Who's your "Jonathan?" | One key friendship

When you are investing in relationships with people, it's important to have at least one great friend on your journey. Sometimes, the friendship might last for a season, or it might even last a lifetime. For some, this one friend may be their spouse. For others, it may be just a close friend they have known for years.

In 1 Samuel 18, we read about the close friendship of Jonathan and David:

After David had finished talking with Saul, Jonathan became one in spirit with David, and he loved him as himself... And Jonathan made a covenant with David because he loved him as himself. Jonathan took off the robe he was wearing and gave it to David, along with his tunic, and even his sword, his bow and his belt (1 Samuel 18: 1, 3-5, NIV).

Theirs was an interesting relationship because Jonathan was the firstborn son of King Saul and next in line to become the king of Israel. Unfortunately, because of Saul's disobedience, God told Saul through Samuel that Saul's kingship would be taken from him and given to someone else close to him. Both Saul and Jonathan knew that David was to be the next king of Israel, but father and son had two entirely different reactions. Saul was jealous of David and tried to kill him on a number of occasions. Jonathan, on the other hand, loved David as his best friend. He protected his friend from his father. He and David made a unique covenant with each other that they would watch over each other and their descendants. Once David became king, he made good on this covenant after the deaths of Saul and Jonathan when he brought Jonathan's crippled son Mephibosheth into the king's palace (2 Samuel 9).

All of us need a Jonathan. Someone in whom we can turn to when we are encountering serious problems. Someone in whom we can trust with our very lives.

Do you have a Jonathan? Are you building strong, covenant relationships with others?