Shooting For Battle Ready Bonds | 1 Samuel 20:18-23

Are you building battle-ready bonds?

Welcome to the Daily Devo. I am Vince Miller.

This week, we are in 1 Samuel 20. I've titled this chapter "Friendship and Loyalty in Adversity."

In yesterday's devotional, David and Jonathan made a vow. Today, they will devise a way to communicate the intentions of Saul in verses 18-23:

Then Jonathan said to him, "Tomorrow is the new moon, and you will be missed, because your seat will be empty. On the third day go down quickly to the place where you hid yourself when the matter was in hand, and remain beside the stone heap. And I will shoot three arrows to the side of it, as though I shot at a mark. And behold, I will send the boy, saying, 'Go, find the arrows.' If I say to the boy, 'Look, the arrows are on this side of you, take them,' then you are to come, for, as the Lord lives, it is safe for you and there is no danger. But if I say to the youth, 'Look, the arrows are beyond you,' then go, for the Lord has sent you away. And as for the matter of which you and I have spoken, behold, the Lord is between you and me forever." — 1 Samuel 20:18-23

Entirely of his own accord, Jonathan devises a plan, promises to execute it, assesses it, and then communicates it. It's simple and systematic: plan, execute, assess, and communicate. If you have served in the military, you know this process well.

Here is a simple explanation of the plan. Jonathan suggests that on the final day of the monthly meeting, David should hide in the same spot as before, near a pile of stones. Jonathan will come out for some target practice and shoot three arrows then send a servant to look for them. If Jonathan shouts out to the servant that the arrows are on David's side, David can return safely. But if he shouts out the arrows are beyond David, David needs to escape because Saul still wants to kill him.

Building strong alliances in the faith isn't just a nice idea; it's essential. As brothers and sisters in Christ, we're called to engage actively in the battle for our faith. Too often, our spiritual friendships are shallow and superficial, and this is not helpful when we are in a spiritual war and feel hunted down and ensnared by an enemy.

This needs to change in the church. Imagine what could happen if we committed to planning, executing, assessing, and communicating with one another about our spiritual lives, the battles we face, and the snares being set for us. Imagine the support and strength we would feel if we engaged in this kind of dialogue and process with a group of believers or merely one other man or woman in the faith. I tried it yesterday with another man, and I felt so much stronger after the conversation, and he was blessed as well.

So, step up your game this week. Reach out to one friend, start the conversation, and build some battle-ready bonds. Plan, execute, assess, communicate, and see if God doesn't stir some growth in both of you.

#BattleReadyBonds, #FriendshipInFaith, #LoyaltyInAdversity

Ask This:

1. How can you actively engage with a friend or fellow believer this week to strengthen your spiritual bond and support one another in your faith journey?
2. Reflect on a time when a friend helped you navigate a challenging situation. How can you apply the principles of planning, executing, assessing, and communicating to deepen your current relationships in faith?

Do This:

Plan, execute, assess, and communicate.

Pray This:

Father, help me to build solid and battle-ready bonds with my brothers and sisters in Christ so we can support one another in our spiritual journeys. Grant us the wisdom to plan, communicate, and encourage each other as we face the challenges ahead. Amen.

Play This:

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