上帝邀请我们与祂同工，将福音带给我们的世界。

So Jonathan made a covenant with the house of David. 1 Samuel 20:16

于是，约拿单与大卫家结盟。-撒母耳记上20章16节

“A weed is any plant that grows where you don’t want it,” my father said, handing me the hoe. I wanted to leave the corn plant that had “volunteered” among the peas. But Dad, who had grown upon a farm, instructed me to pull it out. That lone cornstalk would do nothing but choke the peas and rob them of nutrients.

父亲一边拿锄头给我，一边对我说：“任意滋长的植物就是杂草。”家中的豌豆园冒出一株玉米苗，我虽然想要保留下来，但一生务农的父亲却要我铲除它。这株玉米苗只会影响豌豆的生长，并夺取豌豆所需的养分。

Human beings aren’t plants—we have minds of our own and God-given free will. But sometimes we try to bloom where God doesn’t intend us to be.

有时候，人也会像任意滋长的杂草一样，任意妄为，选择做一些不符合上帝心意的事。

King Saul’s son, the warrior-prince Jonathan, could have done that. He had every reason to expect to be king. But he saw God’s blessing on David, and he recognized the envy and pride of his own father (1 Samuel 18:12–15). So rather than grasping for a throne that would never be his, Jonathan became David’s closest friend, even saving his life(19:1–6; 20:1–4).

扫罗王的儿子约拿单就不愿意任意妄为。约拿单是王子，理应继承他父亲的王位。但约拿单看见大卫蒙上帝眷顾，也知道他父亲内心充满妒忌和骄傲（撒母耳记上18章12-15节）。所以，约拿单没有设法保全这不属于自己的王位，反而成为大卫的密友，甚至还救了大卫的性命（19章1-6节，20章1-4节）。

Some would say that Jonathan gave up too much. But how would we prefer to be remembered? Like the ambitious Saul, who clung to his kingdom and lost it? Or like Jonathan, who protected the life of a man who would become an honored ancestor of Jesus?

在有些人的眼中，约拿单做了很大的牺牲。但我们希望将来别人怎么记念我们呢？是像野心勃勃的扫罗王，紧抓王权却终究仍失去一切？还是像约拿单保全了大卫的性命，这位耶稣的祖先呢？

God’s plan is always better than our own. We can fight against it and resemble a misplaced weed. Or we can accept His direction and become flourishing, fruitful plants in His garden. He leaves the choice with us.

上帝的计划远比我们的更加周详。我们若不愿听从上帝的带领，便有如任意滋长的杂草。但若愿意接受上帝的引领，便能成为祂园中茂盛生长、结实累累的大树。上帝将选择权交给我们。

亲爱的天父，求祢宽恕我们，

因有时我们不顺服祢的带领。

求祢让我们看见并顺从祢的美意。

1 Samuel 20:30-34 New International Version (NIV)

20 Saul’s anger flared up at Jonathan and he said to him, “You son of a perverse and rebellious woman! Don’t I know that you have sided with the son of Jesse to your own shame and to the shame of the mother who bore you? 31 As long as the son of Jesse lives on this earth, neither you nor your kingdom will be established. Now send someone to bring him to me, for he must die!” 32 “Why should he be put to death? What has he done?” Jonathan asked his father. 33 But Saul hurled his spear at him to kill him. Then Jonathan knew that his father intended to kill David. 34 Jonathan got up from the table in fierce anger; on that second day of the feast he did not eat, because he was grieved at his father’s shameful treatment of David.

撒母耳记上 20:30-34 

20 扫罗向约拿单发怒，对他说：“你这顽梗背逆之妇人所生的，我岂不知道你喜悦耶西的儿子，自取羞辱，以致你母亲露体蒙羞吗？ 31 耶西的儿子若在世间活着，你和你的国位必站立不住。现在你要打发人去，将他捉拿交给我。他是该死的！” 32 约拿单对父亲扫罗说：“他为什么该死呢？他做了什么呢？33 扫罗向约拿单抡枪要刺他，约拿单就知道他父亲决意要杀大卫。34 于是约拿单气愤愤地从席上起来，在这初二日没有吃饭。他因见父亲羞辱大卫，就为大卫愁烦。

灵粮透视

Do you ever wonder whether you are in the place God wants you to be? David and Jonathan help us ask a different question. When combined with thestory of Jonathan’s father, Saul, they give us reason to ask not about our place in life but about the condition of our hearts.

你有没有想过自己现有的处境是不是上帝为你预备的呢？大卫和约拿单帮我们提出了一个不同的问题。结合约拿单的父亲扫罗的故事，他们提醒了我们，不是要追问我们面临的处境，而是要关注我们内心的光景。

When Israel rejected the God who delivered them, they asked for the kind of king they saw ruling other nations. So God gave them Saul, a handsome man, head and shoulders above any other man in the land (1 Samuel 9:2). He seemed to be the ideal match for a nation that wanted to be led by men rather than God (8:1–5).

当以色列民拒绝那位拯救他们的上帝时，他们要求设立君王治理他们，就像周围的列国一样。所以上帝为他们立了扫罗。扫罗健壮俊美，比众人高出一个头（撒母耳记上9章2节）。对于当时的以色列百姓而言，他们既不想让上帝引导，只想要受人统治（8章1-5节），那么扫罗似乎是一个理想的人选。

Saul’s successor, David, was also a good-looking man (17:42). But when the personal and family lives of Saul, Jonathan, and David are considered together, they show us that while man looks on the outward appearance, God looks at the heart. By trusting his eyes rather than the Lord, Saul became a bitter, violent man. David, though far from perfect, knew what it meant to trust the Lord. As a result, Jonathan learned that being loyal to David and trusting David’s God was far better than being next in line for the place of his father’s ruined life and throne.

上帝预定继承扫罗为王的大卫也是容貌俊美（17章42节）。但是，当我们了解扫罗、约拿单和大卫的个人生命和家庭生活时，便可清楚看见，人是看外貌但上帝却看人的内心。由于扫罗相信自己的眼睛，却不相信上帝，就成了一个苦毒、残暴的人。大卫虽然并非完美，但却懂得全心倚靠上帝。这让约拿单清楚晓得，以诚信对待大卫，并相信大卫的上帝，远胜过继承他父亲败坏的生活和王位。

整理：于姊妹