We serve a God of redemption and restoration.
Most people consider family the most important thing on earth, and if you’ve been born into a good and loving family, consider yourself blessed! But remember: friends are important too.
Do you have any friends who are so close to you, you (almost) consider them family?
David did. His best friend was Jonathan, the son of King Saul (1 Samuel 18:1-4 https://www.bible.com/bible/111/1SA.18.1-4).
David’s story makes you wonder whether he had a good relationship with his own family. Firstly, when Samuel came to their house to anoint a new king, Jesse, David’s dad, called all his sons to appear before Samuel, but forgot David. His own father didn’t consider him a worthy candidate for kingship (1 Samuel 16 https://www.bible.com/bible/111/1SA.16.NIV)!
Later on, when David comes to bring supplies to his brothers on the battlefield, they reprimanded him for inquiring about Goliath:
When Eliab, David’s oldest brother, heard him speaking with the men, he burned with anger at him and asked, “Why have you come down here? And with whom did you leave those few sheep in the wilderness? I know how conceited you are and how wicked your heart is; you came down only to watch the battle.” – 1 Samuel 17:28 https://www.bible.com/bible/111/1SA.17.28
But Jonathan was more like a brother to David than his own brothers ever were. It says in 1 Samuel 18:1 NIV https://www.bible.com/bible/111/1SA.18.1 that Jonathan became one in spirit with David, and he loved him as himself.
We serve a God of redemption and restoration. He redeems and restores what we have lost, often in unexpected ways. David may not have felt the love and acceptance one should receive from their family, but in Jonathan, God gave him a friend worth more than gold.
Do you feel like you’ve lost something? Be encouraged by this promise:
And the God of all grace, who called you to his eternal glory in Christ, after you have suffered a little while, will himself restore you and make you strong, firm and steadfast. – 1 Peter 5:10 NIV https://www.bible.com/bible/111/1PE.5.10
