READING:
One-year plan: 1 Samuel 21-25
Two-year plan: Psalms 37, Romans 7:14-25
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Saul was chasing David, seeking to kill him. David went from place to place, seeking hiding places from the jealous king. Into the story again entered Jonathan, Saul’s son and David’s close friend. I love the way the CSB describes what Jonathan did: “Saul’s son Jonathan came to David in Horesh and encouraged him in his faith in God” (1 Sam 23:16). He came to strengthen David’s hand, assuring him that he would be king and offering to serve alongside him. In what is the last recorded meeting between the two men, Jonathan sought to bolster David’s faith.
Today, I think about people who in my 45 years of ministry have shown up at just the right time to help me find strength in God. Sonney was a deacon who found me weeping on the church steps after an angry church member hollered at me; like a father in the faith, Sonney talked me through my frustration and challenged me to press on. Ed stepped into my office just as I was about to make a hasty organizational decision, pushing me to slow the process down — and rightly so. I met Shirl, a great prayer warrior, at just the time I needed someone praying for me. Tom, who was first my student and later my boss, has a knack for speaking truth into my life at precisely the right time. Even today, I continue to learn that I most often find my strength in God when others help bear the burden. I’m so grateful for friends who strengthen me in my faith!
PERSONAL REFLECTION: Do you have Christian friends who encourage you in this way?
DAILY PRAYER: “God, help me to be that kind of friend to others.”
TOMORROW’S READINGS:
One-year plan: 1 Samuel 26-31
Two-year plan: Psalms 38-39, Romans 8:1-17
MEMORIZATION VERSE (April 1-15):
“Be strong, and let your heart be courageous, all you who put your hope in the Lord.” (Psa 31:24)
*first published in 2016
