The friendship that exists between those brought together by God is truly a miracle. Many people in this world do not understand such a bond. To anyone who has not seen it or experienced it for him or herself, the temptation to claim that it isn’t real would be hard to resist. Those of us who have received the grace of God to be blessed with such a friendship know how real it is. Relationships that are ordained by God with His guidance and strength are true blessings that enrich our lives.
Recently I have been studying the story of David in the Bible. I have been enthralled by the story of David and Jonathan because of their special bond. The Bible says in 1 Samuel 18:1, “…the soul of Jonathan was knit to the soul of David, and Jonathan loved him as his own soul (NKJV)”. God worked through this friendship to position David to be king and carry out His will for the benefit of His people. Both realized that their friendship was a God given bond and part of a larger plan for the fulfillment of the Lord’s will. Considering all the obstacles that faced this relationship, expressly the murderous attempts of the current king on David’s life (which happened to be Jonathan’s father) the only explanation for how this close bond was forged and how it flourished was that it was God ordained.
Noticing this divine intervention in both their lives, each realized the impact of this special gift from God. This is expressed in the words of Jonathan when he said, “Go in peace! The two of us have vowed friendship in God’s name, saying God will be the bond between you and me and between my children and your children forever! (1 Samuel 20:42, The Message). They both understood the strength gained by two people coming into agreement with God as the Bible says, “a strand of three is not easily broken (Ecclesiastes 4:12)”.
God uses friendship to minister to us. Through these relationships we learn how to share more, love deeper, live larger and to strive harder for a heart like His. The God ordained friendship is truly exemplified in 2 Samuel when David said that Jonathan was like a brother. He goes on to say in 1 Samuel, “Your love for me was wonderful, more wonderful than that of a woman.” This is the kind of connection that few are blessed with and many don’t understand because it is based on a Godly affection, separate from the carnal emotions and worldly views of today’s society which attempts to pervert what God has created. I know what a blessing and honor it is to have such a precious gift from God and I pray to never take it for granted.
My prayer is that my friends and loved ones are in God’s will, have God's protection and provision and that they know how truly loved and appreciated they are!
