David and Jonathan’s story is an example for all of us! We are to love your neighbor as yourself. “Jesus replied: “ ‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.’ This is the first and greatest commandment. And the second is like it: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’ All the Law and the Prophets hang on these two commandments.””
Matthew 22:37-40 NIV
What does love your neighbor as yourself mean? First we need to know that every person is your neighbor and second you need to know where the source of love comes from because it doesn’t come from you or me, it come from God. 1 John 4:10 NIV “This is love: not that we loved God, but that he loved us and sent his Son as an atoning sacrifice for our sins.” We are unable to love the way God loves until we are rooted and established in His love first. Then the love that flows from God into us makes it possible to love the way He does. We will value what He values not wanting anyone to perish! Being rooted and established in God’s love is your foundation in how not only how you see other people and treat them but how you see yourself as well! You are God’s masterpiece too, and He made you for a purpose. It’s only through the Holy Spirit that we can love the way Jesus loves and treat people the way Jesus did. Our foundation we stand on is knowing God values everyone and loves us all equally! God has no favoritism! We are made in His image! We are all His favorite, special treasure made for His Glory. He brings people in your life for encouragement, support, love and so much more. Don’t you find it so fascinating when you run into a sister and brother in Christ during your day. These are divine meetings set up for a reason. We illuminate light because Jesus who is the light of the world lives inside us. We shine brighter reflecting Jesus in all we do. Only God knows exactly what that meeting was for and it might even surprise you. We are knitted together in one body and come together to bring Glory to God with praises and fellowship with each other. (1 Corinthians 12:12-26 (NIV)
David was the youngest of seven brothers and a shepherd’s boy! He was not even there when Samuel came to anoint the next King! “So he asked Jesse, “Are these all the sons you have?” “There is still the youngest,” Jesse answered. “He is tending the sheep.” Samuel said, “Send for him; we will not sit down until he arrives.””
1 Samuel 16:11 NIV
God didn’t look at the outside like what we look like or where we come from, He looks at our heart. Acts 13:22 (NIV) After removing Saul, he made David their king. God testified concerning him: ‘I have found David son of Jesse, a man after my own heart; he will do everything I want him to do.” He was anointed by God to be King as a young boy. He wasn’t King until he was much older. David did everything with all of his heart tending the sheep for his father and more. Proverbs 20:11 (NIV) “Even small children are known by their actions, so is their conduct really pure and upright? I can see why this might have seemed small compared to bigger responsibilities that everyone sees! In Luke 16:10 (NIV) “Whoever can be trusted with very little can also be trusted with much, and whoever is dishonest with very little will also be dishonest with much.” Even little children are know by what they do (More often the smallest jobs are the most needed like grocery store stockers, food handlers, cleaners, drivers, and much more! God prepared David as a young boy taking care of his father’s sheep and doing everything he was asked to do. Children practice good habits when they are young to be prepared for the work God has for them as an adult.
Jonathan and David both trusted God with All of their heart when they went to battle. They were confident God would make a way and help them in battle! In 1 Samuel 14:6-7, (NIV) “Jonathan said to his young armor-bearer, “Come, let’s go over to the outpost of those uncircumcised men. Perhaps the LORD will act on our behalf. Nothing can hinder the LORD from saving, whether by many or by few.” Jonathan didn’t want to just sit around Idle to see what would happen next. He wanted to take action and decided to take a step out in faith and trusting God would lead the way. God gave Jonathan a Loyal helper the armor- bearer! So many times God reveals the value of relationship. Ecclesiastes 4:10-11, “Two are better than one, because they have a good return for their labor: 10 If either of them falls down, one can help the other up. But pity anyone who falls and has no one to help them up.” God gave Jonathan support, a young armor bearer! He was confident that they needed to take action together and they had absolutely no doubt God would lead them and protect them along the way!
The same thing happened with David in the battle with Goliath! David’s heart for God revealed what kind of King he would become. 1 Samuel 17:45, “David said to the Philistine, “You come against me with sword and spear and javelin, but I come against you in the name of the Lord Almighty, the God of the armies of Israel, whom you have defied.” David defeated Goliath with a single stone! When you have confidence in God, you will hit the target. You will have the right focus, the focus for the kingdom purpose. Not your ways but God’s ways. Focus comes through prayer. Jonathan witnessed with his own eyes His unwavering faith in God! He witnessed his unwavering focus on the mission ahead for God! So when Saul had David arrive at the palace, David and Jonathan become one in Spirit (1 Samuel 18:1) When we love God, we will follow his commands! Both David and Jonathan loved each other the way God said to do. Love is from God so we need to remember what God says love is. 1 Corinthians 13:4-8 (NIV) “Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. It does not dishonor others, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres. Love never fails.”
David and Jonathan were brought together for a purpose set up long before the world was made. They both come from different backgrounds but we’re drawn together by their love for God and unwavering faith as warriors for a Kingdom mindset. Proverbs 17:17 “A Friend loves at all times “We need to have these special friendships and we’re designed to be this way by our Heavenly Father. Psalm 119:63 “I am a friend to all who fear You, to all who follow Your precepts.” It doesn’t matter where you come from or where you have been. What matters is your destination! When you see people how God sees them, you have an overwhelming love for them because of who lives inside you. We can live in completely different places but our home is heaven. We are all family, and we need each other! We need to remember where we come from and what God did for us so we can love people the way Jesus loves them. David and Jonathan’s story is an amazing story about the power of friendship. We can have these special friendships too. It is so wonderful to be able to talk about what’s going on in your life, knowing you are loved no matter what. These special friendships are a gift from God and I don’t take them for granted. We get to see what Philippians 2 means in a deeper way. “Therefore if you have any encouragement from being united with Christ, if any comfort from his love, if any common sharing in the Spirit, if any tenderness and compassion, then make my joy complete by being like-minded, having the same love, being one in spirit and of one mind. Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit. Rather, in humility value others above yourselves, not looking to your own interests but each of you to the interests of the others. In your relationships with one another, have the same mindset as Christ Jesus:”Philippians 2:1-5 NIVhttps://www.bible.com/111/php.2.1-5.niv David and Jonathan lives out this in their friendship.
Jonathan was a Prince living in a palace and David a shepherd! What an amazing testimony this is. In 1 Samuel 18:1-4, “From that day Saul kept David with him and did not let him return home to his family. And Jonathan made a covenant with David because he loved him as himself. 4 Jonathan took off the robe he was wearing and gave it to David, along with his tunic, and even his sword, his bow and his belt” Jonathan made a covenant a promise. So when David took off his shepherd clothes and put on Jonathan robe, he identified with Jonathan a prince. He loved David as he loved himself!
I love this part of the story because it gives us a picture of God’s heart for us! He’s showing us through David’s line that he will be sending His son Jesus to take our sin (filthy rags) and put on us, His robe of righteousness! Jonathan didn’t take our filthy rages (sin) but Jesus did for us. If you believe in Jesus and have faith in Him, you are clothed in His righteousness and are new. It is a physical example of what happens when you choose to accept the free gift of salvation, exchanging your clothes (sin) for Jesus robe of righteousness! Spiritually, you are clothed by Jesus who paid for you with His blood on the cross! You become a child of God! What a testimony we can be for all those who don’t know the love of God yet! Romans 12:10, “Love one another with brotherly affection. Outdo one another in showing honor.” What friend should lay their life down for another? John 15:13, “Greater love has no one than this: to lay down one’s life for one’s friends. You are my friends if you do what I command. I no longer call you servants, because a servant does not know his master’s business. Instead, I have called you friends, for everything that I learned from my Father I have made known to you. You did not choose me, but I chose you and appointed you so that you might go and bear fruit—fruit that will last—and so that whatever you ask in my name the Father will give you. 17 This is my command: Love each other.” We need to keep on loving each other even when it’s hard to love because when you love your neighbor who is everyone around you, your loving God too. We need to hold on to God and stay connected to our church family! In Revelation 2:3-5 “You have persevered and have endured hardships for my name, and have not grown weary. Yet I hold this against you: You have forsaken the love you had at first. Consider how far you have fallen! Repent and do the things you did at first.” We stay unified in Jesus and be like minded, having a brotherly love for each other even when it’s hard. We need to Forgive even when it’s hard. Because we all need the same love and forgiveness!
We can love others because God loves us first. We can do that by how we treat each other! David and Jonathan come from very different lifestyles but yet they didn’t focus on what was on the outside! We are to magnify or bring out the goodness in each other which brings God glory. We all need a kingdom mindset! God’s mighty fingers, just like in the womb, are intricately weaving your mind and heart to be more like Him. Jesus says we are His friends. He paid the price with his life and he gave us eternal life with Him in heaven. When we live out our love for everyone, rich or poor, by how we all come together as one body (Church) knitted together by God, we bring God so much glory! Even with all our different backgrounds and lifestyles we still come together living out our deep love for God and each other! Everyone will see this love for Jesus in how we live it out in our everyday life. Wow, this is so exciting to me! Especially when I see this happening in the body of Christ! I look forward to all God has for all of us. Our home is in heaven! God bless you and your families! ❤️
15Now if the foot should say, “Because I am not a hand, I do not belong to the body,” it would not for that reason stop being part of the body. 16And if the ear should say, “Because I am not an eye, I do not belong to the body,” it would not for that reason stop being part of the body. 17If the whole body were an eye, where would the sense of hearing be? If the whole body were an ear, where would the sense of smell be? 18But in fact God has placed the parts in the body, every one of them, just as he wanted them to be. 19If they were all one part, where would the body be? 20As it is, there are many parts, but one body.
21The eye cannot say to the hand, “I don’t need you!” And the head cannot say to the feet, “I don’t need you!” 22On the contrary, those parts of the body that seem to be weaker are indispensable, 23and the parts that we think are less honorable we treat with special honor. And the parts that are unpresentable are treated with special modesty, 24while our presentable parts need no special treatment. But God has put the body together, giving greater honor to the parts that lacked it, 25so that there should be no division in the body, but that its parts should have equal concern for each other. 26If one part suffers, every part suffers with it; if one part is honored, every part rejoices with it.
2 He makes me lie down in green pastures,
he leads me beside quiet waters,
3 he refreshes my soul.
He guides me along the right paths
for his name’s sake.
4 Even though I walk
through the darkest valley,
I will fear no evil,
for you are with me;
your rod and your staff,
they comfort me.
5 You prepare a table before me
in the presence of my enemies.
You anoint my head with oil;
my cup overflows.
6 Surely your goodness and love will follow me
all the days of my life,
and I will dwell in the house of the Lord
forever. Revelation 7:17 For the Lamb at the center of the throne
will be their shepherd;
‘he will lead them to springs of living water.’
‘And God will wipe away every tear from their eyes.’ Isaiah 49:10 (NIV) They will neither hunger nor thirst,
nor will the desert heat or the sun beat down on them.
He who has compassion on them will guide them
and lead them beside springs of water.
Revelation 2:1-7 NIV
https://www.bible.com/111/rev.2.1-7.niv
“My brothers and sisters, believers in our glorious Lord Jesus Christ must not show favoritism. Suppose a man comes into your meeting wearing a gold ring and fine clothes, and a poor man in filthy old clothes also comes in. If you show special attention to the man wearing fine clothes and say, “Here’s a good seat for you,” but say to the poor man, “You stand there” or “Sit on the floor by my feet,” have you not discriminated among yourselves and become judges with evil thoughts? Listen, my dear brothers and sisters: Has not God chosen those who are poor in the eyes of the world to be rich in faith and to inherit the kingdom he promised those who love him? But you have dishonored the poor. Is it not the rich who are exploiting you? Are they not the ones who are dragging you into court? Are they not the ones who are blaspheming the noble name of him to whom you belong? If you really keep the royal law found in Scripture, “Love your neighbor as yourself,” you are doing right. But if you show favoritism, you sin and are convicted by the law as lawbreakers. For whoever keeps the whole law and yet stumbles at just one point is guilty of breaking all of it. For he who said, “You shall not commit adultery,” also said, “You shall not murder.” If you do not commit adultery but do commit murder, you have become a lawbreaker. Speak and act as those who are going to be judged by the law that gives freedom, because judgment without mercy will be shown to anyone who has not been merciful. Mercy triumphs over judgment.”
James 2:1-13 NIV
https://bible.com/bible/111/jas.2.1-13.NIV
