Friends In The Night

The soul of Jonathan was knit to the soul of David, and Jonathan loved him as his own soul.  (1 Samuel 18:1)

Do you have someone you could call in the middle of the night when you need help?  I called Tom at 2 am one night in despair.  He simply said, “Hang up.  I’ll be right there.”   He showed up with all the fixings for making sundaes.  We talked for at least two hours before he went home. 

Friends like that are crucial during difficult times. Jonathan was that kind of friend to David. Jonathan’s father, King Saul—who was filled with envy at David’s popularity and God’s blessing on him—tried to kill him (1 Sam. 19:9-10). David escaped and asked his friend for help (chapter 20). While David hid in the field, Jonathan sat at dinner with his father and quickly realized that Saul really did intend to kill David (vv.24-34).

Because of their deep friendship, Jonathan “was grieved for David” (v.34). He warned him of his father’s plan and told him he should leave (vv.41-42). David recognized what a good friend he had in Jonathan. The Bible says they wept together, “but David more so” (v.41). Their souls were touched each other.

Do you have loving Christian friends you can count on in a crisis? Are you someone your friends would call a “2 a.m. friend”?  A true friend is God’s answer to our prayers of despair.  It is someone whose soul is “knit” to ours.