1 Samuel 21-24

David, the anointed and not yet acting king of Israel, is running for his life in 1 Samuel 21-24.  Saul wants him dead.  Saul doesn't catch David, but he murders all but one of the priests in Nob.  David is scared to death and pretends to be insane when he flees from place to place.  In the process, David wins an army of madmen at his service.  David continues to consult God for guidance through the craziness.  God is on his side, and that proves to be David's life-saver.  We get a surprise ending when Saul takes a bathroom break (of all things) in a nearby cave.  Saul's need to pee gives David the chance to kill him, but he spares Saul's life instead and makes an oath with him.  And for that, Saul blesses David.

Crazy stuff with a big and better purpose, that's often how God works in our lives too.

When we have a whole lot of crazy happening, we can turn to God, like David, and ask him to guide us to his bigger and better purpose in our situation.

And when we are in the middle of the crazy, because sometimes we are, God will often bless us with a divine friendship or two to keep us going.  

Yesterday, I pointed to the divine friendship between David and Saul's son, Jonathan.

Things get even worse for David before they get better as we read today, and we see the divine friendship come up again. 

15 While David was at Horesh in the Desert of Ziph, he learned that[a] Saul had come out to take his life. 16 And Saul’s son Jonathan went to David at Horesh and helped him find strength in God. 17 “Don’t be afraid,” he said. “My father Saul will not lay a hand on you. You will be king over Israel, and I will be second to you. Even my father Saul knows this.” 18 The two of them made a covenantbefore the Lord. Then Jonathan went home, but David remained at Horesh.

1 Samuel 15-18

See, sometimes God uses our friends to be His loving hands, to encourage us, to give us strength when we are weak, and to fill us with His hope.  Divine friends meet us, like God, wherever we are.  Divine friendship is beautiful.

We all need divine friends who are willing to bring us to God when we need it the most.

We are also called to be a divine friend to others.

Who needs You today?

A prayer-

Dear God,

Thank You for my divine friends and the blessings they bring to my life.  I pray for them today.  

Show me who needs me to be Your loving hands this day.  Help me be a divine friend to others.

In the name of Your Son, My Savior, Jesus I pray,

Amen

In Christ's love,

*This post is part of A Mind-Maker-Upper's Everyday Reading Project.  Click here to read more.