Exceptional!

Phil. 2: 3 …Be humble, thinking of others as better than yourself. (NLT)

He had everything: good looks, mucho money, popularity, position, power – you name it! He was an excellent soldier, courageous and smart. He was also a prince, one day to be king. In spite of all of that he was a good guy. What a mix! Eat your heart out girls! But it all goes to show that you can have a lot and still be a good man or woman of God. And Jonathan was an exceptional man of God.

Exceptional? Yup, that’s what I said. First we find him making friends with David. Now, David was from the poor side of town, but he was beginning to steal some of the limelight from Jonathan. A handsome guy as well, he was also coming up rapidly as a great warrior – after all this was the guy who brought down Goliath! Instead of resenting him, Jonathan took him as his best friend and shared the best of everything he had with him. But it didn’t stop there.

Jonathan’s father, King Saul, didn’t like David one bit and tried to turn Jonathan against him. It didn’t work. Jonathan was a loyal friend. David was promoted in the army and kept on growing in popularity. Lovindeer wasn’t there, but after one battle they made a song that topped the charts and it put David even ahead of the king as a warrior. That did it. The king took out a contract on David and tried more than once to kill him, but Jonathan helped him to escape. And when the king lost popularity people started saying David would make a good king. As a matter of fact, it seemed that God had chosen him to be the next king. That should have turned Jonathan against him if Jonathan had been like you or me. But, no. Johnny simply said, “If God has chosen you to be the next king, that’s ok. I will be next to you”!

Oh yes, he was exceptional alright. It takes a real big man to not be “frightened’ by money or power. If you love God and have His love inside you, you really have all you need. It makes you kind, unselfish, humble and honest. It makes you truly good. And that’s exceptional.

Lord, make me so comfortable in your love that I will be happy with what you’ve given me. Make me an exceptional child of God, I pray, in Jesus’ name, amen.