Moments of Influence

Moments of Influence
Words of Faith 11-1-24
Dr. Jeffrey D. Hoy © 2024
Jeff.Hoy@faithfellowshipweb.com
Faith Fellowship Church - Melbourne, FL
www.faithfellowshipweb.com
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1 Samuel 19
[1] Saul told his son Jonathan and all the attendants to kill David. But Jonathan was very fond of David [2] and warned him, "My father Saul is looking for a chance to kill you. Be on your guard tomorrow morning; go into hiding and stay there. [3] I will go out and stand with my father in the field where you are. I'll speak to him about you and will tell you what I find out." [4] Jonathan spoke well of David to Saul his father and said to him, "Let not the king do wrong to his servant David; he has not wronged you, and what he has done has benefited you greatly. [5] He took his life in his hands when he killed the Philistine. The LORD won a great victory for all Israel, and you saw it and were glad. Why then would you do wrong to an innocent man like David by killing him for no reason?" [6] Saul listened to Jonathan and took this oath: "As surely as the LORD lives, David will not be put to death." [7] So Jonathan called David and told him the whole conversation. He brought him to Saul, and David was with Saul as before.

We sometimes think that dysfunction in families is a new thing. Just look at this one from three thousand years ago. David was now married to Michal, the daughter of the king. However, the situation between David and Saul was growing worse. Saul had become a paranoid tyrant and gave orders for all attendants to look for the opportunity to kill David. You may have "in-law problems," but you probably have not had one put out a sanctioned "hit" on you!
Jonathan was caught in between family and friend. His sister Michal was now married to his best friend, and Dad had put out a hit on David! Jonathan had to choose between his frightening father, Saul, and his best friend, David. It was clear that Saul was wrong and that he was acting from evil. Jonathan warned David to be on guard. But more important, he went to Saul. Jonathan was not afraid to put himself on the line. He used his influence as a son to try to mediate the situation between Saul and David. He "spoke well" of David to Saul.
As a family member, Jonathan was probably the only person who could say these things without getting imprisoned or killed. He pleaded the case of David and pointed out that he had never done anything against Saul. In fact, David was the one who took down Goliath single-handedly. The question was pointed-- Why then would you do wrong to an innocent man like David by killing him for no reason?"
Sometimes, that is what is needed... the right question at the right time from the right person. Something about this conversation helped Saul to come to his senses, at least for the time. The evil that had entered Saul was outweighed by the plea that came from his son. Saul listened and made this oath-- "As surely as the Lord lives, David will not be put to death."
David returned and was with Saul as before. Now, we mustn't get too optimistic. Things were never great between David and Saul. Not even good. But the hit that Saul had put out on his son-in-law was retracted.
How did this happen? It was because Jonathan was not afraid to stand up to his father and advocate for David and what was right. In his own way, Jonathan had stood up to his "Goliath"-- his bigger-than-life, out-of-control father.
There are times when we have to face a Saul. It might be a tyrannical or dominant family member. It might be an out-of-control boss. It might be a person whose anger and fits of rage are making everyone miserable. The right words from the right person at the right time can sometimes make a difference. It may be the words of a parent to a child or a child to a parent, one sibling to another, or a trusted employee who can speak truth into a situation. Such advocacy may not fix everything but may prevent a tragedy or an injustice.
Jimmy Evans, the well-known marriage counselor and teacher, points out that we are responsible in families to defend our spouse from the criticism of our parent(s). I have observed this to be very accurate. The right word early on, standing up for a spouse, can set the tone for years of peace. It is also true that the failure to speak up can make for years of tension and conflict. A simple sentence like-- Dad, if you are going to talk about my husband that way, we will be spending the holidays elsewhere... or ...Mom, please don't talk about my wife that way, or we will need to leave... can make all the difference in the world.
There are obviously many places for advocacy. When we see an apparent injustice in a situation where we have influence, we must be prepared to respond to the Spirit and step into that place of advocacy. The right word at the right time from the right person can bring peace, even if it does not fix the people involved. Only God can do that.
Jesus said that peacemakers were blessed and would be called children of God. Jonathan was a peacemaker. He stood up to his Goliath in a different way. Rather than sling a stone, he launched a question that drew Saul to his senses. Sometimes, that is all that we can do. We cannot "fix" the dysfunctional or out-of-control people around us, but we can stand up to them and advocate for what is right. Peace at any cost is no peace at all.

Father God, give me the strength and courage to step into the moments of influence that You put before me. Give me the strength to advocate for those who are innocent and stand up for what is right. Give me the fortitude to face the giants in my life and family. Make me a peacemaker. In Jesus' Name, Amen.

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© Jeffrey D. Hoy 2024
Dr. Jeffrey D. Hoy - Faith Fellowship Church (EFCA)
2820 Business Center Blvd.
Melbourne, Florida 32940 (321)-259-7200
Jeff.Hoy@faithfellowshipweb.com
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The Words of Faith devotion is published five days a week by E-mail, excluding Federal holidays. Please feel free to forward this devotion to a friend who might be blessed by this devotion. Unless otherwise noted, all Scripture is quoted from the New International Version (R) of The Holy Bible. Copyright (c) 1973, 1978, 1984 by International Bible Society. Used by permission of Zondervan Publishing House. All rights reserved. Words of Faith (c) 1997, 2024 Jeffrey D. Hoy. All rights reserved. Permission is granted to forward this copyrighted material or use portions of it with appropriate notation of the source for non-profit purposes.