If you were a “Jeopardy” contestant, and one of the squares under the Bible category read “David’s Friend,” you would no doubt quickly respond, “Who is Jonathan?” David and Jonathan even today are the poster people for “friendship.” We are so familiar with their story that we probably overlook something rather important, namely that their friendship was a highly unlikely one. In normal circumstances, they probably would never have met – ever! Let’s take a quick look at these two young men… David was a shepherd – the youngest of a bunch of brothers. His dad, Jesse, didn’t even line him up with the other brothers when Samuel came to anoint a future king. In today’s terminology, we might call him the runt of the litter – tanned and dirty from being outdoors tending his sheep. His hands would have been rough, his clothing would have been rather ordinary – and probably smelled a lot like those sheep. And then there’s Jonathan, the son of a king. Royalty! Next in line to be king himself – or so everyone thought. Jonathan would have had all the riches available at that time – and would never have needed to dirty his hands with the task of shepherding. He would have worn royal robes on special occasions, and even his everyday wear would have been of the finest quality. Yet… in God’s perfect providence, they did meet and formed a covenant relationship. Here’s how it all began: Sometime after David took down Goliath with a stone and a slingshot, Jonathan was listening in as his father, King Saul, asked David, “Whose son are you, young man?” So David answered, “I am the son of your servant Jesse the Bethlehemite.” Now when he had finished speaking to Saul, the soul of Jonathan was knit to the soul of David, and Jonathan loved him as his own soul... Then Jonathan and David made a covenant because he loved him as his own soul. (1 Samuel 17:58-18:3 NKJV) We don’t know what it was about that conversation that touched Jonathan’s heart – it might have been David’s tone of voice or demeanor – or his humility before King Saul. Whatever God used to connect their hearts forms the beginning of a story that has informed and blessed believers for centuries. Take a moment to reflect on your friendships – how they started – and perhaps how unlikely some of them might be. And thank God for the gift of human friendship. By Judy Shrout

Honor your father and your mother, that your days may be long in the land that the LORD your God is giving you. (Exodus 20:12 ESV) Holidays like Father’s Day and Mother’s Day can come with different emotions. Maybe you have a great dad, and it’s a day of fun and family. Maybe this is the first Father’s Day after losing your father, and it’s a time of grief. Maybe this is your first Father’s Day AS a father (Congratulations!). My father passed away over 20 years ago, but it is an enjoyable day of remembrance. The initial grief is gone, and I can remember the fun times. I had a good daddy, but he was not perfect. I am guessing that none of us had perfect fathers. And I am guessing that some of us had bad fathers. I know stories of friends whose fathers were abusive, absent, incarcerated, addicted, and otherwise dishonorable. What if your father is/was dishonorable? Does that mean you don’t have to honor him? I do not read any loopholes in the fifth Commandment, so how can we honor a father who is less than honorable? I believe you can honor him by forgiving him. Jesus said, “For if you forgive other people when they sin against you, your heavenly Father will also forgive you. But if you do not forgive others their sins, your Father will not forgive your sins.” (Matthew 6:14-15 NIV) We can have a perfect father. If we follow Christ, we are God’s children. All through the Scriptures we have reminders of how God loves us and is a perfect Father. As a father shows compassion to his children, so the LORD shows compassion to those who fear him. (Psalm 103:13 ESV) And because you are sons, God has sent the Spirit of his Son into our hearts, crying, “Abba! Father!” So you are no longer a slave, but a son, and if a son, then an heir through God. (Galatians 4:6-7 ESV) See what kind of love the Father has given to us, that we should be called children of God; and so we are. (1 John 3:1a ESV) But God shows his love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us. (Romans 5:8 ESV)  If you have not yet experienced this love yourself, please don’t go another day without it. Pray now to receive God’s forgiveness, choose to follow Christ, and embrace the love of God, who is and always will be your good good Father. By Jennifer Preston Jennfier is wife to David, mom to Joe and Nick, mom-in-law to Nicki, Nana to Naomi, and cat servant to Queenie.

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

We are not defenseless against jealousy. The next time the “green monster” of envy rears its ugly head, use some of these weapons against it: J oy : Consider it pure joy, my brothers and sisters, whenever you face trials of many kinds, because you know that the testing of your faith produces perseverance. (James 1:2-3 NIV) E ncouragement : Therefore encourage one another and build one another up, just as you are doing. (1 Thessalonians 5:11 ESV) A rmor : Put on the full armor of God, so that you can take your stand against the devil’s schemes. For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms. (Ephesians 6:11-12 NIV) L ove : Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. It does not dishonor others, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. (1 Corinthians 13:4-5 NIV) O bedience : But be doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving yourselves. For if anyone is a hearer of the word and not a doer, he is like a man who looks intently at his natural face in a mirror. For he looks at himself and goes away and at once forgets what he was like. But the one who looks into the perfect law, the law of liberty, and perseveres, being no hearer who forgets but a doer who acts, he will be blessed in his doing . (James 1:22-25 ESV) U nderstanding : Give me understanding, that I may keep your law and observe it with my whole heart. (Psalm 119:34 ESV) S ervice : Jesus called them over and said, “You know that the rulers of the Gentiles lord it over them, and those in high positions act as tyrants over them. It must not be like that among you. On the contrary, whoever wants to become great among you must be your servant, and whoever wants to be first among you must be your slave; just as the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many.” (Matthew 20:25-28 CSB) Y ield : Do not continue offering or yielding your bodily members [and faculties] to sin as instruments (tools) of wickedness. But offer and yield yourselves to God as though you have been raised from the dead to [perpetual] life, and your bodily members [and faculties] to God, presenting them as implements of righteousness. (Romans 6:13 AMPC) By LaRaine Rice

Nestled among all the names for God in scripture is the surprising name “Jealous.” “You shall worship no other god, for the Lord, whose name is Jealous, is a jealous God” (Exodus 34:14 ESV). Earlier in Exodus, He explained: “You shall not make for yourself a carved image, or any likeness of anything that is in heaven above, or that is in the earth beneath, or that is in the water under the earth. You shall not bow down to them or serve them, for I the Lord your God am a jealous God, visiting the iniquity of the fathers on the children to the third and the fourth generation of those who hate me” (Exodus 20: 4-5). God’s jealousy is clearly not the same jealousy that Saul or we feel. God’s jealousy is a holy jealousy. It is a jealousy born out of unselfish love and not selfish ambition. God knows that worship of anyone or anything other than Him draws us away from Him. He is the only Way. Misplaced devotion separates us from Him. He is jealous for us. He wants us all to Himself.  Ask Jealous if there is anything or anyone that you are putting before Him. Forsake any idols and follow Him alone. By LaRaine Rice

“Drop your gun!” Fortunately, I have only heard this sentence uttered on tv shows. A criminal is wielding a gun, and the situation is dangerous. Similarly, God says, “Put away jealousy!” in 1 Peter 2:1. The ESV puts it this way, So put away all malice and all deceit and hypocrisy and envy and all slander while the TLB states, So get rid of your feelings of hatred. Don’t just pretend to be good! Be done with dishonesty and jealousy and talking about others behind their backs. You see, jealousy is dangerous. If you have bitter jealousy and selfish ambition in your hearts, do not boast and be false to the truth. This is not the wisdom that comes down from above, but is earthly, unspiritual, demonic. For where jealousy and selfish ambition exist, there will be disorder and every vile practice. (James 3:14-16 ESV) Think about it: jealousy and selfish ambition truly lead not only to disorder but every vile practice! Jealousy is a deadly sin, and we don’t recognize it. Fortunately, God has an answer for jealousy: But the wisdom from above is first pure, then peaceable, gentle, open to reason, full of mercy and good fruits, impartial and sincere. And a harvest of righteousness is sown in peace by those who make peace. (James 3:17-18 ESV) Today, examine the jealousy that exists in your heart. Seek God’s wisdom and sow righteousness and peace.  By LaRaine Rice

Once upon a time, in the ancient land of Israel there lived a prophet named Samuel. Samuel was the last prophet to lead the people of Israel, because the people wanted a king just like other countries. Samuel warned the people that a king could do the people harm. Nevertheless, they persisted, and God allowed them to have a king. God told Samuel to anoint Saul as the King. When he did, the spirit of the Lord was on Saul, and he prophesied. Saul was thirty when he became king and reigned for forty-two years. Saul, however, began to take matters into his own hands and did not follow God’s commands. He was rebuked by Samuel, “Does the Lord delight in burnt offerings and sacrifices as much as in obeying the Lord? To obey is better than sacrifice, and to heed is better than the fat of rams. For rebellion is like the sin of divination, and arrogance like the evil of idolatry. Because you have rejected the word of the Lord, he has rejected you as king” (1 Samuel 15:22-23 NIV). The Lord then sent Samuel to the home of Jesse and instructed Samuel to anoint David as king. God chose the youngest son, for God does not look on the outward appearance of a man but on the heart. God’s hand was on David for David trusted God. David fought Goliath because of his faith in God. He destroyed God’s enemies and found time to play the harp for Saul to calm him down. The people celebrated David’s accomplishments. And Saul was jealous. Saul was the King. He wanted the praise. The throne was to stay in his family for generations. How could David become the king? David was ruining Saul’s happy ending. Saul’s jealousy was misguided. Saul was jealous of David’s accomplishments, praise and future. Saul should have been jealous of David’s unwavering faith and his steadfast heart. Had Saul been jealous of those qualities, perhaps he would not have disobeyed God. Instead, he might have confessed his sin and turned towards God. Saul’s happy ending was to be found in his relationship to God. Saul chose his way over God’s way, which led to turmoil within his family -- and death.  Today, ask the Lord to show you if you are walking in obedience. Are you like Saul and faithful in most but not all? Do you have unwavering faith like David, or do you have the tendency to trust in yourself? Remember the Tale of the Two Kings; be more like the second one than the first. By LaRaine Rice

The chat program we use at work lets you see a person’s profile when you click on their picture. It shows you their contact information, location, title, availability, and their bosses all the way to the CEO. Also, since we are now in the world of AI, it now includes a section titled “This person also works with”. It then lists a dozen people that they work with the most – a list that changes over time. When I saw this list, it convicted me. These are the people at work that I have the greatest opportunity to influence, and it made me seriously think about them and my interactions with them. My goal is to show how my relationship with God impacts my daily life. Do these people see that? Do the people on this list feel my life is moving in a positive direction? Do they see that my life is unmoved when unexpected obstacles and difficulties arise? Do they see that my motivation comes from my faith, rather than a paycheck or affirmation from others? Do they see that I can be a trusted source and not a source of gossip and misinformation? Paul writes in 1 Corinthians 15:58: Therefore, my dear brothers and sisters, stand firm. Let nothing move you. Always give yourselves fully to the work of the Lord, because you know that your labor in the Lord is not in vain. We need to be focused on God’s mission, and people need to see that focus through the fruit of our labor. God will see it, and that’s what matters. Not our title or position or even the people we are associated with. When we focus on God, He will work through us to carry out His work.  Motivational speaker Jim Rohn once said, “You are the average of the five people you spend the most time with.” Suppose someone pulled up a similar list for you at work. Or at home. Or at school. Who would be on it? If these people are asked about you, what will they say? And where will your devotion to God fall on the list? By Jason Grace Jason serves at Immanuel with his wife and two kids. He is a software engineering manager.

So whether you eat or drink or whatever you do, do it all for the glory of God. (1 Corinthians 10:31) In the captivating account of David and Goliath, we are given a profound example of living for the glory of God. David, faced with a giant who defied the armies of the living God, was moved not by a desire for personal acclaim but by a zeal for God's glory. His confrontation with Goliath was underpinned by a deep conviction that the battle was the Lord's and that victory would proclaim God's sovereignty to all who witnessed it. David's words to Goliath are a powerful declaration of his intent to glorify God through his actions: " All those gathered here will know that it is not by sword or spear that the Lord saves; for the battle is the Lord's, and he will give all of you into our hands " (1 Samuel 17:47). This statement reveals David's understanding that the ultimate purpose of his encounter with Goliath was to demonstrate God's power and supremacy, not to elevate himself. Living for God's glory transforms our perspective on success, challenges, and our purpose in life. When we, like David, view our battles through the lens of glorifying God, we find a deeper meaning in our struggles and a greater joy in our victories. The story of David and Goliath encourages us to pursue God's glory as our ultimate goal, trusting that He will use our lives to reveal His power, love, and sovereignty to the world. Naturally, we tend to avoid problems and steer clear of trouble, seeking a path of least resistance through life. However, it is often through these very challenges and adversities that God chooses to reveal Himself to us and to those around us. Such moments serve as a genuine test of our faith, acting like a mirror that reflects our spiritual strength or weakness. Experiencing God's faithfulness in our trials not only builds our faith but also serves as a powerful testimony to the world about the worthiness of God. It shows that we trust Him implicitly, even in the most daunting circumstances, underscoring the depth of our belief in His sovereignty and goodness. This dynamic illustrates a profound truth: our greatest trials can lead to our most significant spiritual victories and revelations of God's character. Let us strive to make God's glory our primary ambition, knowing that in doing so, we align ourselves with the highest purpose for which we were created. As we seek to honor God in all we do, may our lives become a testament to His greatness and a beacon of hope to those around us. By Jim Connell Jim is the retired founder of Lexington Rescue Mission and creator of FAQs of Faith mobile app (https://faithanswerspress.net/faqs-of-faith-app/)