I Samuel 19:1-3 NKJV
Now Saul spoke to Jonathan his son and to all his servants, that they should kill David; but Jonathan, Saul's son, delighted greatly in David. So Jonathan told David, saying, "My father Saul seeks to kill you. Therefore please be on your guard until morning, and stay in a secret place and hide. And I will go out and stand beside my father in the field where you are, and I will speak with my father about you. Then what I observe, I will tell you."
When God puts a vision in your heart, and you start living it out, sometimes it's going to be perceived as a threat to the establishment, and sometimes a decision will be made to eliminate you. Whereas in days past, all they could think of was killing, nowadays, we have many other types of "killing." Depending on which institution or system you serve in, the killing comes dressed in different uniforms.
It could just be character assassination and mudslinging on social media and other spaces. People who have never met you or even listened to you are helped by others to make up their minds about you and how evil you are. They have already decided without evidence that you are a cult leader, or a thief, or adulterous, or something close. Or, you just find yourself in the tabloids, complete with photoshopped images of you in a compromised position.
If it's in institutions with linear authority structures, you will be put on "katebe" as we call it. You just don't get deployed. You show up for work every day and are given no assignment or specific office or project. Or it could be lawsuits that are designed to damage. While all of that should scare us, it's important to note that God has already raised Jonathans within the establishment to stand up for you, to protect and preserve you, and to pass on necessary information to you for your survival and, ultimately, the fulfillment of the vision you carry.
Joseph was sent ahead through prison in Egypt to become part of the establishment as Prime Minister to save Israel's family from dying of hunger. Similarly, Moses was raised in the palace of Pharaoh as a prince of Egypt who would later come and deliver the Israelites. He was part of the establishment. When Jesus was crucified, it was Joseph, one of His discreet disciples who was part of the establishment who asked for the body to bury it, fulfilling the promise of His burial and resurrection. Paul was raised in the establishment. He called himself a Pharisee of Pharisees, only to become one of the greatest proclaimers of the Gospel to his generation after the persecution had left the apostles with little hope.
When the church was at one of its lowest moments and in a state of decay, it took a priest called Martin Luther to accelerate the reformation. A layperson would not have achieved it. So, whatever "killing" has been plotted or is already in operation for you, fear not, for God has already raised a Jonathan for you in the establishment who'll protect you to protect the vision you carry. Just be on the lookout so you don't miss your Jonathans when they come.
Today’s devotional is taken from the book Called To Greatness