Next to You (or you) with open hands and heart.

Next To You

Next To You By Kirk Hunt

And he said to him, “Do not fear, for the hand of Saul my father shall not find you. You shall be king over Israel, and I shall be next to you. Even my father Saul knows that.”

1 Samuel 23:17 NKJV

Jonathan, the Crown Prince of Israel, declared he would never be king.  Despite his age, position and lineage, Jonathan openly stated that David would be the next king.  Jonathan freely declared “I shall be next to you” as good news to his friend and protégé.  

Deep down, we all want to sit the “big chair” somewhere in our life and work.  Do you know the will of God enough, and have self-control enough, to say, “You, not me.”  Are you man or woman enough to be glad for your friend, despite their jump in line?

Deep in the woods, where David hid from a death warrant, Jonathan spoke gladly of David’s coming dynasty.  Jonathan would stand, or kneel, next to David’s throne and be glad of the privilege.  Only a Godly man or woman can be so pleased to be “passed over” for promotion, even for a friend.

The common wisdom is that Jonathan should have led the bounty hunters to David’s hiding place.  He could have executed David himself.   Instead he encouraged his friend, the outlaw.  Jonathan cheerfully pointed to a time when he would no longer be Crown Prince. 

Do you love God’s plan more than the big promotion?  Are you willing to push God’s choice to the position that should be yours?  Are you glad in your heart?

Think:        Do I know my place?  Am I willing to be glad, despite not getting the top spot?

Pray:           “Lord, help me to know, and be glad of, my place in Your Kingdom.”

 

Copyright © September 2017, Kirk Hunt

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