Jonathan's attitude

“Don’t be afraid,” [Jonathan] said. “My father Saul will not lay a hand on you. You will be king over Israel, and I will be second to you. Even my father Saul knows this.” 1 Samuel 23:17
1 Samuel 23 gives us some events that happened during the time Saul was actively hunting down David and his men in the wilderness of Judea. During this time, Jonathan came to David’s camp and spoke these words of encouragement to him. At this point, the Lord had rejected Saul (1 Sam. 15:23), Samuel had been instructed to anoint David as king (1 Sam. 16:13), David had killed Goliath and been enlisted in Saul’s royal service. After some time, the evil spirit that was tormenting Saul incited him to attack David on several occasions, so David fled. Before he left, he made a covenant with Jonathan, Saul’s son and (humanly speaking) next in line to the throne. But Jonathan knew that he himself would not be king, since the Lord had chosen David and anointed him. Unlike his father Saul, Jonathan did not resent this, but relished the opportunity to be David’s right-hand man when he came to power.
The interesting thing I find from reading this verse, is that deep down Saul knew this too. In 1 Samuel 24 we read how David went down into Saul’s camp one night and had the opportunity to kill him, but did not, instead he took the spear and water jug from beside Saul. There Saul said to him, “I know that you will surely be king and that the kingdom of Isarel will be established in your hands” (1 Sam. 24:20). Saul knew he was resisting God, yet he persisted.
Sometimes we will be in similar situations: where God passes over us and chooses to use somebody else instead. Instead of being envious like Saul and attacking that person, we must choose to be like Jonathan: supportive and encouraging, recognising that it is God who chooses and uses people.