After David had finished talking with Saul, Jonathan became one in spirit with David, and he loved him as himself. From that day Saul kept David with him and did not let him return home to his family. And Johnathan made a covenant with David because he loved him as himself. Johnathan took off the robe he was wearing and gave it to David, along with his tunic, and even his sword, his bow and his belt.
1 Samuel 18:1-4
It had been an exhausting Saturday. We had entertained so Saturday had been filled beforehand with cleaning and cooking, and afterwards with dishes and tidying up once our guests left. I like to host so that normally wouldn’t stress me out, but I had so many loose ends with work that I had wanted to tie up before our company came over but, of course, I hadn’t, and it was weighing on me. This was in the middle of what had been a long and exhausting season.
It had been a season of constant setbacks; we’d feel like we were making progress, and then just as quickly we’d end up right back where we had started. It wasn’t that anything tragic had happened—it wasn’t a season marked with great loss, but it was one filled with endless frustration. It was one of those season where the car died, the heating system needed replaced (right as the cold weather arrives) and the day-in-and-day-out seemed so mundane that I just want to scream.
This particular Sunday afternoon I was supposed to go over to a friend’s house after church for an hour or two—not for long—and I found myself not wanting to go. How was I going to be any fun to be around when I felt like this? I should cancel, I thought, but no, I made a commitment. I went around and around about it. Finally I decided to go. I put on a smile and went. We started talking and before long, my smile faltered…
I couldn’t keep my emotions hidden. Everything was okay so why was I being so emotional? I apologized as I am not usually overly emotional. My friend did the best thing she could do—she gave me a chocolate chip pumpkin muffin! (What situation doesn’t look better after a muffin?) And she prayed with me. Then we just talked; about nothing and everything. A while later I left feeling more restored and ready to go than I had felt in a long time.
I probably wasn’t the most fun to be around that day. A true friend is there anyway. I think we often don’t value friendships enough. We place great importance on spending time with family. We spend a lot of time getting our to-do list done. We place our careers on pedestals. But friends? We’ll squeeze them in when we can. But God created friendship too.
Friends are for helping us get through life. They are for far more than just doing something fun on the weekends. Look at the deep friendship of David and Jonathan in the Bible. Jonathan was loyal and faithful and jeopardized everything for David. Jonathan knew David would ultimately take the throne that he was in line to inherit. Talk about a strong and true friendship! Do you have friends like that in your life? Are you a friend like that to anyone? Typically, we only have a handful of friends like this throughout a lifetime, if we are lucky. Honestly though, we often don’t take the risk of being vulnerable with our friends. It’s scary! Every time we pass on being vulnerable and honest with our close friends, we miss the chance to deepen our relationship.
Yes, we do need to use discernment with whom we open up to. I’m not saying to unload on your friends every chance you get, but if you have a true friend, someone who is very close to you—are you being authentic with them? Are you providing the safety and security they need to open up to you? Remember, friendship isn’t just fluff. It is something God created for our benefit, so never underestimate what the comfort of a friend can do—for David it changed not only his life but also an empire.
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