你是怎样的朋友？
撒母耳记上十八章1至5节
1大卫对扫罗说完了话，约拿单的心与大卫的心深相契合。约拿单爱大卫，如同爱自己的性命。
2那日扫罗留住大卫，不容他再回父家。
3约拿单爱大卫如同爱自己的性命，就与他结盟。
4约拿单从身上脱下外袍，给了大卫，又将战衣、刀、弓、腰带都给了他。
5扫罗无论差遣大卫往何处去，他都做事精明。扫罗就立他作战士长，众百姓和扫罗的臣仆无不喜悦。
廿三章15至18节
15大卫知道扫罗出来寻索他的命。那时他住在西弗旷野的树林里。
16扫罗的儿子约拿单起身，往那树林里去见大卫，使他倚靠神得以坚固，
17对他说：“不要惧怕，我父扫罗的手必不加害于你。你必作以色列的王，我也作你的宰相。这事我父扫罗知道了。”
18于是二人在耶和华面前立约。大卫仍住在树林里，约拿单回家去了。
信息分享
圣经所勾划的朋友关系，很少比得上大卫与约拿单二人的紧密情谊。他们一见如故，可能约拿单比大卫稍长几岁。
大卫击败歌利亚之后，便认识了约拿单，二人的友谊便由那时开始。约拿单为人开通、慷慨，处处为别人着想。大卫击败巨人歌利亚的时候，身上还穿着牧人的衣服；贵为王子的约拿单便将身上的外袍、战衣、刀、弓和腰带都送给他。真正的友谊会乐于付出。约拿单不仅没有妒忌大卫，反而把大卫当作朋友。
《活的圣经》英文译本把箴言十七章17节译为：「真正的朋友会永远忠诚。」在其后数年，约拿单的父亲扫罗对大卫反对日深，（多番追杀大卫），但约拿单与大卫的友谊始终如一；约拿单甚至数次主动寻找和救助大卫。
真正的友谊必须通过考验。眼见朋友遭到批评或失败，绝不是离弃他的时候；反之，那是朋友最需要你的时间。
即使在约拿单死后，大卫也没有忘掉两人的友谊。多年后，大卫记得曾与约拿单许下承诺，要互相照顾对方的儿女，于是，大卫派人寻找约拿单的儿子米非波设，并为约拿单的缘故待他如王子一般。在这方面，我们看见神为基督的缘故，同样的恩待我们。
你是怎样的朋友呢？你有好朋友吗？你为何不求神赐你一个像约拿单的忠心良友？我们可以怎样帮助朋友，就像约拿单帮助大卫一样呢？约拿单帮助大卫「在神那里得着力量」。我们同样可以鼓励朋友、为朋友代祷和陪同他们面对困难。
反思：
我今天要主动联络和关心朋友。
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!