Thought

Saul continued trying to attack David, but when he sent men after his rival, God’s Spirit came upon them instead. Saul’s son Jonathan was the prince of the kingdom and should have been in line to rule. But when he saw his close friend David under threat, he put any hopes of being king to the side. Instead, he told David he would serve him in whatever way he could. For Jonathan, that meant deceiving his father, hiding David’s whereabouts, and even becoming a target of his father’s spear. But his promise made to David was in the name of his Lord, and he knew that his father was not serving God in his jealous rage.

Word

Psalm 22:19 NIV

But you, Lord, do not be far from me. You are my strength; come quickly to help me.

Question

How can you know when serving a friend is the right thing to do?

Has a friend ever needed you to do something that was out of your comfort zone? Jonathan was asked to do some uncomfortable things, but if we look at his story, we can see clues that would have told Jonathan his father was not doing what God wanted him to do. Those clues would have helped Jonathan make his choice—whether to serve his friend David or to serve the king, his father. What clues do you see?

Challenge

This story features one of the songs David wrote while he was going through hard times and when he felt like almost everyone was against him. Try to memorize as much of Psalm 22 as you can. There are 31 verses, one for each day of the month (and one extra, in months with only 30 days). Start with verse 1 on day 1, then add a new verse each day, always beginning with verse 1. By the end of the month, you might be able to remember the whole thing! Try writing out the words or drawing as you say them. Sometimes just the act of writing can help you remember.

Prayer

Lord, help me to serve my family members and my friends, putting their own needs before mine. Amen.