Monday Morning Devotion #286

Focal Passage for 2010:

“And above all things have fervent love for one another, for love will cover a multitude of sins.” 1 Peter 4:8 (NKJV)

Weekly Passage:

“…the soul of Jonathan was knit to the soul of David, and Jonathan loved him as his own soul.” 1 Samuel 18:1

For the past several months, our Ladies’ Sunday school class has been studying through the book of 1 Samuel. What an amazing piece of God’s Word!!! Every aspect of God’s Word holds such powerful truths and life changing applications and 1 Samuel has certainly changed the way that I view the Lord God. God reveals more and more of who HE is, was, and always will be over and over in Scripture and we blessed to be able to seek Him through the pages of truth and learn from Him.

This year, in the Monday Morning Devotions, we have been focusing on learning to love as Christ loves. This morning, we are going to be focusing on developing Biblical Friendships. I love the picture God gives us of the friendship between Jonathan and David. Many years ago, I did a study on David and in one section the author focused on Jonathan and I remember thinking, “Boy, I want to be a “Jonathan.” Jonathan loved with a deep, passionate, and selfless love. Scripture tells us that “Jonathan’s soul was knit to the soul of David.” Who knitted their souls together?!!? The LORD God Himself planned, prepared, and formed their friendship.

Jonathan was the rightful heir to the throne. He was the son of King Saul and he was a mighty warrior. All his life, Jonathan had been trained and groomed to take over his father’s throne. The problem was that God had rejected Saul as king because Saul continued to rebel against the Lord God. All throughout the book of 1 Samuel, God reveals the heart of Saul. God commanded Saul to destroy the Amalekites completely yet Saul chose to “do things his way.” When Samuel confronted Saul, he refused to heed wise counsel and he insisted that he had obeyed the Lord. In chapter 15, God speaks through Samuel and declared that HE had chosen another man to take Saul’s place. David was the one God had chosen to replace Saul.

When I first began studying this relationship between Jonathan and David, I was impressed at the depth of Jonathan’s love for David, but the closer I examined Jonathan’s character through Scripture, I began to realize that Jonathan loved the Lord God and his love for Him is what allowed Jonathan to selflessly love David and minister to him in many ways. Even when it cost him the throne!!! My Friend, would we be willing to give up our “throne” to our friend if the Lord God asked us too?

Jonathan’s love for David mirrors Christ’s love for us.

Jonathan:
• Jonathan loved David with a selfless love
• Jonathan protected David
• Jonathan defended David
• Jonathan encouraged David
• Jonathan spent time with David

Christ Jesus:
• Christ loves us with a selfless love: Romans 5:6-8
• The LORD God is our Protection: Romans 5:9-11
• God is our Defense: Psalm 5:11-12 (A Psalm written by David)
• Christ came to Encourage us through the Truth: Isaiah 61:1-4
• Christ is the foundation that allows us to have a Relationship with the Lord God: Galatians 4:3-6

My Friend, what is the basis of our friendships? Do our relationships and the way we love others mirror Christ? Do we love others as Christ loves us? God’s Word says, “A friend loves at all times, And a brother is born for adversity” (Proverbs 17:17). “A man who has friends must himself be friendly, But there is a friend who sticks closer than a brother” (Proverbs 18:24). Christ Jesus is our Best Friend. HE alone is the example of pure, selfless love. When we strive to love as Christ loves, we are tools in the Master’s hand to minister to the deepest needs of man. God created us to bring glory to Himself and HE alone will use us to magnify His name and to bless those around us. What a privilege we have to join the God of all the universe in His work!!! May the Lord God created in each of us a heart that truly loves Him above all else so that we can love others as Christ loves us!!! Earlier, I stated that I “want to be a Jonathan” but after further study, my prayer has changed…”Boy, I want to be the image of Christ” to all those I God brings into my life!!!!