If Jonathan had lived, would David have experienced the Bathsheba episode in his life?
I believe that these two men knew each other so well, that Jonathan would have noticed strange things happening in his friends life. He would have noticed isolation, lethargy and pride slipping into his life.
James 5:19-20 MSG - My dear friends, if you know people who have wandered off from God’s truth, don’t write them off. Go after them. Get them back and you will have rescued precious lives from destruction and prevented an epidemic of wandering away from God.
James 5:16 AMP - Therefore, confess your sins to one another [your false steps, your offenses], and pray for one another, that you may be healed and restored. The heartfelt and persistent prayer of a righteous man (believer) can accomplish much [when put into action and made effective by God—it is dynamic and can have tremendous power].
What if Jonathan was around and said to his friend, "David, it's springtime, when we go to battle. Let's go together!"
Glenn Wagner, in The Heart of a Godly Man, calls this a covenant relationship. The main point is that every person in the relationship has responsibilities...
Trust: I trust you and you trust me...
Commitment: You won't leave me when I mess up...
Honesty: You'll tell me what I need to hear, not just what I want to hear.
Phil 2:4 NKJV - Let each of you look out not only for his own interests, but also for the interests of others.
John 13:35 NKJV - "By this all will know that you are My disciples, if you have love for one another.”
Eph 4:1-3 NLT - Therefore I, a prisoner for serving the Lord, beg you to lead a life worthy of your calling, for you have been called by God. Always be humble and gentle. Be patient with each other, making allowance for each other’s faults because of your love. Make every effort to keep yourselves united in the Spirit, binding yourselves together with peace.
Do you have a friend like Jonathan? Every man needs a man for a friend.
Stu Weber - "Our pathway to Godliness and spiritual maturity goes through the door of masculine friendships."
Ask God to bring Godly men into your life and go out of your way to make friends.
