Supernatural Courage

This month has been as usual super busy but I want to record what I learn from time to time from different spirit filled leaders who have influenced my life and who have been fathers of our amazing faith. Bill Johnson and Graham Cooke are rated high,the impartation of revelation and wisdom they speak with is sound and resonates with my spirit. So here's a summary about "Supernatural Courage" from one of Bill's talks.

The story is from 1 Samuel 14 when Jonathan and his armor bearer take on the Philistine army. The Philistines and the children of Israel meet on the battlefield. The Philistines are pitched on high ground on a hill and are definitely the urban sea faring dwellers in the land with the knowledge of iron and its use in weaponry. Israel on the other hand have like two swords and the rest are pitched down with whatever they can find for the impending battle. Another major disadvantage they have is the children of Ephraim have not come to join their brethren in battle. In such overwhelming odds, here's Jonathan the son of the king and his armor bearer proposing to employ the worst battle strategy ever. However; the strategy is aroused out of supernatural courage, stirred by Faith in the God of Israel that He is able to deliver by many or few. Based on this Jonathan proposes to his armor bearer "let us climb the hill (just two of us) and if the Philistines call us up we know the Lord has given us their camp into our hands" (paraphrase mine). The armor bearer's encourages Jonathan to do whatever is his heart, influenced by the the call of identity, the two set out on this arduous climb on the hill towards the Philistine camp. The Philistine soldiers look down upon them and call them out jeering "Look they Israelites are coming out of their holes" only to see in their amazement that there are only two of them. Jonathan and his armor bearer in full confidence know in their heart of hearts that the battle is their's and God has delivered them into their hands. They rush and within the first half an hour twenty or thirty Philistine soldiers fall and the armor bearer is killing them as he comes behind Jonathan. God was pleased with the supernatural courage that these two displayed, so much so that He intervenes. There is chaos in the Philistine camp, the earth shakes and the news of the courage of the two strikes panic/fear and defeat in the hearts of the enemy.

What amazes me is that the Bible says, there were Israelites within the Philistine camp living like them and fighting for them against the armies of Israel. They had foregone their identity, were dressed like the Philistines and fought like them  and for them. But when they heard the supernatural courage of Jonathan and his armor bearer, the news or the message goes out deep into their hearts and souls and called out their identity, their persona as to who they were. As I reflect on this, I am adding here they must have know deep inside who they were, who their God was and the promises of the God of Israel on their ancestors that their descendants will seize the gates of their enemies. The act of these men suddenly spurred them to tear of their Philistine garb and join the children of Israel in battle against the enemy. The story is so familiar when the lies of the enemy fall off and we come into knowing who we are in Yeshua, the supernatural courage rises up and raises up for the fight.

Another thing happens, the news of the supernatural courage of the two travels even faster to the hills of Ephraim and calls them out and when they hear what just two of their kin did, they come and join the battle.

What do I take away from this:

Supernatural courage is sometimes doing the most crazy things that the logical mind will not even fathom to do. It is all about coming into alignment with faith in the God of Israel with a understanding that because you move in the majesty and the might of God you can take on the impossible. It is knowing that when you live in that kind of faith and identity of know who you are in Christ you are able to get supernatural advise from the Holy Spirit, a supernatural strategy and the He always intervenes in the midst of the battle.

I am also learning that warriors are handpicked by God for great and special assignments. The testimony of supernatural courage is an opportunity that God gives to his special ones so that future generations can stand on that testimony of what God did and arouse a similar spirit to stir deep in our hearts the calling of who He is and who we are in Him. Eleazar the son of Dodi one of the mighty men of David who hand was fused to his sword knew the spirit of this testimony as he fought the same enemy on the same battle ground where David had slain Goliath, he knew who he was, he knew whom he was fighting for, he knew about the previous victory that had been won here on the holy ground and most importantly he knew that he was an Israelite whose God is the ruler of heaven and earth and able to deliver.

Blessings and Shalom,

Sam Kurien