Devotional Two: David and Jonathan

As soon as he had finished speaking to Saul, the soul of Jonathan was knit to the soul of David, and Jonathan loved him as his own soul…Then Jonathan made a covenant with David, because he loved him as his own soul.  -I Samuel 18:1,3 

FROG: I’d like to sing a little ode,  About my good friend Toad,  Toad has been a lovely friend to me.  Toad, I feel, is vastly underrated…  He is the finest friend  Of all the critters in the neighborhood.  -A Year with Frog and Toad 

We all have that one friend who is especially capable of speaking truth into our lives. Due to God’s sovereignty, He makes us to cross paths with certain people with whom we have a close bond. These friends are more than simply people we enjoy hanging out with. These friends push us to grow and mature in our lives and in our faith. A best friend can be a means of sanctification in our lives. A best friend can help us to look more like Jesus. 

Toad is a bit of a grump. He sees the glass as half full. Thankfully, Toad has a good friend named Frog who challenges Toad’s negative thoughts and grumpy ways. Frog is steadfastly patient with Toad throughout the musical, and the audience sees, time and time again, Frog’s dedication to the betterment of his friend. We often need that friend who isn’t afraid to tell us the truth and spur us on to a better understanding of life. Frog understands that it takes a great deal of patience to be Toad’s friend, and yet he never stops cheering for Toad. 

Throughout the Old and New Testaments, many of the biblical writers speak about a special promise made between two people called a covenant. To be truthful, a covenant is much more than a simple promise; rather, a covenant took on the significance of a solemn vow and was often sealed with an animal sacrifice. One of these mentions of a covenant is found in I Samuel 18, where David, the shepherd son of a peasant, and Jonathan, a prince of Israel and heir to the throne, make a covenant marking their deep friendship with each other. As their story progresses throughout the book of I Samuel, their friendship is deeply tested when Saul, Jonathan’s father and the current king, begins to see David as a rival to the throne. In fact, Saul seeks to kill David several times throughout the narrative. Jonathan, however, recognizes that the Spirit of God is moving in the life of his best friend David, and even though being friends with David means losing his spot in line to the throne, Jonathan never breaks his friendship covenant. Indeed, Jonathan warns David of a plot by Saul to kill David and saves David’s life. 

Although in a much simpler way, the friendship between Frog and Toad mirrors the deep friendship between David and Jonathan. May God grant each of us that dear covenant friend who draws out the best in us and points us toward growth in Christ.