Jonathan was the son of King Saul. He was also best friends with David, God’s chosen replacement for Saul’s throne. Saul, Jonathan, and David had each found the age of fifteen to be an important year in their lives. Saul was around fifteen when Jonathan was born. Jonathan was around fifteen when he defeated the Philistines. David was about fifteen when he defeated Goliath and was subsequently anointed king. The calling on their lives and the role in the line of power that they each played enabled them to relate to the life experiences each would go through. Jonathan and David shared many experiences that bonded them quickly. Their age, the battles fought, and their loyalty and love for Saul bonded their souls. Jonathan and David formed a very special relationship—one that Proverbs 18:24 would describe as “a friend who sticks closer than a brother.” They understood each other’s perspective, feelings that surrounded their individual circumstances, and the background of their responses.
Jonathan’s father, King Saul, was a very jealous man who ultimately wanted to kill David. Jonathan was able to help guide, support, encourage, and protect David. Jonathan was put in the middle between two people whom he loved. Jonathan faced betraying his father or losing his friend. He had to make a hard choice, but he chose what he knew to be true and right. The choice was not easy, and it cost him his relationship with his father, his place on the throne, but it was right. Jonathan followed God’s instruction, for he knew the hand of God was on David. Jonathan made the difficult choice to go with God.
There is a love that comes from the bond between two people who have experienced similar experiences. Whether you share similar feelings, emotions, facts, or situations involved, helping someone through what God has already helped you through is a powerful act of love. Have you ever had the blessing of walking beside someone who was going through an experience similar to your own? Walking alongside that person allows you to see the circumstances through different lenses. When you choose to allow God to use you in someone else’s situation, God will allow you to see Him in the midst of the struggle.
Countless times I have chosen to step back from my emotions in a situation, and that is when I was able to see more clearly how God had been working all along. There are times in our struggles of rejection, loss, hurt, and pain when we trust but don’t feel like we see God. Emotions alter our thought process. When we choose to walk beside someone and share the faith and trust that carried us through our struggles, we begin to see God moving in our situation.
Seeing God’s hand is a step in the healing process, but it’s also a step in deepening your relationship with Him. Look for people around you who might need you to walk beside them. Sometimes God places people in our lives to help us as much as we help them.
