. Like, it's one of my favorites. I love how a) God answers a clear sign (and that Jonathan didn't doubt it and back down) and b) God showed how He can do the impossible (have two men take down a huge army because they cause mass panic and the army wipes itself out).
Basically, I just think it's a reminder that God can work with ANY and EVERY circumstance, and have good come from it.

Well, that'll be all! God bless! Shalom!