A true friend is one who is walking in, when everyone else is walking out.”
Martin Luther
In our reading today Saul has died and David is made king over all of Israel. It was a long journey for David from shepherd boy to regent, and a journey he couldn’t have made without the help of many along the way. In Psalm 89:20-21 God says, “I have found David My servant; with My holy oil I have anointed him, with whom My hand will be established; My arm will also strengthen him.” God strengthened David in part by sending strong, noble, and faithful men to surround him.
God never asks us to go it alone. He knows the plans He has for us. Wonderful, glorious plans. And He will send helpers to us to accomplish those plans. Just like He did with David, God will send both believers and nonbelievers into our lives to strengthen, support, challenge, guide, protect, encourage, and love us. From Jonathon, the son of David’s greatest enemy, to men who would eagerly give their lives for their king, God provided mighty friends to help David fulfill what the Lord intended.
Chapters 11 and 12 are filled with name after name of men who came to the aid of David. Men who were sent by God. Men who performed great acts of valor and showed unwavering loyalty to help bring David victory over his enemies. Men like Amasai. “Then the Spirit came upon Amasai, chief of the Thirty, and he said, 'We are yours, O David! We are with you, O son of Jesse! Success, success to you, and success to those who help you, for your God will help you.'" And the Bible goes on to say, "Day after day men came to help David, until he had a great army, like the army of God." (v. 12:22)
These great friendships were not lost on David. When three brave men broke through the camp of the Philistines just to bring David a drink from the well in Bethlehem, instead of drinking the water, “he poured it out to the Lord” (v. 11:18) David understood the value of the sacrifice these men were willing to take on his behalf and wanted to thank the Lord for the blood they were willing to shed. Can you imagine being the type of friend that would lay down your life for another, or having a friend that would do the same? As believers we do have a friend like that....Jesus Christ.
Jesus shed His precious blood and gave His life for us; His friends. In John 15:13-15 He says, “Greater love has no one than this, that he lay down his life for his friends. You are My friends if you do what I command. I no longer call you servants, because a servant does not know his master's business. Instead, I have called you friends, for everything that I learned from my Father I have made known to you.” Because of the friend we have in Jesus and His example, shouldn’t we want to be that same kind of friend to others? To extend the same grace and love described by the Apostle Paul? “For scarcely for a righteous man will one die; yet perhaps for a good man someone would even dare to die. But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us" (Romans 5:7-8)
Life can be hard, and at times lonely. But God never intends our walk with Him to be one of solitude. We all need the love and support of godly friends. I’ve heard it said that if you can count your true friends on the fingers of one hand, you are blessed. Ecclesiastes 4:9-12 reminds us, “Two are better than one because they have a good return for their labor. For if either of them falls, the one will lift up his companion. But woe to the one who falls when there is not another to lift him up. Furthermore, if two lie down together they keep warm, but how can one be warm alone? And if one can overpower him who is alone, two can revisit him. A cord of three strands is not quickly torn apart.” My prayer for you today is that God will bless you and send you a mighty friend if you need one, and send you out as a mighty friend to be a blessing to another.
Friendship
We grow closer to each other
When we're closer to the Lord,
The common faith that we share
Binds our hearts in one accord
For friendships last a life time
When built on Jesus Christ,
Throughout each different season,
We find we are in life
Friends are there through times of grief
And times when hope is gone,
Always there with encouragement
So we can carry on
So thank the Lord for giving you
A true and faithful friend,
To laugh with you, and cry with you,
On whom you can depend
For friends will stay no matter what,
Giving you support
And together your hearts truly unite
With the love of the Lord.
By M.S.Lownde
