May 25

“As iron sharpens iron, so one person sharpens another.”

 —PROVERBS 27:17

David and Jonathan were the closest of friends. The Bible tells us that Jonathan became one in spirit with David, and he loved him as himself. Jonathan was the son of King Saul, who had become bitterly angry and jealous over David’s victories. King Saul eventually sought to kill David, but in a plot, Jonathan had warned David and he fled. The part of their friendship that ran the deepest is revealed in 1 Samuel 23:16, which says, “And Saul’s son Jonathan went to David at Horesh and helped him find strength in God.”

Helping a friend find strength in God is a wonderful consequence of true friendship. Jonathan did not boost David’s self-confidence with half-hearted assurances. Instead, he knew that God would be with David and encouraged him in that. David spent years on the run from Saul, hiding out in caves and desert hills. Many of his Psalms were written while in hiding. “Keep me safe, O God, for in you I take refuge” (Psalm 16:1). “I have set the LORD always before me. Because he is at my right hand, I will not be shaken” (16:8). “The LORD is my rock, my fortress and my deliverer; He is my shield and the horn of my salvation, my stronghold” (18:2).

How are we helping our friends in times of trial and hardship? Are they more confident in God as a result of spending time with us? Before David became king, much of his life was lived in peril because of Saul, and many of the Psalms, written during that time, were given to us so that we may gain strength and courage from God. We can offer our friends all kinds of practical and psychological help, but unless we are leading them to find strength in God, we may be helping them temporarily, but not with any lasting effect.

 In his letter to the Romans, Paul writes, “For everything that was written in the past was written to teach us, so that through endurance and the encouragement of the Scriptures we might have hope” (Romans 15:4). The greatest contribution we can make to another person is to leave them with something of God.

PRAYER: Dear Lord, help me to lead others to You, especially when they’re facing a difficult time. You are my strength, my refuge and comfort, and I want to pass that on, because it is the best way I know how to help. Thank You, Lord.

TO REFLECT UPON: When was the last time I spoke to a troubled friend about how God can help, and how was it received?