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. David marched out with the army and was successful in everything Saul sent him to do. Saul put him in command of the soldiers, which pleased all the people and Saul’s servants as well. 1 Samuel 18:4-5 HCSB
In today’s world we incorporate Facebook as a part of our social media whereby we invite many people to be called our “friends”. But are they truly friends or merely acquaintances ? It seems that the more “friends” someone has on Facebook the better. We can accept friends and even “unfriend” someone. In so doing, have we possibly cheapened the value of a real friend?
Jonathan and David had reason to be enemies or at least rivals. Jonathan was the heir to the throne, but David was God’s chosen one to be the next king. Instead of a rivalry between Jonathan and David, there was the closest of friendships. Jonathan demonstrated his commitment to David by giving him his royal robe and other items that David would need in battle. This illustrated that Jonathan understood and accepted that David was to be the next king and was committed to serving him even if it meant going against his father, Saul.
Challenge: A true friend is one who is trustworthy, honest, dependable, kind, and usually shares a common interest. We have to carve out time in our busy schedules to spend time with friends. Good friends are gifts from God and worth the effort and investment of our time.