Friends For Life Week 4 Day 4
LIKE JESUS, GODLY FRIENDS LAY DOWN THEIR LIVES FOR ONE ANOTHER.
Today is part 2. If you missed the day 3 go back and read it. The challenge is big. Read and let the Bible speak for itself. You may have to really focus or read it a couple of times to get it all. But that’s ok. In fact, you may want to read this one with a friend since we are discussing friendships.
1 John 3:16 “We know what real love is because Jesus gave up his life for us. So we also ought to give up our lives for our brothers and sisters.”
LIKE JESUS, GODLY FRIENDS LAY DOWN THEIR LIVES FOR ONE ANOTHER.
Prayer: “God, I love you. Thank you for Jesus who is the ultimate best friend. Help me learn from David and Jonathan’s example.”
Grab Your Bible: Read 1 Samuel 20:24-42.
We finish the story from yesterday. See if you can describe what happens. What was the plan? Where did David hide? What did Jonathan shoot? What did is mean? Was King Saul, Jonathan’s dad happy?
So David hid himself in the field, and when the new moon festival began, the king sat down to eat. 25 He sat at his usual place against the wall, with Jonathan sitting opposite him[c] and Abner beside him. But David’s place was empty. 26 Saul didn’t say anything about it that day, for he said to himself, “Something must have made David ceremonially unclean.” 27 But when David’s place was empty again the next day, Saul asked Jonathan, “Why hasn’t the son of Jesse been here for the meal either yesterday or today?”
28 Jonathan replied, “David earnestly asked me if he could go to Bethlehem. 29 He said, ‘Please let me go, for we are having a family sacrifice. My brother demanded that I be there. So please let me get away to see my brothers.’ That’s why he isn’t here at the king’s table.”
30 Saul boiled with rage at Jonathan. “You stupid son of a whore!”[d] he swore at him. “Do you think I don’t know that you want him to be king in your place, shaming yourself and your mother? 31 As long as that son of Jesse is alive, you’ll never be king. Now go and get him so I can kill him!”
32 “But why should he be put to death?” Jonathan asked his father. “What has he done?”33 Then Saul hurled his spear at Jonathan, intending to kill him. So at last Jonathan realized that his father was really determined to kill David.
34 Jonathan left the table in fierce anger and refused to eat on that second day of the festival, for he was crushed by his father’s shameful behavior toward David.
35 The next morning, as agreed, Jonathan went out into the field and took a young boy with him to gather his arrows. 36 “Start running,” he told the boy, “so you can find the arrows as I shoot them.” So the boy ran, and Jonathan shot an arrow beyond him. 37 When the boy had almost reached the arrow, Jonathan shouted, “The arrow is still ahead of you. 38 Hurry, hurry, don’t wait.” So the boy quickly gathered up the arrows and ran back to his master. 39 He, of course, suspected nothing; only Jonathan and David understood the signal. 40 Then Jonathan gave his bow and arrows to the boy and told him to take them back to town.
41 As soon as the boy was gone, David came out from where he had been hiding near the stone pile.[e] Then David bowed three times to Jonathan with his face to the ground. Both of them were in tears as they embraced each other and said good-bye, especially David.
42 At last Jonathan said to David, “Go in peace, for we have sworn loyalty to each other in the Lord’s name. The Lord is the witness of a bond between us and our children forever.” Then David left, and Jonathan returned to the town.
LIKE JESUS, GODLY FRIENDS LAY DOWN THEIR LIVES FOR ONE ANOTHER.
Write down some ways you can lay down your life for your friends?
Prayer: God, I pray for godly friendships. Please, please, please let me have wise, godly friends to share life with. I pray that you would give me a Jonathan to strengthen my relationship with you.
Now try to spend a couple of extra minutes just talking to God about stuff in your life. Be still and quiet and listen too!