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Jonathan said to the young man who carried his armor, “Come, let us go over to the garrison of these uncircumcised. It may be that the LORD will work for us, for nothing can hinder the LORD from saving by many or by few.” (1 Samuel 14:6)

I bought the flowers with hands trembling. I mustered up all the courage I could find – scraping some out of the corners of my soul. I was rehearsing the short speech I’d developed. I walked into the pizzeria where she worked with nary a hint of swagger. With a crackly voice resembling mid-puberty, I asked, “Will you go to prom with me?” That was all I had. Nothing flashy, just a straight-up request. She responded, “Maybe, let me think about it.” It wasn’t exactly the answer I was hoping for. Not the commitment I imagined in my mind. Maybe? Maybe means, maybe not. Maybe is ambiguous. Maybe is frustrating. Maybe is unhelpful. But, “maybe” is the reality of the posture of faith. Maybe is what we often hear from God.

Jonathan embraces the “maybe” of faith when he states, “Come, let us go over to the garrison of these uncircumcised. It may be that the LORD will work for us, for nothing can hinder the LORD from saving by many or by few” (1 Sam. 14:6). He understands that faith is not the conviction that God will, but rather that God is God. When Jonathan claims that God might work on their behalf, he’s also admitting that he might not. Jonathan’s faith looks more like confidence in God than assurance of an outcome. Jonathan is stepping out to follow God, not in obedience to a command or in recognition of the audible voice of God, but with confidence in God’s character. He doesn’t have a guaranteed result, he only knows his God. And he knows that he cannot let this opportunity pass him by.

Some people view faith as the magic potion to get God to do what we want – but we know it doesn’t actually work that way. We can relate to Jonathan’s story. Our life of faith very rarely feels like certainty, but more like trust. Less like control and more like risk. Like Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego who claim, “God is able to save, but even if he doesn’t…” we aren’t always sure how God is going to respond or what God is going to do. (Dan. 3:18) Then again, faith isn’t confidence that God will move in a certain way. It’s confidence that God is; period. He is God. He is good. And he is smarter than we are. As we strive to live a life of faith, one of the most powerful things we can do is remind ourselves of the nature and character of our great God. Today, pray through the attributes of God. Allow the truth of his character to wash over you, get in you, and inspire you.[/vc_column_text][us_separator height=”25px” size=”custom”][vc_column_text]

By Ryan Paulson 

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