No man is an island, we all need FRIENDS. FRIENDSHIPS are a blessing from God. No creation of God was ever meant to be a loner and more so Ministers of The Gospel of Jesus Christ. People need each other and Ministers of The Gospel need each other as well.
As Christians it is of paramount importance that we have the right FRIENDS, people who will influence our life for the better, men and women of God that will accompany us on Life’s journey.
In our modern-day Church there is a belief that is gaining much prominence concerning FRIENDSHIP, which I personally do not concur with. I recently read a comment on FRIENDSHIP that promotes the making of NEW CHRISTIAN FRIENDS and the severing of OLD CHRISTIAN FRIENDS.
To God be the glory my CHRISTIAN FRIENDSHIPS are not seasonal, they are life lasting. Since becoming a Christian I must admit there were certain FRIENDSHIPS I HAD TO SEVERE and for the simple fact those FRIENDS were from my past life when I with them was revelling in sin. With my new found Faith in The Lord Jesus I realized that being unequally yoked would hamper my spiritual growth. Old things had to become new and they could not if I continued with those FRIENDS whose lifestyle was far removed from the standard of God’s Word. After witnessing to most of them I moved on with my new found life in Jesus Christ. Though this was hard to do I realized that the new found light shining upon me could no longer mix with darkness.
Over the years God has taught me of not making FRIENDS but rather seeking FRIENDS WHOM GOD INTENDED FOR ME TO HAVE. All good and perfect gifts come from God (Jas 1:17) and I believe that FRIENDS are a gift from God. I most definitely see this in the FRIENDSHIP RELATIONSHIP between David and Jonathan. As Christians we have to pray and ask God that we have those FRIENDS that He has foreordained for the betterment of our Christian walk with Him.
Considering THE FRIENDSHIP RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN DAVID AND JONATHAN there is much that we can glean and apply to our relationships. First and foremost there is so much that may be seen in the meaning of their names. David means beloved and Jonathan means Yahweh has given.
Making spiritual application to these meanings we may conclude that David was THE BELOVED OF GOD, he was the apple of God’s eye (Ps 17:8). Jonathan was God’s gift to David. Would I be going too far to say that here was A FRIENDSHIP MADE IN HEAVEN? I don’t think so. In turn David the beloved of God was also a gift to Jonathan.
Christians have to seek out their Davids and Jonathans and that through ardent prayer, for when we do find them our life will be enriched. The great Love and favour that God has
showered on our David kind of Friends will rub onto us. The gift that will come from our Jonathan kind of Friends will astound us beyond comprehension. God’s presence will flow from our Jonathans to us.
Looking to these two great Friends we note the following:
THEY ENTERED INTO A COVENANT THAT EXTENDED TO JONATHAN’S GRANDSON MEPHIBOSHETH (2 Samuel 9).
JONATHAN ESTEEMED DAVID. HE GAVE DAVID HIS ROYAL GARMENTS AND HIS WEAPONS (1 Samuel 18). He clothed David with a King’s apparel . David through Jonathan’s extreme kindness entered the palace courts not as a shepherd but as royalty for he was clothed with kingly garments.
Jonathan constantly warned David of King Saul’s evil intentions (1 Samuel). As A GOD GIVEN FRIEND Jonathan PROTECTED his FRIEND David.
God given FRIENDS are not in a FRIENDSHIP RELATIONSHIP for what they can get out of it, rather they are in it for what they can give to each other to enrich The Friendship. Thanks be to God we are God’s BELOVED, thanks be to God we are God’s GIFT to each other.
Above all this let us be thankful for the greatest FRIEND we can ever have and that being THE VERY GIFT FROM GOD OUR FATHER HIMSELF, EVEN JESUS CHRIST. Our truest FRIEND that sticketh closer than a brother (Proverbs 18:24): FRIENDSHIP WITH JESUS, FELLOWSHIP DIVINE, OH WHAT BLESSED SWEET COMMUNION JESUS IS A FRIEND OF MINE.
Jesus, our greatest friend, who sticks closer than a brother, is not like us or our fellow Christian brothers and sisters. His FRIENDSHIP is forever. He never ever severs the relationship no matter what. He protects us from our enemies. When others forsake us, He stays with us; He will never leave us nor forsake us. He gave His life for us. Jesus is in this FRIENDSHIP RELATIONSHIP with us for not what He can get from us or out of us, rather He is in this Friendship that He might give Himself to us.
As God’s Elect let us emulate David, Jonathan and above all Jesus, let us not discard our Christian Friends, no matter what they do, let us despise their wrong doings but never ever stop loving and caring for them. We are each other’s KEEPERS.
As Christian brethren let us come to the conclusion that we need FRIENDS and that our FRIENDS need us. Outside of our relationship with God and Marriage there is no greater reward than FRIENDSHIP. Others may give up on you and I, but those God Given Davids and Jonathans will never ever give up on us. They dream our dreams, they care for us and above else they love us.
In closing let me share an acronym which I believe our greatest FRIEND ever has personally given me to share with you:
F … FRIENDS
R … REJOICE
I … IN
E … EACH OTHER’S
N … NEVER ENDING
D … DREAM
May I ask you humbly this very moment what is your dream. Allow me the privilege of sharing my dream for this very moment. Oh! That I may be a FRIEND to God’s Elect the way Jesus is FRIEND to You and I.
Your servants
Dr Joseph and Dolores D’Allende
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