Then Saul’s anger was aroused against Jonathan, and he said to him, “You son of a perverse, rebellious woman! Do I not know that you have chosen the son of Jesse…For as long as the son of Jesse lives on the earth, you shall not be established, nor your kingdom…” I Samuel 20:30-31
REFERENCE
1 Samuel 20:17-34
Life can be unfair sometimes; things you hope and pray for often seem to pass you by and happen for other people. If all went according to your prayers, plan and pursuit, you should have been the one promoted on your job and sent for a course abroad, you should have been the one who got married to that person or had the naming ceremony for your child. If all went well, you shouldn’t be where you are now…at least, so you think.
Experiences like these can often hurt one’s faith. As a result, you may become envious of what other people have, wishing you were in their shoes and thinking God has forgotten you. But not so with Jonathan; as the heir to the throne of Israel, he was next in line to the throne and would be right to request and contend for it, but he didn’t because he knew God chose David instead. He understood that just because God hadn’t given him the throne didn’t mean God didn’t have other plans for him. He may not sit on the throne, but it didn’t mean there were no other seats for him in life. Because you are not chosen doesn’t mean you are rejected by God.
God has other plans and roles for you to play. You will yet have other opportunities for promotion, for travel, to be married to get a job, start your business or rise to prominence. God is not limited to one strategy. There is no scarcity in His economy; He is El Shaddai – the All-Sufficient One. Therefore, because others have what you desire to have doesn’t make it impossible for you to still have them. God is able to satisfy ALL our desires without going broke, and He can make all things beautiful for you in His time.
Don’t let people incite you to have an ungrateful bitter heart, unhappy about what another person has, as Saul tempted Jonathan to. Be thankful for where you are because God has good plans for you, and He will bring you to your place of rich fulfillment. I ran into this some time ago, “If you cannot have what you hoped, do not sit down in despair and allow the energies of your life to run to waste; but arise and gird yourself to help others to achieve. If you may not build, you may gather materials for him that shall. If you may not go down the mine, you can hold the ropes.” ~ Meyers
Know this, “We serve a God who has A PLAN AND A PLACE for even those we term the last.”
SCRIPTURE PHOTO
ADDITIONAL STUDY
Psalm 138:8, Jeremiah 29:11, &James 1:17.
PRAYER
Lord I thank You because every good gift comes from You and You are not a respecter of persons. What You have done for others, You can also do for me (if it fits into Your plan); so, I cease from envy. Make my heart firm in Your faithfulness and perfect all that concerns me in Jesus’ name.
Thank you Father, for I know you will perfect that which concerns me and my family.
Amen!