Standing up for what is right is not always easy. It can be especially hard when doing so involves standing up to someone very close to us. In our reading today, Jonathan discovers just how difficult this truly can be.
King Saul has grown jealous of his son Jonathan’s best friend David. And Saul means to kill David. Yet, Jonathan chooses to stand up to his father multiple times to protect David, whom he deems innocent. In doing so, he receives rebuke, insult, and even physical attack from his father. Still, Jonathan continues to stand up for what is right.
Jonathan and David have a deep friendship rooted in faith in God and trust in each other. The bond that is created by that kind of faith and trust is not easily broken. In fact, as we will see in the coming chapters, they will remain true to each other even in death. These are two men after God’s own heart and we would do well to emulate their actions in today’s reading.
God calls each of us to live in a way that stands up for truth and is rooted in faith. Doing so is never easy but it is the heart of God to be faithful and true, as well as to stand up to injustice. We are called to connect to the heart of God in how we face challenges in this life too. May the LORD give you strength to stand firm on God’s word and to stand firm for what is right in God’s sight.
Questions for reflection:
- Who is someone in your life right now that you need to speak truth in love to for the sake of standing up for what is right? While it may be difficult, Jesus calls us to this kind of truth-telling in Matthew 18:15-17.
- Which friendships do you need to nurture today? Consider Jonathan and David in our reading. Do you have friendships that run that deep? If not, ask God to guide you in investing in your relationships in a way that is faithful and true, emulating David and Jonathan.