Your Affirmation And Confirmation

We conclude the first week in this month of newness, conscious that many a believer has forgotten this covenant promise of Jesus. No promise that Jesus has ever made, fails or fades, nor can any word of promise ever become worn out with the passing years. I am speaking of the covenant promise which Jesus made to His disciples then, which is as fresh, potent and relevant for His servants now.

As was stated on the first day, we have continued with the old made new. I say this, because it is not the first time you are seeing or hearing about this covenant promise of Jesus, yet, is it not new and fresh in your hearing? Does it not spring life in you to know that our given Holy Spirit will affirm and confirm the Lord’s Words in you? Receive this Covenant Promise anew.

Note and remember! What you are about to read took place:-

After Jesus had left them in the flesh, to live His Heavenly life in Heaven.

After they had left their present human-propelled lives, to live new Spirit-propelled lives. They left where they were, whether physical or mental, to go and do as He had commanded them. When they obeyed Him, He, worked with them and confirmed his word by the signs that accompanied it. Mark 16: 20b. We end this week, by receiving from this incident between Jonathan and David.

Let me share with you that I really don’t know how to describe what happened to me during this Word, but I know it was more real than ever. For the first time in a long while, I saw this Word as the voice of God giving permission for someone to leave a most difficult situation. Bear with me, as I seek to be contained, to speak it to you. It is so real it is not funny.

We are being shown a very familiar scene in 1 Samuel 20. But our focus is on the word spoken to David by Jonathan. But if I say to the boy, Look, the arrows are beyond you, then you must go, because the Lord has sent you away. 1 Samuel 20: 22.

Here is a bit of background. Jonathan is torn between two loves, as it were. He loves his father Saul and he loves his friend David. Jonathan is told by David that Saul, Jonathan’s father, wants to kill him. Jonathan refuses to believe it and was firm in the fact that his father did nothing without telling him. But David is helping Jonathan to see the cleverness and craftiness of Saul. We are now at the point where Jonathan is listening to David and wants to prove whether or not there is validity in what is being suggested. A plan has been arranged between David and Jonathan and it is at this point that we pick up the picture.

Jonathan is going to practise his skill in archery and shoot three arrows, but in a specific direction and place. Why? Because it is David’s place of hiding, his secret place known only to Jonathan.

There are two distinct points of focus being given to us here.

• Jonathan shoots the arrows – I call them the arrows of Affirmation.

Jonathan Shoots the arrows directly to David’s present hiding place by the stone Ezel, but the shot arrows are not enough. There must be some confirmation.

• Jonathan shouts the words – I call them the words of Confirmation.

Jonathan Shouts a word that is only understood by David. It is from this same hiding place, by the stone Ezel that David hears the words of Jonathan telling him that all he, David was saying, was true and that David must go. He has to leave that perilous situation because it is too dangerous.

David is God’s chosen, who, at the moment is waiting for an answer, whether to go or stay in the house of Saul. Does he really have to run from Saul, leave Saul? The decision whether to leave or remain is confirmed and proven in him by a trusted friend, one whom he can trust with his life.

If not you, someone you know must face drastic life changes, never expected, because of some Saul. Through continued disobedient and unrepentant behaviour, God has become most displeased with that person and has removed His Spirit from him or her. Like Saul, their anger and temper are unpredictable and uncontrollable and because of this, you must leave.

It is God who provides you and me with trusted friends like Jonathan. It is God who gives them His Words, which are sent to you in your place of hiding and waiting. I am told that your stone of Ezel, is your stone called, Silence. The shot arrows represent God’s sent words, which are able to touch your silence and go beyond. These are words of Affirmation when He affirms His promises to you. Jonathan promised to send arrows, just as the Lord promised to send Words to you in your place of silence. But remember, along with the Affirmation must come the Confirmation. God will speak to you clearly and firmly so that you will know His Will for you in your, Stone of Silence.

Lord Jesus, Your Sent Word has touched my silence and gone beyond me. It is for me, yet it goes beyond my mind and thinking. Lord Jesus, You then Speak the Word plainly for me to know Your will for me. This is all beyond my comprehension. Father, Please, if it is Your pleasure, grant me the grace of obedience. Amen!