Welcome to this Come to Jesus Daily devotional where we are in our Summer Inspiration series. Today, we reflect on what it means to be a good friend.
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‘While David was at Horesh in the Desert of Ziph, he learned that Saul had come out to take his life. And Saul’s son Jonathan went to David at Horesh and helped him find strength in God. “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.” The two of them made a covenant before the Lord. Then Jonathan went home, but David remained at Horesh.’ (1 Samuel 23:15-18)
Without good friends, we will be stunted in our growth. If we have bad friends we will wither. However, If we have good friends, our relationship with God and His work in and through us will flourish. David had a Jonathan, he also had a Nathan, both of whom encouraged and challenged him to be better.
Darren Hardy in his book The Compound Effect writes,
'According to research by social psychologist Dr. David McClelland of Harvard, the people you habitually associate with determine as much as 95 percent of your success or failure in life.'
Jim Rohn said something thing similar,
'You are the average of the five people you spend the most time with.'
Now I don’t know if these are entirely accurate, but my experience leads me to agree with the essence of these quotes. If I’m around people who inspire me, I grow. If someone shares how they are seeking to improve in their relationship with God, their marriage, their health, a skill… it stirs me from passivity. I’ve also seen people who were passionate for God or a healthy activity lose their faith and take up unhealthy habits because of who they allow to influence them. In fact, the bible also backs up the essence of this idea:
‘As iron sharpens iron, so one person sharpens another.’ (Proverbs 27:17)
If we don’t want to approach life with a blunt axe - dull and ill-prepared, we need the habit of investing in good friendships.
Today’s text illustrates how relationships in the local church are meant to be. Ideally, we help one another to ‘find strength in God’. It says:
i. ‘Jonathan... helped him find strength in God’. May we help people to see things in light of God and His Word. I hope we have fun with our friends, but do we also seek to bring them to Jesus? Who needs your strengthening right now?
ii. Jonathan encourages him with the words: ‘You will be king over Israel’. How can we remind people of God’s promises? Do we Help them to recall personal prophecies over their lives? Do we help to give them vision for their ultimate, eternal hope of glory with Jesus?
iii. We read that ‘The two of them made a covenant before the Lord.’. They reaffirmed their loving friendship. How can we keep reaffirming our love for people? How can we get more expressive - something that I often struggle with! Let’s not forget that taking Communion (bread and wine symbolising the death of Jesus for us) is a great way to reaffirm our covenant; taking this meal with friends is a powerful encouragement.
Finally, may the following words be increasingly true of us, and may we have such people in our lives:
’I have no one else like him, who will show genuine concern for your welfare. For everyone looks out for their own interests, not those of Jesus Christ.’ (Philippians 2:20-21)
Community group notes and study
1. Notices
It might be good to begin with notices. Please share from this week’s Church News.
2. Icebreaker
How has God been speaking to you from His Word this week and how has this helped you?
3. Worship together
Let’s begin our time together by lifting our eyes and hearts to worship our great God. Perhaps you have readings and songs that you would like to use together. Let’s be open to the gifts that the Spirit wants to give in order to encourage one another.
4. Study and pray together
Our message on Sunday was entitled, Rejoice and take refuge. From Psalm 64, we saw that the reality of our Christianity is seen by what we rejoice and take refuge in - a Christian, above all else, rejoices (celebrates) and takes refuge (seeks salvation) in the cross.
Please read Psalms 64:10 and discuss:
Did God speak to you about anything specifically from Sunday’s message?
What are the various things that people put at the heart of Christianity and what you say is at the heart of Christianity and why?
How do you ‘rejoice’ in the gospel?
How do you take ‘refuge’ in the gospel?
What does Ephesians 6:11-15 say about how we are to protect ourselves with the gospel?
SIV - How is this text our message to those outside of faith?
SIV - How will ‘rejoicing and taking refuge’ in Jesus lead us into faithful mission?
SIV - Do we have any stories of how we have ‘Served, Invested, and inVited’ recently?
SIV - Spend s
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