Growing up, there was a sentimental song about friendship that many of us young Christians

sang at graduations or other important milestones:

“Friends are friends forever if the Lord’s the Lord of them.

And a friend will not say never because the welcome will not end.

Though it’s hard to let you go, in the Father’s hand we know

That a lifetime is not too long to live as friends.”

-Friends, by Michael W. Smith

And there can be no greater story of friendship in the Bible than the one found in 1 Samuel 18-

19: the friendship of Jonathan and David.

After David (and God) defeated Goliath, Jonathan made a covenant with David because he

loved him as much as himself. Then Jonathan removed the robe he was wearing and

gave it to David, along with his military tunic, his sword, his bow, and his belt (1 Samuel

18:3-4 CSB).

David’s friendship with Jonathan, son and heir of Saul, endured. It lasted through Saul’s raging

fits of anger. It remained intact when the people began to praise David more than Saul.

Jonathan saved David’s life by “spying” on Saul. And years later after Jonathan died, David

remembered his friend and took his crippled son into the palace.

Jonathan was not jealous of David. He did not claim the throne of his father. He loved his friend.

David was a man after God’s own heart. And while we aren’t directly told about Jonathan’s faith,

we do know that he “loved his David as himself” which is reminiscent of the second greatest

commandment to love our neighbor as ourself (Mark 12:31). In order to be this loyal to David,

Jonathan must have also had a strong faith in God.

So, then, how can we follow the example of Jonathan rather than Saul when it comes to

relationships with others?

If we follow the first and second greatest commandments, we will have less jealousy and deeper

relationships.

He [Jesus] said to him, “Love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul,

and with all your mind. This is the greatest and most important command. The second is

like it: Love your neighbor as yourself” (Matthew 22:37-39 CSB).

Friends are friends forever if the Lord is the Lord of them. Focus on the Lord today and include

Him in your relationships.

By LaRaine Rice