Perhaps and Promise

Reading in 1 Samuel (1 Samuel 14:1-14) about Jonathan and his armor bearer carrying out a two-man commando raid! Crazy – right??!!

I mean they climbed up there not knowing for sure what God would do, thinking that ‘perhaps’ God might act on their behalf, believing that God just might give them a sign to indicate a victory (that an entire army could not secure) would be given to Israel through their hands. Crazy Faith – the kind of faith that sees powerful Kingdom things happen in our lives.

Jonathan’s ‘perhaps’ is not that God is able, but that God will act. This is what audacious faith looks like.

Audacious faith believes that God’s promise and His power are greater than our uncertainty/ambiguity about what is ahead of us.

We’d all love it if God allowed us to do big things for the Kingdom that required only minimal risk. It would be so very comfortable if the voice and guidance of the Holy Spirit drowned out the cacophony of voices that we have to wade through. But … truth is – ‘promise’ and ‘perhaps’ must coexist.

Audacious faith does not eliminate doubt and fear – it overshadows the power of doubt and fear one decision at a time. You will know God’s will by doing God’s will. Act on your “perhaps”, and see what God will do in your life!

“Then Jonathan said to the young man who was carrying his armor, “Come and let us cross over to the garrison of these uncircumcised; perhaps the Lord will work for us, for the Lord is not restrained to save by many or by few.” His armor bearer said to him, “Do all that is in your heart; turn yourself, and here I am with you according to your desire.” Then Jonathan said, “Behold, we will cross over to the men and reveal ourselves to them. If they say to us, ‘Wait until we come to you’; then we will stand in our place and not go up to them. But if they say, ‘Come up to us,’ then we will go up, for the Lord has given them into our hands; and this shall be the sign to us..” 1 Samuel 14: 6-10