Perhaps The Lord Will Be Us

 You have surely heard the old saying, "Nothing ventured nothing gained." What does that mean? It means you cannot always achieve something if you are not willing to take some risks. Risk is not a word many people are comfortable with. Risk means being exposed to danger, harm, or loss. Sometimes great risk brings great rewards. Sometimes great risks brings great suffering and sacrifice. 

In your opinion, would you say that you as a follower of Jesus are branching out into risky ventures? Are you playing it safe? Chasing comfort and aversion to risk. What about the congregation you worship with? Is your band of believers faith filled risk loving adventure seeking followers of Jesus? Or are they holy huddles of safe and secure pew dwellers? 

In the 14th chapter of I Samuel there is a story filled with risk, faith, courage, and the miraculous intervention. It involves two men. One named and the other his subordinate. A guy named Jonathan, and his armor bearer. Jonathan was no ordinary man. He was a prince. The son of King Saul. Instead of resting in his privileged and protected status he longed for more. He wanted adventure. Nothing ventured nothing gained mentality permeated his cranium. 

His brilliant strategy? To climb a mountain toward the Philistine enemy forces and attack. Just two men. Here is what he told his companion, "Come and let us cross over to the garrison of the uncircumcised; perhaps the LORD will work for us for the LORD is not restrained to save by many or few." [ I Sam 14:6]

When they got to the top, Jonathan said if they enemy soldiers told them to stay where they were they would conclude God was not going to help them. Conversely, if the enemy soldiers beckoned to come toward them, they would be assured God would give them victory. 

Hold on. Would you put confidence in that? To be invited closer to the enemy? Like two lambs being led into slaughter. To be welcomed closer to danger, to embrace risk, to throw caution to the wind, to take a blind leap of faith. Jonathan's reasoning was not faulty. God is truly able to save through a few just as easily as with many. In his case with only two men. 

Everything about this screams risk. Jonathan says up front, "Perhaps the LORD will work for us." Perhaps He will. Perhaps He will not. There are no guarantees. There is just faith that God is able if He willing to work a miracle. I love that kind of thinking. Most of us are conditioned to think just the opposite. Perhaps God will not work a miracle. Better not risk it. Better play it safe. 

Read carefully. MIRACLES ARE ON THE OTHER SIDE OF FAITH STEPS! God honored the faith of Jonathan and his armor bearer and worked a miraculous victory. We live in a day of miracle famine. I believe much of that is because so few are willing to risk reputation, finances, failure, relocation, danger, or harm to follow Jesus. I ask myself, "What am I risking right now?" It appears to me I am playing it safe. Nothing ventured nothing gained. The end result? No miraculous activity around my life. Not in the church I serve as pastor nor at the school where I coach. MIRACLES ARE ON THE OTHER SIDE OF FAITH STEPS!

What is my perhaps the LORD will work for us moment? My time is split working as a pastor and at a Christian School. I am surrounded by comforts. My life seems pretty predictable not adventurous. I cannot recall the last faith step God called me to take. I wonder if God is waking my faith and sense of adventure today. Is He firing my imagination preparing me to run toward risk and to leap in faith with a perhaps the LORD will work for us mentality. He has my yes no matter what He might call me to do. To sacrifice finances. To defy the odds. To make bold courageous leadership decisions that might rock the boat. To take the gospel where others are unwilling to take it. To risk failure. Perhaps the LORD will work for me whatever His call might be. I wait on His revelation ready to respond in faith. May I live with everything ventured and everything gained mindset to my last breath.