1 Samuel 12-13

(June 21, 2014)

                I had two thoughts as I read through these chapters.  The first was a follow-up on my reading in the Book of Mormon, related to the furious winds.  Of course, having read about furious winds, I would be drawn to pay attention to the fierce storms.  Like the winds, the fierce storms were also brought about by the Lord in order to draw His people closer to Him.  We might each want our lives to be comfortable, but ultimately we often find that our hope lies in responding properly to the storms and winds rather than avoiding them altogether.

                My second thought was on Saul and his sacrifice.  More particularly, it was on the effect of that sacrifice on Jonathan.  Jonathan was, as we learn later, a good and decent man.  Presumably he would have made a fine king for Israel.  In fact, he might have made a better king than David would have.  And yet, through no fault of his own he found himself losing that opportunity to be anointed king because of a decision made by Saul.  That must have been a difficult thing for Jonathan to accept, but he appeared to accept it nonetheless – a powerful lesson for each of us in dealing with the actions of others (especially when they have negative consequences for us).