Today’s hero-in-discussion would be Jonathan. Jonathan is a small, insignificant character in the Bible I would say (as compared to Saul and David), so he is the calefare in the book of 1 Samuel. However, though having a small role in the bible, Jonathan has provided us with a BIG lesson to learn from – DARE TO BELIEVE.



In 1 Samuel chapter 13 to 14, Jonathan exercised his faith for God without much hesitation. This happened when Israel were fighting the Philistines, but were without weapons. In 1 Samuel 13:22, it says, “So on the day of battle not a soldier with Saul and Jonathan had a sword or spear in his hand; only Saul and Jonathan had them.”

Imagine this with me, you are leading a troop to war, but the thing is none in the troop that you are leading is carrying any weapon. What would come to your mind straightaway?

My natural instinct would tell me this, “Hey dude, fighting this war is a lost cause! Retreat or die!” Fear would come to my mind; surrendering would be the first option on my list and fighting the Philistines head on last, definitely. Normal you may say, but Jonathan did the otherwise. In Samuel 14:1 it says, “One day Jonathan son of Saul said to the young man bearing his armor, “Come, let’s go over to the Philistine outpost on the other side.” But he did not tell his father.”

At this moment, you may want to rub your eyes and look at 1 Samuel 14:1 again. However, let me assure you that your eyes are not playing tricks on you. Yes, Jonathan went to the Philistine outpost! You must be thinking, “Wow, this guy is crazy!” But read on, he is crazier than you think. He went to the Philistine outpost not with 500 men, but with 1 man – his armor-bearer. Full stop, that’s all. 2 men waiting to infiltrate the Philistine camp that was filled with troops, maybe hundreds of them, or even thousands of them. How can 2 fight against a thousand men? Some of you may say this guy is really out of his mind. Naïve, stupid, irrational… (The list goes on) But one thing I assure you, Jonathan is crazy, but he is crazy for God.

In 1 Samuel 14:6, Jonathan said to his young armor bearer, “Come, let’s go over to the outpost of those uncircumcised fellows. Perhaps the LORD will act in our behalf. Nothing can hinder the LORD from saving, whether by many or by few.” Back then, faced with the dire circumstances, Jonathan was unfazed. He trusted in God, and he DARED TO BELIEVE IN GOD, even in unfavorable situation. In the end, this faith of Jonathan was rewarded by God. In 1 Samuel 14:15 it says, “Then panic struck the whole army… It was a panic sent by God.” Later on in 1 Samuel 14:20 it mentions, “The Philistines in total confusion, striking each other with their swords.” Yes, 2 men certainly can’t defeat a thousand. But ONE GOD is more than enough to strike down a thousand, or even hundreds of thousands!

How did Jonathan manage to dispel the distractions of his heart and mind and put his belief in God? He simply KNOW WHO GOD IS and KNOW WHAT GOD IS CAPABLE OF!

Most of the times, when faced with problems, our natural instinct will tell us to turn to people or objects around us, and attempt to solve the problem ourselves. We tend to focus too much on the problem, and in the process magnify it. We lose sight of God, who is much greater than the problem. We forget WHO GOD REALLY IS and WHAT GOD IS REALLY CAPABLE OF, and this is in fact the real source of problem.

Jonathan approached the problem differently. He knew who God is as well as the power of God. By doing so, Jonathan was armed with the confidence of God. He was able to take the ‘big’ problem in his stride, with courage, because he knew that God would deliver him, regardless of how bad the circumstances were, simply because, OUR GREAT GOD IS DEFINITELY BIGGER THAN OUR PROBLEMS.

Therefore, next time when we are faced with a problem, let us take a step back to remind ourselves of who God is and what is He really capable of. In times of trouble, let us be like Jonathan, DARE TO BELIEVE in God, knowing that God will deliver us. For “Nothing can hinder the LORD from saving, whether by many or by few”, and “If God is for us, who can be against us?” (Romans 8:31)