[David met Jonathan to see if the king really wanted him dead] Then David hid himself in the field, and when the new moon festival began, the king sat down to eat. He sat at his usual place against the wall, with Jonathan sitting opposite him and Abner beside him. But David’s place was empty… When David’s place was empty again the next day, Saul asked Jonathan, “Why hasn’t the son of Jesse been here for the meal either yesterday or today?” Jonathan replied, “David earnestly asked me if he could go to Bethlehem…” Saul boiled with rage at Jonathan. “You stupid son of a whore!” he swore at him. “Do you think I don’t know that you want him to be king in your place, shaming yourself and your mother? As long as that son of Jesse is alive, you’ll never be king. Now go and get him so I can kill him!” “But why should he be put to death?” Jonathan asked his father. “What has he done?” Then Saul hurled his spear at Jonathan, intending to kill him. So at last Jonathan realized that his father was really determined to kill David.
1 Samuel 20:24-33 (NLT)
That same night, Jonathan wrote this letter and told his servant to give it to David if he died before he could rendevous with David the next day:
My Dearest David,
As I sit here in the dim light of a solitary candle, its flickering flame casting a restless shadow just like my spirit on the walls. My thoughts are consumed by the events that unfolded at the feast. A feast that was anything but festive. The air was thick with tension, each glance and gesture loaded with unspoken words. My father’s eyes, once filled with a fatherly warmth, now burn with an inexplicable fire, a fire that almost consumed his own son.
My father’s spear, hurled with a force that could split the heavens, missed me by a hair’s breadth. The spear missed me, but the words he hurled did not. They were sharper, cutting through the fabric of our family, our lineage, and the very essence of what I thought was unbreakable love between a father and son. If he is willing to raise his hand against his own flesh and blood, what horrors might he unleash upon you, my dearest friend?
I find myself grappling with a torrent of emotions—shock, betrayal, and a deep sorrow that my own father could harbor such malevolence. Yet, amidst this storm, my thoughts are steadfastly anchored on you, on your safety, and on the divine purpose that cloaks you. How odd it is that in moments of life and death, our thoughts drift towards the people who give our lives meaning.
Tomorrow, we are to meet at the field, as planned, and I will signal to you the disposition of my father’s heart. Yet, the weight of tonight’s events hangs over me like a dark cloud, and I can’t help but think of the possibility that the night might take a darker turn, and I don’t live to see the dawn. So, I pen down these words as a record of the thoughts and feelings that might otherwise remain unspoken. Let this letter serve as my final testament to you.
David, our friendship has been a sanctuary, a holy communion of souls, bound not just by the ties of human affection but by the sacred threads of divine purpose. You have been more than a friend to me; you have been a brother, a kindred spirit whose love and loyalty have often been my guiding light. Let it be that our friendship extends beyond the here and now. We can stretch it into the future, reaching out to touch the lives of our descendants [1]. Promise me that you will show kindness to my family, as I will to yours, even when either one of us is no longer a part of this world.
You see, David, the highest form of love is not just in the words we say or the emotions we feel. It’s in the sacrifices we make. It’s in laying down our lives for the sake of the ones we love. And if it comes to that, know that I would lay down my life for you, as I know you would for me. If fate is kind and we meet again, I hope to embrace you as a brother. But if the winds do not blow in our favor, may the Lord watch between you and me when we are absent one from another.
Yours, in this world and beyond,
Jonathan
Share with your friends “Jonathan speaks of a love that extends beyond the present, into the future to touch the lives of the next generation (not necessarily biological descendants). What can you do with your relationships to have a lasting impact hundreds of years from now?”
[1] This is evident in 1 Samuel 20:15-17 and 1 Samuel 20:42 which later on show up in the story of Mephibosheth
Jonathan speaks of such a deep love that truly transcends time. It is a love that we all want to cultivate in our lives. In order for us pass on this love to future generations requires us to give ourselves, our time, energy, and resources. When we think about investing our lives we take time to build connections and pour into the lives of others. We care for their needs and love them with truth and grace. It requires our faith and trust in God to multiply our investment. For we can be faithful to plant the seeds and only God can make them grow.
“The highest form of love is not just in the words we say or the emotions we feel. It’s in the sacrifices we make.”
This quote got me thinking about my feelings and love I have for the people around me. To be honest with you guys I fall short at times, i have been selfish and is quite spoiled, actions speak louder than words and like Christine I take it one day at a time, it mean for me to be giving, to stay out of my selfish ways, to help out when I can, to be kind to people around me and not judge. If I am able to give someone something I will and not have any kind of reservations for things I do for others.
I’m learning and growing. God, I pray that you will let me stay humble, give me compassion, let me be a little more giving, and take my selfishness away.
Happy Friday everyone ! 🙏🙏🥰❤️😇
First of all, I will try to build a solid relationships with my friends. Because I need to know my friends well before I can go deeper into their lives. Then I will try to know their family and friends so that we are truly bonded. When I have children I will bring them to church to let them hang out with my friend’s children. And I will try to make them be friends with each other. I will show kindness to my friend’s children so they will more likely to be friends with my kids.
(from Steve)
“Jonathan speaks of a love that extends beyond the present, into the future to touch the lives of the next generation.” For the love that I have received from R.P I will forever be grateful and for that the best thing I think I can do is continue in my recovery and continue to share my testimony with others moving forward. I believe that’s the way I can show love that would extend for generations, I’ve seen the love God has for me, maybe I would be able to pass that on.
I think ways to do that is make a lasting impression and impact on people. By being a faithful servant and God people can see him working thrugh you helping people who believe and don’t believe attracted to your life style and what you have to live for which is for God causing other people to want live the same lifestyle and that can be passed on forever.
To have a lasting impact through my relationships, I can focus on connecting on deeper levels rather than the initial hobbies, interests, or personalities that began the friendship. By engaging in more personal topics like faith, hopes, dreams, etc, our interactions would stand out more than simple small talk to get to know each other more and be a source of encouragement or comfort
From sister Rose
I pondered this question today when I read the devotion this morning.
I think for me, quality time spent with people would have an impact on the next generation. Key word being quality. Growing up my parents and entire family made sure that when we had meals, they were around the table and we all conversed. Those conversations around the table and praying as a family has had a lasting impact on my life. I’ve applied these traditions to my life now and when I dine with friends I often ask them to be present. It’s a sad world we live in when we dine together and instead of talking, we are scrolling on our phones or so caught up with other things that it takes away from the person who is sitting in front of us. I share this because I see these things as hindering us from lasting relationships to make a lasting impact hundred of years from now.
Many of the things we do is now centered around what we can post on social media and for me, the conversations I have, supporting others would make an lasting impact. Don’t get me wrong, I post things all the time, but there’s a time and place.
To sum up my point, I’ve taken a step back to assess my motives when spending time with others. When I do now, I strive to spend 98% of time spent with them to have meaningful talks. Outings in which I feel are shallow and centered around social media, I decline and I no longer feel guilty for it nor will I. My reason is the time spent with people who only focus on social media is wasteful (unless it’s their profession), instead I could spend that time with my CASA child because that time spent with the child I hope will change the course of my child’s life. I’m not perfect and I fall short of these things myself but it’s a goal that I have now to spend quality time and being present with others. Listening to their stories, praying with them and supporting them will have an impact and what true fellowship is.
First and foremost, the decision I made to become a Christian is one of the lasting impacts on my descendants. What I can do within my relationships is cultivate love and sacrifice my own time for those whom I love. The relationship between David and Jonathan is something I aspire to have with all of my friends.