April 13 - The Power of One (or Two)

 Read today’s texts first: 1 Samuel 14; 1 Chronicles 4; 2 Corinthians 13

MAXIMize YOUR DAY
Our choice of friends today can make
or break our future. 

The book and the movie called The Power of One is based on the life story of an English boy named Peekay (PK) growing up under apartheid in South Africa during World War 2. It is an inspirational testimony of what one person can do to change their world against overwhelming odds. The Bible has many such heroic stories of the power of one man or one woman, but the effect is even greater because they are not really alone. When God is with us the odds are always in our favour.

Today’s OT reading is the story of Jonathan and his armour bearer taking on the Philistine army by themselves. Not only were they vastly outnumbered, but the Philistines held positional advantage in an outpost surrounded by steep cliffs. Jonathan’s test for God’s will was an invitation from the Philistine soldiers to scale the cliffs untouched: “come up and we’ll teach you a lesson!” (14:12). Well instead, Jonathan plus one (plus God) schooled about 20 of the Philistine guards, throwing the rest of the army into panicked pandemonium (with God providing some earth-shaking special effects - 14:15,20). His father, King Saul, the rest of the army, and some Israeli defectors, were inspired by Jonathan’s example and carried out the mop up mission, subduing the rest of the Philistine army.

While rereading this story, two things caught my attention. First, how did Jonathan turn out so well when his dad became such a failure? I think part of the reason was Jonathan’s friends, like his armour bearer and David, both men of great faith. Choice of friends can make or break a teenager’s future and Jonathan chose well.

The second observation was how much one or two faith-full people can accomplish when they know God is with them.  This Bible promise from Deuteronomy explains how Jonathan could be successful against such odds:  How could one soldier chase a thousand enemies off, or two men run off two thousand, unless their rock had sold them, unless God had given them away? For their rock is nothing compared to our Rock; even our enemies say that (32:30,31). False gods will sell out those who serve them because they are powerless against our God, the one true God. Remember Dagon, the Philistine’s god, falling on his face before the Ark (1 Sam. 5:1-4).

“Lord, so often what the enemy is doing in our world seems overwhelming. But Your story, the story of Jesus, and the stories of those who follow in His footsteps, remind me of the power of one. Let me be among the ones powerful enough to put a thousand to flight!”