1 Samuel 14:25-30 Weak and Distracted!

 ”Now all the people of the land came to a forest; and there was honey on the ground. And when the people had come into the woods, there was the honey, dripping; but no one put his hand to his mouth, for the people feared the oath. But Jonathan had not heard his father charge the people with the oath; therefore he stretched out the end of the rod that was in his hand and dipped it in a honeycomb, and put his hand to his mouth; and his countenance brightened. Then one of the people said, “Your father strictly charged the people with an oath, saying, ‘Cursed is the man who eats food this day.’ ” And the people were faint. But Jonathan said, “My father has troubled the land. Look now, how my countenance has brightened because I tasted a little of this honey. How much better if the people had eaten freely today of the spoil of their enemies which they found! For now would there not have been a much greater slaughter among the Philistines?”“ ‭‭I Samuel‬ ‭14‬:‭25‬-‭30‬ ‭NKJV‬‬

a. There was honey on the ground: This was provision from God. The Israelite army was hot in the pursuit of the fleeing Philistines. They were all tired and hungry. They needed energy to continue the pursuit and finish the battle. And God provided honey on the ground.

i. “The mopping-up operations after a rout were all-important if the maximum benefit from the victory was to be reaped, but pursuit of the enemy involved an exhausting, unremitting journey over steep hills for hours on end.” (Baldwin)

b. No one put his hand to his mouth, for the people feared the oath: This group of soldiers saw the honey dripping right in front of their eyes. Yet Saul’s foolish oath prevented them from receiving what God put right in front of them.

c. But Jonathan had not heard his father charge the people with the oath: Because of this, Jonathan ate some of that honey and immediately, it did the weary soldier good: his countenance brightened. He needed the energy to fight, and here it was, provided by God.

d. My father has troubled the land: Perhaps Jonathan should not have said this. There was a sense in which he was undercutting his father’s authority before the troops. If there were anything to say, it would have been best to say it to his father directly. Despite all that, Jonathan was exactly right!

i. King Saul had indeed troubled the land with his pseudo-spiritual command to fast. Because of his command, the people were faint on a day when they should have been strong. They were weak and distracted and the victory was diminished. (Guzik)

Weak and Distracted!

The enemy, Satan loves it when we are in this condition. The devil uses it to draw us away from Jesus when we are faint and should have been strong!

”Finally, my brethren, be strong in the Lord and in the power of His might. Put on the whole armor of God, that you may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil. For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this age, against spiritual hosts of wickedness in the heavenly places. Therefore take up the whole armor of God, that you may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand.“ Ephesians‬ ‭6‬:‭10‬-‭13‬ ‭NKJV‬‬

I’ve set up a morning schedule of studying the word of God so I can put on the whole armor of God because without it I would slowly fall back into the things of this ungodly world.

Thank you for allowing me to send this devotional to you, as it helps me to live a Jesus-Infused life!

Blessings