Dare to Be a Jonathan

Daily Scripture Threshing for Today, Monday, October 12, 2026

Today's Text: 1 Samuel 18:1–4; 20:27–42; 23:15–18

Key Verse: 1 Samuel 23:17 (KJV) — “And he said unto him, Fear not: for the hand of Saul my father shall not find thee; and thou shalt be king over Israel, and I shall be next unto thee; and that also Saul my father knoweth.”

Before David wore a crown, before his throne was established in Jerusalem, God gave him a friend who would rather preserve his destiny than compete with it. Jonathan was King Saul’s son, born into the royal household, with every earthly reason to regard David as a threat to his future. Yet when the soul of Jonathan was knit with the soul of David, love became stronger than ambition. He made a covenant with David and gave him his robe, his garments, his sword, his bow, and his girdle (vv 1–4). The prince did not withhold his resources from the shepherd who was preferred to him and whose greatness was emerging before him. Dare to be a Jonathan: dare to love without calculating what another person’s rising might cost you, and to place what is in your hands at the service of a purpose greater than your own advancement.

Jonathan’s greatness was not merely that he loved David; it was that he willingly accepted David’s future kingship over Israel (v 17). Here was a king’s son making room for another man to occupy the throne he might naturally have expected for himself. He did not insist that birth must overrule God’s purpose or that friendship must end where personal ambition begins. His words were not the bitterness of a defeated rival, but the assurance of a faithful friend. Some people can celebrate you while you remain beneath them, but Jonathan could encourage the man who would rise above him. Dare to be a Jonathan: dare to surrender your claim to first place when obedience requires it, to celebrate another person’s calling without diminishing your own worth, and to remember that we do not all have to wear the crown to make a royal impact.

His loyalty was tested where love often becomes most costly — within his own household. Saul understood what Jonathan’s friendship with David meant for the future of his kingdom, and his anger burned against his son. Yet Jonathan would not allow family allegiance to become an excuse for injustice. For defending his friend, he became a target of his father, who threw a javelin at him to smite him. Still, Jonathan carried the warning to David through their agreed signal of arrows, helping him escape the murderous purpose of the king. Dare to be a Jonathan: dare to defend the innocent when silence would protect your comfort, to refuse complicity when wrongdoing comes from someone you love, and to stand for truth even when the spear turns in your direction.

Jonathan’s friendship did not end at the palace table; it followed David into the wilderness. When David was hiding and Saul was seeking his life, Jonathan arose, went to him, and “strengthened his hand in God” (1 Samuel 23:16). He did not visit to remind David of everything he had sacrificed, nor to make the fugitive feel indebted to him. He came to speak courage into fear and to renew their covenant before the Lord. Jonathan shows us that an exemplary life is not measured only by the position a person occupies, but also by the lives that person strengthens. His impact was not a throne secured for himself, but faithful love extended to the man who would become king. Dare to be a Jonathan: dare to seek out the weary, to strengthen someone’s confidence in God, and to become the friend whose presence helps another person remain faithful when the road to fulfilment passes through the wilderness.

Action Steps: Identify one person whose progress has stirred comparison, insecurity, or jealousy in your heart. Pray sincerely for that person’s growth, and take one practical step to support it — share a resource, recommend their work, speak encouragement, or celebrate their achievement without drawing attention back to yourself. Refuse to participate in gossip or any scheme intended to destroy an innocent person. Reach out to someone in a season of uncertainty and strengthen their hand in God. Ask the Lord to make your loyalty truthful, your love selfless, and your influence a shelter rather than a stumbling block.

Quote for the Day: “You do not have to wear the crown to make a royal impact. All it takes is finding your path in love protects another’s life; loyalty that stands for them; and humility that makes room for their calling.” — (Simon Olatunji #quotablequotes)

Let Us Pray: Heavenly Father, like Jonathan, I choose Your purpose above my personal ambition. Deliver me from jealousy, rivalry, and the fear of being overlooked. Give me a heart that can celebrate another person’s rising without resenting my own place. Make me courageous enough to defend the innocent, even when doing so costs me approval or advantage. Keep me from confusing loyalty with agreement in wrongdoing. Teach me to strengthen the weary in You, to honour my commitments, and to use my influence to preserve rather than destroy. Let my life make room for Your will, and let my love leave an enduring witness in my family, church, and generation — in Jesus’ most glorious name. Amen.

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Thank you for threshing the Word with me today. For further study on this topic, please read: 1 Samuel 18:1–4; 1 Samuel 19:1–7; 1 Samuel 20:27–42; 1 Samuel 23:15–18; Proverbs 17:17; Philippians 2:3–4; John 15:13.

With all my love and prayers,

Simon Wale Olatunji, Ph.D.

Your Darling Bishop (DaBishop)

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