friendship

1 Samuel 23:15-18 (NIV)
While David was at Horesh in the Desert of Ziph, he learned that Saul had come out to take his life. And Saul's son Jonathan went to David at Horesh and helped him find strength in God. "Don't be afraid," he said. "My father Saul will not lay a hand on you. You will be king over Israel, and I will be second to you. Even my father Saul knows this." The two of them made a covenant before the LORD. Then Jonathan went home, but David remained at Horesh.

Everyone talks about the friendship that David and Jonathan had, but normally in the context of when Jonathan shot the arrows into the field to let David know that Saul was still angry with him (1 Samuel 20). I am reading through a Beth Moore 90-day Bible study about David, though, and this was in the passage I read last night. It wasn't the main focus of what Moore was talking about, but it really stuck out to me that Jonathan helped David find his strength in God.

That's the kind of friend I want to be. I want my friends to come to me when they are upset (hopefully their lives won't be in danger), but I want it to be because they know that I will point them towards God and encourage them through the difficult time. I don't want to give advice with the motive of having them look at me as someone with wisdom, because I think that I normally want to gain glory from it. I want to change that in my heart and instead be able to have them find strength in God and then give the glory to God as well.

I wish I had my copy of Cold Tangerines with me, because Shauna Niequist has a really good quote about friendship. Summarized, she says that friendship should be a chance for you to reflect God to someone so that when they walk away they know another aspect of Him. Through me, I want my friends to know God's encouragement and love, and the hope that there is in the midst of difficult circumstances.