Scripture:
“After David had finished talking with Saul, Jonathan became one in spirit with David, and he loved him as himself.” – 1 Samuel 18:1

Devotional:
The story of David and Goliath is one of the most popular stories of the Bible. We love the tale of the phenomenal courage of the young shepherd boy, the solid faith he has in his own abilities and in those of his God, and the ultimate triumph of the underdog. We recount how trusting David is to recognize the gifts the Lord has given him and how quickly and assuredly he rises to his calling. One of the greatest lessons we learn from the story is that we don’t need swords or spears or large armies of men to slay our giants. We simply need faith in the Lord Almighty.

Certainly, that’s reassuring. The one true God is all we need. And yet, I sure am glad He gives us other people to walk alongside us as we face the trials of our life. I need the support of my faithful, loyal, wise and loving friends to help me meet the challenges the world throws at me. As it turns out, we find in 1 Samuel 18 that even a famous, powerful, future King of Israel anointed by God Himself needs a friend, too.

Enter Jonathan. At first glance, Jonathan and David don’t have a lot in common. David is a shepherd boy. He has no status at all. In fact, when Samuel comes to Bethlehem to seek out the one the Lord will choose as king, David is even dismissed by his own father as a possibility. He is a young and powerless boy from the wrong side of the tracks.

In contrast, Jonathan is the eldest son of the King. He is quite a bit older than David with his own reputation as a skilled warrior. Certainly, he doesn’t need the new kid on the block to come into his territory and steal his thunder. Surely, he expects that he will follow his father to become King of Israel. And yet, he welcomes David, literally giving him the shirt off his back.

These two unlikely buddies become one of the most important examples of true friendship in the Bible. David needed someone in the kingdom on his side and Jonathan becomes an integral part of helping David fulfill God’s purpose for his life.

Jonathan’s expertise, his mentorship, and his loyalty serve to help carry out God’s plan for David. Jonathan could easily have been jealous of David, just as his father was. Instead, he recognized the gifts that the Lord had given his young friend. He knew that his loyalty to David and not to his father’s evil schemes were in line with God’s will. Perhaps Jonathan’s humility and loyalty were as important to God’s purposes as were David’s trust and faith.

I think this is why God means for us to be in community. He means for us to seek out those who we can mentor and those who can mentor us. They might not be who we expect. They might be from different neighborhoods or backgrounds. They might have different experiences and even different opinions. But I don’t think He lets us cross paths with others without specific purposes in mind. If we want to follow God’s plans for our lives, we must be open to the new friendships and new voices that He presents us. We must be intentional in nurturing those relationships. Sometimes that looks like encouraging others. Sometimes it looks like opening ourselves to the wisdom and counsel of another.

In other words, as those great theologians the Beatles said, “We get by with a little help from our friends.”

Prayer:
Loving God. We thank You for the people You have put in our lives to show us Your love. We are grateful for those friendships we have now and for those You have waiting for us in the future. Help us to open our eyes to Your people so that we might recognize glimpses of You in our communities and our world. Amen.