I AM WITH THEE
“And his armourbearer said unto him, Do all that is in thine heart: turn thee; behold, I am with thee according to thy heart.” I Samuel 14:7
Jonathan, son of king Saul, called his armorbearer to join him in an attack on a garrison of Philistine soldiers. It proved to be a successful venture for the two brave men. They killed about twenty of the enemy’s men. When Jonathan first challenged his armorbearer to follow him in this assault, the fellow soldier responded by saying, “I am with thee according to thy heart.” They knew they would be outnumbered, yet the armorbearer was willing to accompany Jonathan into battle. The armorbearer was loyal to his leader and was willing to follow him faithfully.
What a great and needed quality is this matter of loyalty. We see the absence of it frequently. It is missing in friendships, in family, and in the fellowship of the Lord’s churches. The armorbearer was loyal to his superior, saying, “I am with thee according to thy heart.” In other words, he was willing to follow Jonathan’s lead and trust Jonathan to make the right decision. They both knew there was potential danger. The armorbearer was not simply loyal when he knew things would go well. His loyalty was not limited to the times when he was in perfect agreement with Jonathan. He was committed to being a faithful servant.
There are many things I appreciate about our men and women of the armed services. One of them is the loyalty they demonstrate. They are, for the most part, loyal to their superiors, to their nation, to their companions, and to their cause. We expect that from them, and we are not disappointed. We should expect the same in our own lives. Too often, being faithful is conditional. Many have the idea that we should only be expected to follow our leaders when we are in complete agreement with them. Any thinking person should know this is not reasonable. There are few, if any, with whom we will always be in total agreement. Those who are leading us should be confident that there are those willing to say, “I am with thee according to thy heart.”
We need to be loyal in relationships and in responsibilities. Obviously, we are to be loyal to our Savior. We should be willing and able to say to Him, “I am with thee according to thy heart.” May we see great victories as we faithfully follow Him and those He ordains to lead us.