Go in peace, for we have sworn friendship with each other in the name of the Lord. 1 Samuel 20:42
You may have seen or heard some variation of this saying: “If you want to go fast, go alone. But if you want to go far, go together.” It’s a lovely thought, isn’t it? But is there any solid research to reassure us that these words are not just lovely, but true?
Yes! In fact, one such study by British and American researchers demonstrated that people estimated the size of mountains as significantly smaller if they were standing with someone else as opposed to when standing alone. In other words, “social support” matters—so much so that it causes even the size of mountains to shrink in our minds.
David found that kind of encouragement to be both lovely and true in his friendship with Jonathan. The jealous anger of King Saul was like an insurmountable mountain in David’s story causing him to fear for his very life (see 1 Samuel 19:9-18). Without some sort of support—in this case his closest friend—the story could have been drastically different. But Jonathan, “grieved at his father’s shameful treatment of David” (20:34), stood by his friend. “Why should he be put to death?” he asked (v. 32). Their God-ordained friendship bolstered David, allowing him to become Israel’s king.
Our friendships matter. And when God is at the center of them, we can spur each other on to do greater things than we might imagine.
1 Samuel 20:35-42
35 In the morning Jonathan went out to the field for his meeting with David. He had a small boy with him, 36 and he said to the boy, “Run and find the arrows I shoot.” As the boy ran, he shot an arrow beyond him. 37 When the boy came to the place where Jonathan’s arrow had fallen, Jonathan called out after him, “Isn’t the arrow beyond you?” 38 Then he shouted, “Hurry! Go quickly! Don’t stop!” The boy picked up the arrow and returned to his master. 39 (The boy knew nothing about all this; only Jonathan and David knew.) 40 Then Jonathan gave his weapons to the boy and said, “Go, carry them back to town.”
41 After the boy had gone, David got up from the south side of the stone and bowed down before Jonathan three times, with his face to the ground. Then they kissed each other and wept together—but David wept the most.
42 Jonathan said to David, “Go in peace, for we have sworn friendship with each other in the name of the Lord, saying, ‘The Lord is witness between you and me, and between your descendants and my descendants forever.’” Then David left, and Jonathan went back to the town.[a]
INSIGHT
1. Where are you finding your social support?
2. Who can you support with your friendship?
Acts 17 shows how Paul did all he could to share the good news of Jesus. Being Jewish, when in Athens he naturally engaged with the Jewish people and “God-fearing Greeks” who frequented the synagogue (v. 17). But he also went to “the marketplace” each day, where he met with “Epicurean and Stoic philosophers” (vv. 17-18). These two groups saw life very differently and gathered to debate those differences. Yet Paul sought common ground with them (vv. 22-23), creating a basis to tell them about the God who “gives everyone life and breath and everything else” (v. 25).
PRAYER
Thank You, Father, for those You’ve placed in my life who’ve kept the mountains in perspective. In Jesus name I pray and believe. Amen.
Read: 1 Samuel 20:35-42 | Bible in a Year: Isaiah 41-42; 1 Thessalonians 1
