#1098. Help others to find their strength (12/7/24)

Welcome to this Come to Jesus Daily devotional where we are in our Summer Inspiration series. Today, we reflect on what it means to be a good friend.

To watch this devotional, follow the link below:

https://youtu.be/V7wfx6UPFjs

‘While David was at Horesh in the Desert of Ziph, he learned that Saul had come out to take his life. And Saul’s son Jonathan went to David at Horesh and helped him find strength in God. “Don’t be afraid,” he said. “My father Saul will not lay a hand on you. You will be king over Israel, and I will be second to you. Even my father Saul knows this.” The two of them made a covenant before the Lord. Then Jonathan went home, but David remained at Horesh.’ (1 Samuel 23:15-18)

1 Samuel 23:15–18

Without good friends, we will be stunted in our growth. If we have bad friends we will wither. However, If we have good friends, our relationship with God and His work in and through us will flourish. David had a Jonathan, he also had a Nathan, both of whom encouraged and challenged him to be better.

Darren Hardy in his book The Compound Effect writes,

“According to research by social psychologist Dr. David McClelland of Harvard, the people you habitually associate with determine as much as 95 percent of your success or failure in life.”

Jim Rohn said something thing similar,

“You are the average of the five people you spend the most time with.”

Now I don’t know if these are entirely accurate, but my experience leads me to agree with the essence of these quotes. If I’m around people who inspire me, I grow. If someone shares how they are seeking to improve in their relationship with God, their marriage, their health, a skill… It stirs me from passivity. I’ve also seen people who were passionate for God or a healthy activity, lose their faith and take up unhealthy habits because of who they allow to influence them. In fact, the bible also backs up the essence of this idea:

‘As iron sharpens iron, so one person sharpens another.’ (Proverbs 27:17)

Proverbs 27:17

If we don’t want to approach life with a blunt axe - dull and ill-prepared, we need the habit of investing in good friendships.

Today’s text is illustrative of how relationships in the local church are meant to be. Ideally, we are help one-another to ‘find strength in God’. It says:

i. ‘Jonathan... helped him find strength in God’. May we help people to see things in light of God and His word. I hope we have fun with our friends, but do we also seek to bring them to Jesus? Who needs your strengthening right now?

ii. Jonathan encourages him with the words: ‘You will be king over Israel’. How can we remind people of God’s promises? Do we Help them to recall personal prophecies over their lives? Do we help to give them vision for their ultimate, eternal hope of glory with Jesus?

iii. We read that ‘The two of them made a covenant before the Lord.’. They reaffirmed their loving friendship. How can we keep reaffirming our love for people? How can we get more expressive - something that I often struggle with! Let’s not forget that taking Communion (bread and wine symbolising the death of Jesus for us) is a great way to reaffirm our covenant; taking this meal with friends is a powerful encouragement.

Finally, may we the following words be increasingly true of us, and may we have such people in our lives:

’I have no one else like him, who will show genuine concern for your welfare. For everyone looks out for their own interests, not those of Jesus Christ.’ (Philippians 2:20-21)

Philippians 2:20–21