VISION CASTING

If King Saul had a drone it would have been searching for David. It was that serious. Saul had 3,000 troops pursuing the would-be king. "King David?" Ha! That must have sounded like mocking ridicule to the young musician appointed to sooth the Saul in his distress. Yet here he was hiding out in the woods, fearing for his life; threatened, undermined, attacked, and abused by the very man to whom he had pledged and given his loyal support. It just didn't make sense. How could the king turn on one so faithful? (1 Samuel 23)

David's situation, though more extreme, is not unlike ours. Maybe you went all out for something you believed in, hoped for, longed for ... and it all came crashing down for reasons you could not fathom or control. You worked hard, committed time, energy, resources and sacrificed - and then it happened, you were undercut, attacked, slandered by the very people for whom you gave your all. Sometimes it just creeps up on us until one day ... one day we're just tired of trying, tired of caring, tired of keeping up the appearance of having it together.

That's when Scripture records Jonathan "helped him (David) find strength in the Lord." How?

To answer that recall Gideon. I'm talking about that freaked out guy hiding in his dad's back yard. "The Angel of the Lord came and sat down under the oak (I love that detail)...where Gideon was threshing wheat, he said, 'The Lord is with you O mighty man of valor!'"

Ha! Gideon was nothing of the sort. If we didn't know the rest of the story we'd think this was Comedy Central! Listen to Gideon's response, (remember he's talking to the Angel of the Lord!) "Pardon me, but if the Lord is with us, why has all this happened to us...the Lord has abandoned us!" (Judges 6)

Oh, boy! I've had moments like that. Haven't you?

Yet the Angel of Lord encouraged him with a vision of who he could be, who he was called to be, in God's plan, a man of valor. In the same way Jonathan saw David as God saw him, "Do not fear. You will be king in Israel!" Encouragement inspires with hope and courage. It supports in the worst of times as well as the good. It builds confidence.

We help someone find strength in the Lord by casting a vision of who they are in Christ and giving them hope to grasp and live into that identity. When we do that, we are taking part in God's calling and allowing God to speak through us.

Who can you encourage today?
Where do you need encouragement? 

Who will strengthen you?