你是怎樣的朋友？
撒母耳記上十八章1至5節
1大衛對掃羅說完了話，約拿單的心與大衛的心深相契合。約拿單愛大衛，如同愛自己的性命。
2那日掃羅留住大衛，不容他再回父家。
3約拿單愛大衛如同愛自己的性命，就與他結盟。
4約拿單從身上脫下外袍，給了大衛，又將戰衣、刀、弓、腰帶都給了他。
5掃羅無論差遣大衛往何處去，他都做事精明。掃羅就立他作戰士長，眾百姓和掃羅的臣僕無不喜悅。
廿三章15至18節
15大衛知道掃羅出來尋索他的命。那時他住在西弗曠野的樹林裡。
16掃羅的兒子約拿單起身，往那樹林裡去見大衛，使他倚靠神得以堅固，
17對他說：“不要懼怕，我父掃羅的手必不加害於你。你必作以色列的王，我也作你的宰相。這事我父掃羅知道了。”
18於是二人在耶和華面前立約。大衛仍住在樹林裡，約拿單回家去了。
信息分享
聖經所勾劃的朋友關係，很少比得上大衛與約拿單二人的緊密情誼。他們一見如故，可能約拿單比大衛稍長幾歲。
大衛擊敗歌利亞之後，便認識了約拿單，二人的友誼便由那時開始。約拿單為人開通、慷慨，處處為別人著想。大衛擊敗巨人歌利亞的時候，身上還穿著牧人的衣服；貴為王子的約拿單便將身上的外袍、戰衣、刀、弓和腰帶都送給他。真正的友誼會樂於付出。約拿單不僅沒有妒忌大衛，反而把大衛當作朋友。
《活的聖經》英文譯本把箴言十七章17節譯為：「真正的朋友會永遠忠誠。」在其後數年，約拿單的父親掃羅對大衛反對日深，（多番追殺大衛），但約拿單與大衛的友誼始終如一；約拿單甚至數次主動尋找和救助大衛。
真正的友誼必須通過考驗。眼見朋友遭到批評或失敗，絕不是離棄他的時候；反之，那是朋友最需要你的時間。
即使在約拿單死後，大衛也沒有忘掉兩人的友誼。多年後，大衛記得曾與約拿單許下承諾，要互相照顧對方的兒女，於是，大衛派人尋找約拿單的兒子米非波設，並為約拿單的緣故待他如王子一般。在這方面，我們看見神為基督的緣故，同樣的恩待我們。
你是怎樣的朋友呢？你有好朋友嗎？你為何不求神賜你一個像約拿單的忠心良友？我們可以怎樣幫助朋友，就像約拿單幫助大衛一樣呢？約拿單幫助大衛「在神那裡得著力量」。我們同樣可以鼓勵朋友、為朋友代禱和陪同他們面對困難。
反思：
我今天要主動聯絡和關心朋友。
WHAT KIND OF A FRIEND ARE YOU?
1 Samuel 18:1-5 and 23:15-18
1 Now when he had finished speaking to Saul, the soul of Jonathan was knit to the soul of David, and Jonathan loved him as his own soul.
2 Saul took him that day, and would not let him go home to his father’s house anymore.
3 Then Jonathan and David made a covenant, because he loved him as his own soul.
4 And Jonathan took off the robe that was on him and gave it to David, with his armor, even to his sword and his bow and his belt.
5 So David went out wherever Saul sent him, and behaved wisely. And Saul set him over the men of war, and he was accepted in the sight of all the people and also in the sight of Saul’s servants.
15 So David saw that Saul had come out to seek his life. And David was in the Wilderness of Ziph in a forest.
16 Then Jonathan, Saul’s son, arose and went to David in the woods and strengthened his hand in God.
17 And he said to him, “Do not fear, for the hand of Saul my father shall not find you. You shall be king over Israel, and I shall be next to you. Even my father Saul knows that.”
18 So the two of them made a covenant before the LORD. And David stayed in the woods, and Jonathan went to his own house.
Message
There are not many friendships mentioned in the Bible, which were as close and warm as David and Jonathan's. They were attracted to each other as soon as they met. Possibly Jonathan was a little older than David.
The friendship began following David's defeat of Goliath. Jonathan was open, unselfish and generous. After defeating the giant, David was still in his shepherd's clothes. Prince Jonathan replaced them with the robe and tunic he was wearing and added his sword and belt as well. Love and friendship delighted in giving. Instead of being jealous Jonathan acted as a true friend to David.
Proverbs 17:17 (Living Bible) says, “A true friend is always loyal.” Jonathan's friendship remained unchanged through years of increasing opposition by his own father against David. Several times Jonathan went to find David and to help him.
That is one test of a true friendship. When a friend is being criticized or beaten down, it is not the time to desert him or her. That is the time when they may need you most.
Their friendship continued even after the death of Jonathan. Years later David remembered a promise they had made to look after each other's children. David found Jonathon's son Mephibosheth and treated him like a prince “for Jonathan's sake”. What a picture of God's love for us for Christ's sake.
What kind of a friend are you? Do you have a friend? Why not ask God to give you a “Jonathan” friend? How can we do more for our friends as Jonathan did for David? Jonathan helped him “find strength in God”. We can encourage them. Contact them frequently. Pray for them. Be with them.
A THOUGHT FOR TODAY: Reach out and touch someone today!