It All Comes Down to Love
As I was reading through the book of 1 Samuel, a couple things stood out to me that I want to share! The writer of the book highlighted David and Jonathan's relationship in a beautiful way. In chapter 18, it says, "the soul of Jonathan was knit to the soul of David, and Jonathan loved him as his own soul." How incredible is that? I desire that kind of relationship in which our hearts and souls are knit together.
Other than that, there are some other special things I wanted to talk about regarding their friendship. They stayed faithful to each other in the way they spoke about each other to others. They only spoke truthful and kind words.
They also made sacrifices for each other. Jonathan warned David about Saul's anger toward him and helped him escape the danger he was in. He desired to do anything he could to help his friend, but not only that, he also was filled with grief regarding his situation. Friends are empathetic. They hurt with each other. They weep with each other. They share life together. They help each other. Encourage each other. Laugh with each other. Provide wisdom. Constructive criticism. Counsel. Love. It all comes down to love. It was the love in Jonathan's heart that drove him to do these things for his dear friend David.
Reading all of this touched my heart. However, when I got to chapter 31, I found out that Jonathan and his brothers were killed by the Philistines. This crushed my heart. It made me think. It made me realize that God can take away the people we love most at any time. We need to make the most of every moment. We need to tell people we love them more often, that we appreciate them. It all comes back down to love.
I'm praying that this story about David and Jonathan's friendship can inspire you in some way. Friendship is such a rich and special gift from God. It's not to be wasted, especially because we have no idea how long it will last for. But be encouraged that our friendship with Jesus is an eternal one.
~Nicole
"Greater love has no one than this: to lay down one’s life for one’s friends." -John 15:13
