Knit to the Soul

Daily Reading: 1 Samuel 23

Scripture Focus: David saw that Saul had come out to seek his life. David was in the wilderness of Ziph at Horesh. And Jonathan, Saul's son, rose and went to David at Horesh, and strengthened his hand in God. (1 Samuel 23.16)

Devotional Thought: We have many different types of friends these days, don’t we? Our definition of friendship is perhaps a little too expansive, if we are honest. After all, who could possibly maintain relationships with all 500 of their “friends” on social media? And yet, our modern culture seems to thrive on this new and shallow definition of friendship – which offers connection without cost. When we see the example of friendship through David and Jonathan, it should make us stop and think. What is a true friend? In Proverbs 17:17 we find an answer: “A friend loves at all times, and a brother is born for a time of adversity.”

While David was hiding from jealous King Saul, his friend Jonathan, the son of Saul, came to comfort David and renew his covenant with him. “The soul of Jonathan was knit to the soul of David” (chapter 18). Jonathan provides an example of true friendship when he went to David to “strengthen his hand in God.”

We need to recognize our deep and true friendships and nurture them. These are the friends who strengthen one another in the Lord. They remind us of God’s faithfulness in the past, and his reliability in our current situation. They take to heart the words of Jesus in John 15:12-13, “My command is this: Love each other as I have loved you. Greater love has no one than this, that he lay down his life for his friends.”

The writer of Ecclesiastes, reminds us of the importance of having and being a friend: “Two are better than one, because they have a good return for their work: If one falls down, his friend can help him up. But pity the man who falls and has no one to help him up!”

Prayer: Dear Jesus, thank you for your friendship and for placing other friends in my life to strengthen me in God. Help me to be a good friend to you and to them. Amen.

Psalm of the Day: Psalm 81.8-16

8 Hear, O my people, while I admonish you! O Israel, if you would but listen to me! 9 There shall be no strange god among you; you shall not bow down to a foreign god. 10 I am the Lord your God, who brought you up out of the land of Egypt. Open your mouth wide, and I will fill it.

11 “But my people did not listen to my voice; Israel would not submit to me. 12 So I gave them over to their stubborn hearts, to follow their own counsels. 13 Oh, that my people would listen to me, that Israel would walk in my ways! 14 I would soon subdue their enemies and turn my hand against their foes. 15 Those who hate the Lord would cringe toward him, and their fate would last forever. 16 But he would feed you with the finest of the wheat, and with honey from the rock I would satisfy you.”