APRIL 2, 2013
Friendship
Read: 1 Samuel 23:14-18
A friend loves at all
times. —Proverbs 17:17
Friendship
is one of life’s greatest gifts. True friends seek a special kind of
good for
their friends: the highest good, which is that they might know God
and love Him
with all of their heart, soul, and mind. German pastor and martyr
Dietrich
Bonhoeffer said, “The aim of friendship is exclusively determined by
what God’s
will is for the other person.”
Jonathan,
David’s friend, is a sterling example of true friendship. David was in
exile,
hiding in the Desert of Ziph, when he learned that “Saul had come out to
seek
his life” (1 Sam. 23:15). Jonathan went to Horesh to find David. The
significance of this scene lies in Jonathan’s intent: He helped David find
strength
in God or, as the text puts it, he “strengthened his hand [grip] in
God” (v.16).
That
is the essence of Christian friendship. Beyond common interests, beyond
affection, beyond wit and laughter is the ultimate aim of sowing in others the
words of eternal life, leaving them with reminders of God’s wisdom, refreshing
their spirit with words of His love, and strengthening their grip on God.
Pray
for your friends and ask God to give you a word “in season” to help them
find
renewed strength in our God and His Word.
Dear Lord, thank You for loving us. May Your love
compel us to show love to others. Give us
sensitivity to Your Spirit that we might know how
to encourage them in their walk with You.
A true friend is a gift from God and one who points us back to
Him.
Source:
Our Daily Bread 2012
