Wednesday, May 29, 2013 -- Friendship-having Friends, Making Friends, Being A Friend (3)

All through the Bible we read stories of how good friends cared for one another and helped each other draw closer to God and achieve the things God had prepared for them to do.  God has given us spiritual friends who will walk our journey with us and show us how to trust and surrender our lives to Him.

Jonathan and David became close friends ... Jonathan made a covenant with David because he loved him just as he loved himself.  (1 Sam 18:1,3 NIRV)

Jonathan and David are an example from the Bible of just such a friendship that honours God and blesses both friends.  They met through David's courageous action in fighting the giant Goliath and became dear friends.  Jonathan was the son of King Saul.  Through time, King Saul became jealous of David and tried to have him killed.  God, on the other hand, had already chosen David to succeed Saul as king and was guiding and protecting him. 

Naturally speaking, Jonathan should have inherited the throne from Saul.   One would expect that Jonathan would have been bitter and resentful at being disinherited by David however, Jonathan honoured the plan of God for David's life.   David escaped King Saul's devious attacks with Jonathan’s help. Later on when Jonathan was dead and David became king, instead of killing all the family of the previous king as most did, David welcomed Jonathan's crippled son into his palace and treated him with honour.   

Jonathan, I miss you most! I loved you like a brother. You were truly loyal to me, more faithful than a wife to her husband. (2 Sam 1:26 CEV)

As Christian friends gather around us they will be supportive witnesses to our new way of life and will provide perspective on our spiritual journey.  They will appreciate where we have come from, what we are currently doing, and how we are growing.  We need at least one friend who can keep a confidence and listen with empathy when life seems troubled.  This person should be someone who will not judge us, but will offer Godly counsel when it is apparent we are living in a way that may injure ourselves or others.

Brothers and sisters, we urge you to warn those who are lazy.  Encourage those who are timid.  Take tender care of those who are weak. Be patient with everyone.  See that no one pays back evil for evil, but always try to do good to each other and to everyone else.  Always be joyful. Never stop praying.  Be thankful in all circumstances, for this is God’s will for you who belong to Christ Jesus.  (I Thessalonians 5:14-18 NLT)