And Jonathan said to the young man who bore 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," And his armor-bearer said to to him, "Do all that your mind inclines to; behold, I am with you, as is your mind so is mine" (I Samuel 14:6-7).
It's just nuts! Jonathan and his armor bearer decide to take on a garrison of the Philistines. Most likely, Jonathan knew the story of how Gideon's three hundred men took on thousands of Midianites and won--if one is on God's side, numbers do not matter. As a result, Jonathan and his armor bearer's adventure brought a great military victory to Israel.
There is always a risk in an adventure and if there is no risk there is no adventure. It is that simple. For people who suffer from anxiety it seems as if all of life is a risk, and more than any, these are the ones who should challenge themselves with an adventure. It is difficult to lead a successful life if one imprisons one's self in a stockade of security. For the anxious, adventure of itself has value, but I believe it needs to be emphasized that adventure is to be pursued with the purpose of Christ in view.
Purposeful adventure might seem like a waste of money, but every person's faith and courage must be challenged if they are to grow. The purpose of Jonathan's adventure was the saving of Israel. The purpose of your adventure might be to save your family, your church or your nation, or perhaps, even yourself for his service. Though salvation is a gift of grace, the children of God cannot be content to be ineffective. And, it is certainly not God's will that we play it safe!
Grace&Peace,
Tom
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