Friendships During the Trials of Life

by Dr. Paul Chappell
(Lancaster Baptist Church - California)

1 Samuel 20:1-3"And David fled from Naioth in Ramah, and came and
said before Jonathan, What have I done? What is mine iniquity? And
what is my sin before thy father, that he seeketh my life? And he
said unto him, God forbid; thou shalt not die: behold, my father
will do nothing either great or small, but that he will shew it me:
and why should my father hide this thing from me? It is not so. And
David sware moreover, and said, Thy father certainly knoweth that I
have found grace in thine eyes; and he saith, Let not Jonathan know
this, lest he be grieved: but truly as the LORD liveth, there is but
a step between me and death."

King Saul was intensely jealous of David and sought to kill him.
Jonathan, Saul's son, made him promise that he would not take
David's life. Still, Saul attempted to kill David. It was during
this stressful time, that the close friendship of David and Jonathan
was greatly tried.

David must have had many questions. "What is going on with Jonathan
and his family? Jonathan knows about the king's plans. Could he be a
part of Saul's evil agenda?" Sometimes stress can cause us to become
paranoid and delusional in our way of thinking. Whether David was to
that point or not, he was certainly wondering what was going on in
the life of his friend. Yet, even in this time of stress when
Jonathan could have said, "David, you are delusional—you don't trust
me," Jonathan showed grace. Jonathan was a true friend.

In this passage,David is expressing his fears and concerns to
Jonathan. The truth is that honesty about fears and anxieties does
not have to ruin a relationship. Actually, it is important for the
health and well being of a relationship. Husbands, your wives should
be able to ask you some difficult questions that should not affect
your marriage. If there is a covenant, there should be a willingness
to converse and be gracious even when tough topics are being
discussed.

You really don't know how strong a relationship is until a trial
comes. I have some close friends that I labor with, I don't have to
sit around and wonder if they love me and if they are still my
friends. When in the battle,I have looked around and seen who was
there beside me cheering me on. You see, a true friend will not
leave you guessing about their loyalty.

Do your friends faithfully stand beside you in the midst of trials?
Are you a loyal friend who can be counted on during hard times?
Let's purpose today to surround ourselves with relationships that
are Christ honoring and gracious—that stand the test during the
trials of life.