The Protection of a Godly Friend
1 Samuel 20:1-4
Yesterday, we saw the potential influence that friendships have on our lives. A friend can either draw us closer to God or pull us away from Him. That is why we must be careful in choosing our friends. We also have the potential to be godly friends to those around us.
In our verses today, we see a familiar pair of friends, Jonathan and David. Jonathan was King Saul's son who was heir to the throne, and David was a young man whom God had chosen to be the next king. Although few people would have thought these young men to be friends, they developed a godly friendship.
King Saul had sworn to kill David and was pursuing him during this time. Although Saul was trying to kill David, Jonathan remained a help and encouragement to David during this time. In our verses, Jonathan agreed to find out if his father was still angry with David or if it was safe for David to come out of hiding. Jonathan risked his life to keep David safe.
Godly friends protect each other from danger. While Jonathan protected David from physical danger, we can protect our friends from spiritual danger. Proverbs 27:6 says, "Faithful are the wounds of a friend; but the kisses of an enemy are deceitful." A godly friend is not afraid to lovingly point out a spiritual danger in a friend's life. Godly friends seek to edify each other and help protect each other from the spiritual dangers of this world.
I once heard the story of two men who were out hunting in the northern U.S. Suddenly, one yelled and the other looked up to see a grizzly bear charging them. The first started to frantically put on his tennis shoes and his friend anxiously asked, "What are you doing? Don't you know you can't outrun a grizzly bear?" "I don't have to outrun a grizzly. I just have to outrun you!"
True friends do not run away when troubles come, but seek to help protect their friends from the danger. There is an old Jewish proverb that says, "A friend is one who warns you." True friends will warn each other and will help protect each other when spiritual dangers come.
The world looks at friendships as what they can get out of the relationship. But godly friends look at how they can help each other grow spiritually. Are you helping your friends grow closer to Christ? Are you protecting them from the devil's attacks? Ask Christ to help you draw your friends into a closer relationship with Him today.
Daily Bible Reading
1 Chronicles 4-6 | John 6:1-21
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