David saw that Saul had come out to seek his life. David was in the wilderness of Ziph at Horesh. And Jonathan, Saul’s son, rose and went to David at Horesh, and strengthened his hand in God. And he said to him, “Do not fear, for the hand of Saul my father shall not find you. You shall be king over Israel, and I shall be next to you. Saul my father also knows this.” And the two of them made a covenant before the Lord. David remained at Horesh, and Jonathan went home. 1 Samuel 23:15–18 esv
Because of the pressures of life—stress at work, turmoil at home, a health problem, a financial crisis—sometimes we stumble. Sometimes the weight on us is so heavy that we can’t help but stumble.
That’s when we need a biblical friend or two to hold us up, as Jonathan did for David during a crisis in his life.
David was being hunted again by King Saul. This wasn’t a game; Saul wanted to kill David. “And Jonathan, Saul’s son, rose and went to David at Horesh” (1 Samuel 23:16a). Jonathan was taking his life into his hands by even speaking to his friend, who was number one on Saul’s most wanted list. As we examine this scene, let’s notice five ways Jonathan held David up. These translate into five ways we can support our friends and receive their support.
1. Their Presence
A biblical friend shows up. Jonathan arose “and went to David” (23:16a). Jonathan had many reasons for staying away. Personally, he had everything to lose and nothing to gain. He risked his father’s wrath. In fact, when he got up to leave the table in the palace, his father threw his spear at him, trying to kill his own son (1 Samuel 20:30–33), which showed how Saul had slipped into insanity. In siding with David, Jonathan also risked his own royal position. After all, if Jonathan just let his dad kill David, then Jonathan would become the next king.
But David was alone and afraid, and there was no way Jonathan was going to let David down. He went to David.
2. Their Prayers
A biblical friend prays with you. When Jonathan arrived at David’s hideout, he “strengthened his hand in God” (23:16b). Even though David was a man of deep faith—author of most of the Psalms, a man after God’s own heart, a giant-slayer—he was hurting and disillusioned. Jonathan didn’t show up with shallow comments or advice, nor did he present himself as the solution. He helped David take his problems to God.
Notice what Jonathan didn’t say. No cheap encouragement, like, “Dad will come around soon, Dave,” or “Don’t worry so much. It’s not as bad as it seems. Let’s look on the bright side while you hide here in this damp, dark forest without food or hope.” Often when we show up for our friends who are hurting, there’s nothing to say. The burden is too big, the hurt too deep. It’s about presence and prayer. We need friends who will take us to God, and we need to be that kind of friend when others stumble. Christian friendship isn’t about sitting in the same pew at church on the weekend. We need friends who will get on their knees, pray, and discuss the things of God with us. Biblical friends “spur one another on toward love and good deeds” (Hebrews 10:24b, niv).
3. Their Protection
A biblical friend protects you. As soon as Jonathan showed up, he reassured David, “Do not fear, for the hand of Saul my father shall not find you” (23:17a, esv). Think of what these words meant to David. David was an emotional guy—he’d have to be to write the kind of moving poetry found in the book of Psalms. It’s not hard to imagine that as he saw Jonathan approaching, David might have questioned his friend’s loyalty. He didn’t have to wonder long. Apparently Jonathan sensed that David’s meter was redlining, so he quickly reassured him. “My dad won’t find you. Of course I won’t tell him where you are. Relax.” When David heard those words of support, he felt strengthened.
When our hearts feel like tornadoes, the last thing we need is for a so-called friend to show up and fan the storm. Instead, biblical friends protect us, speaking words to soothe our troubled emotional state.
4. Their Personal Loyalty
Biblical friends confirm their personal loyalty. Jonathan told David, “You shall be king over Israel, and I shall be next to you” (23:17b). Even though Jonathan was the prince, David had been anointed to be the next king, and Jonathan didn’t contest God’s decision. In fact, he painted a picture of the future for David, essentially saying, “You will be king—not me—and that won’t sever our relationship. I’m content with being number two as long as you’re number one.” No wonder David loved him.
When we stumble, we need friends who protect us with their fierce allegiance, not someone who turns against us and kicks us while we’re down. We need friends who will come to our aid and lift us up with their life-giving loyalty.
5. Their Promise
A biblical friend confirms the friendship with a promise. “And the two of them made a covenant before the Lord” (23:18a). Some men might balk at that idea, claiming it sounds girly or weak. Actually, what a sign of strength that two warriors stood together, admitting they couldn’t be all that God wanted them to be without the other. They communicated, “I really need you! Let’s stand together in this.” That kind of committed friendship lifts those who stumble.
When we slow down in life, get off track, feel discouraged, lose focus, want to quit, or fall flat, we need this kind of friend.
And we need to be this kind of friend.
Journal
Pray
Father God, thank You for the strong bond between friends, like Jonathan and David. I need that kind of friend in life. Please help me to recognize and value a friend who will hold me up when I stumble, and if I don’t have that, please help me to build that kind of strong, biblical friendship with another Christ-follower. A true friend is a gift. Please help me to be that kind of friend. In the name of Your Son, Jesus, I pray, amen.
Since therefore Christ suffered in the flesh, arm yourselves with the same way of thinking, for whoever has suffered in the flesh has ceased from sin, so as to live for the rest of the time in the flesh no longer for human passions but for the will of God. 1 Peter 4:1–2, ESV
Suffering will come. “Indeed, all who desire to live a godly life in Christ Jesus will be persecuted” (2 Timothy 3:12). All will be persecuted? Yes, all.
Because God loves us, He warns us that pain is coming so we aren’t blindsided by it. If you’re driving down the freeway, a car cuts in front of you, and you see a collision coming, you brace yourself. If you stumble down a flight of stairs, you instinctively throw out your hands to break the fall. God’s Word repeatedly, lovingly warns us that suffering is God’s number one tool for chiseling our character so that we have realistic expectations and can brace ourselves for what’s to come.
Since suffering is coming (or for some of us, is already here), we also need to know what to do, and God’s Word gives us practical advice. It begins with the right mind-set. “Since therefore Christ suffered in the flesh, arm yourselves with the same way of thinking” (1 Peter 4:1). How did Jesus think like this? From the moment His ministry began, He knew where it would end. At the right time, He turned His face to Jerusalem, knowing exactly what awaited Him there. He chose the cross. He willed Himself to be our sacrifice.
We need to arm ourselves with the same mentality. Rather than scratching our heads, wondering why we’re going through hard times, we should be thinking, I’m one of God’s children, so I’m not surprised by suffering. God has this planned for me, so I’m staying under it. With God, I’m going to get through this.
Along with these realistic expectations, we also need to guard our behavior. Often when we’re going through difficult times, we are more vulnerable to sin. We stand at a crossroads and either get bitter or get better. Either we move forward/upward, or we drift backward/downward. Trials present a watershed moment.
During a time of real hardship, you become a target. Peter warns, “Your adversary the devil prowls around like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour” (1 Peter 5:8b). Satan sees God’s children going through hardship, and he’s waiting for an opportune time to pounce. What God allows for your good, Satan wants to twist into evil. Sin that hasn’t tempted you for a long time can crush you during a trial, when all your energy and resources are directed toward surviving. That’s when Satan rushes you. You can find yourself falling into patterns you thought were gone forever. An unsuspecting person might lament, I thought I’d never touch that bottle again, but here it is, empty. Satan wants to shame you and make you think you haven’t made any progress at all. But as a blood-bought son or daughter of the living God, you were chosen for something better!
Arm yourself for the onslaught. Guard your behavior “so as to live for the rest of the time in the flesh no longer for human passions but for the will of God” (4:2). We only have a few more years, if that. We’re in a free fall. Life is short, fleeting, like a vapor—gone. God forgive us for the months and years we’ve spent with our pleasure at the top of our agenda. What a shallow existence! Instead of pursuing personal passions, go hard after the will of God in your life. It’s not the hardship but your response to it that really matters.
Though temptation to sin can sometimes be heightened in trials, suffering can also make you more focused in your walk with Christ. Pain in one area can sensitize you to other parts of your life. Suffering teaches you in new ways that life isn’t a series of random, unrelated events; it’s all connected. As you formulate urgent prayer requests, you examine your life for anything that would prevent you from being heard. You might ask, “God, what do You see in my life that needs to be dealt with? Anything I need to get right with You about? Have I been ignoring You about something?” You get the mind-set of a warrior, not wanting to carry anything extra into the battle. “Share in suffering as a good soldier of Christ Jesus” (2 Timothy 2:3). Arm yourself like a warrior.
Journal
Pray
Lord Almighty, You are a Warrior, and You call me to be a soldier too. Thank You for the warning that suffering is coming. Why do I expect life to be smooth? You never promise it will be. I want to arm myself with Jesus’ way of thinking—accepting realistic expectations, guarding my behavior, and drawing closer to You during the trial so You can use it to refine me and to bring glory to Your Son, Jesus, in whose name I pray, amen.
Paradigm Shift on Prosperity
Psalm 73
Having doubts isn’t the problem.
Letting your view of life be shaped only by what you see is. When your perspective is off, everything looks wrong… God, forgive us for our faulty thinking. Let’s bring those doubts into His presence and develop better thoughts.
Worship the Lord with all of your heart, then open your Bible to Psalm 73.
Then Jesus was led up by the Spirit into the wilderness to be tempted by the devil. And after fasting forty days and forty nights, he was hungry. And the tempter came (Matthew 4:1–3a, esv).
Faith is as practical as you can get. It’s not ivory tower, abstract, feel-good thinking. Faith is for real life in the trenches. Let’s look together at the life of Jesus and see how Christ Himself used faith at the point of temptation to gain victory.
Some people argue that as God, Jesus couldn’t experience true temptation to sin. False. The Bible teaches that Jesus was severely tempted. Hebrews 4:15 reassures us that Jesus gets it: “For we do not have a high priest who is unable to sympathize with our weaknesses, but one who in every respect has been tempted as we are, yet without sin.” When facing temptation, Jesus didn’t use His divine powers to say no. Within the confines of His humanity, He was victorious by faith. In fact, using His deity is exactly what Satan was tempting Him to do, but Jesus refused. “And the tempter came and said to him, ‘If you are the Son of God, command these stones to become loaves of bread’” (Matthew 4:3). Satan appealed to Jesus’ hunger, since He hadn’t eaten for forty days, and tempted Him to prove Himself, but Jesus said no: “Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that comes from the mouth of God” (4:4). Jesus exercised faith in the Word of God to repel the attacks of the evil one.
Think how vulnerable Jesus was. He had been fasting in the wilderness for forty days and forty nights. Undoubtedly he felt hungry, tired, and lonely. In His humanity, He was facing off against Satan.
Satan crafted three, appealing temptations: turn stones into bread, throw Yourself down from the temple, and receive the kingdoms of the world from me if You worship me. Upon inspection, that last temptation appears to be a weak one, yet in it lies a lesson for us: In the heat of temptation, the offer may appear attractive, but when you stand back from it, you can see how ridiculous it is. In desperation to ruin Jesus’ perfect, sinless track record, Satan offered Jesus everything He had made and already owns. In His humanity, Jesus was susceptible to that temptation, yet He saw through the façade and realized it was not a part of His Father’s plan.
As each temptation presented itself, Jesus used only one weapon to fight it: faith in the Word of God.
Temptation #1: “Command these stones to become loaves of bread,” said Satan (Matthew 4:3).
Jesus said no and quoted Deuteronomy 8:3: “Man does not live by bread alone, but man lives by every word that comes from the mouth of the Lord.”
Temptation #2: “Throw yourself down,” suggested the evil one (Matthew 4:6).
Jesus said no and quoted Deuteronomy 6:16: “You shall not put the Lord your God to the test.”
Temptation #3: “Fall down and worship me,” Satan invited (Matthew 4:9).
Jesus said no and quoted Deuteronomy 6:13: “It is the Lord your God you shall fear. Him you shall serve and by his name you shall swear.”
Three temptations. Three biblical answers. A perfect example of the power of faith in God’s Word.
Notice that this isn’t faith in faith, that cultic, deceptive message of faith in the power of faith itself. The Bible doesn’t teach that there’s any power in what you say simply because you say it with confidence. That would be blind faith. The power of faith is in the object of our faith: God’s Word. If what we say is from God’s Word, and in the depth of our being we believe it, then we will find incredible power. Like Jesus, we can have faith in the promises of God’s Word.
Journal
Pray
Father God, thank You that Your Son knows the full human experience. Jesus gets it. He knows what it’s like to be human and to face temptation—yet He never sinned. I’m in awe of Him. And I want to be like Him and to face off against the enemy of my soul armed with faith in the powerful Word of God. I want to store “up your word in my heart, that I might not sin against you” (Psalm 119:11). Make me more like Jesus, I ask, and it’s in His name I pray, amen.
The Clarity of What (Part 2)
Psalm 90
The capacity to truly delight is forged in the furnace of affliction.
But two things are certain: You will face trials, and God will be with you through them.
While everything around us is changing so rapidly, let’s return to Psalm 90 and the timeless truths of the God who never changes.
“Be strong and courageous. Do not fear or be in dread of them, for it is the Lord your God who goes with you. He will not leave you or forsake you.” Deuteronomy 31:6 ESV
For dark days and even darker nights, for stretches of hardship that seem never to end, for the everyday problems of real life, we need to cling to this truth:
God is always with us.
More specifically, God is always with you.
Now say it to yourself, “God is always with me.”
We see this clearly in Moses’ pep talk to the children of God. “Be strong and courageous,” Moses exhorted them. “Do not fear or be in dread of them, for it is the Lord your God who goes with you. He will not leave you or forsake you” (Deuteronomy 31:6). Whoever the “them” is in Deuteronomy 31:6, “they” don’t stand a chance. Let’s get the context.
Moses and the second generation of the post-Egypt children of Israel were standing on the border of the Promised Land. Moses knew he was about to die. Thirty-eight years before, all the parents and grandparents of Israel had camped on this very spot, but they had doubted God was with them and would protect them when they entered the Promised Land. The verdict? No faith—no conquest, no homeland, go wander. All of that generation had died in the wilderness. God was now going to give to the children what the parents wouldn’t trust Him for. So Moses, standing on the exit ramp to heaven, delivered these marching orders (summarized in my words):
“As you go up to face those giants in the land, you might think they are too strong for you, as your parents feared. But keep in mind—God is with you. You’re going to battle some violent opposition; you might be tempted to retreat. But remember—God is with you. You’ll face overwhelming odds; you’ll be incredibly outnumbered. Fear would be your natural response. But hold onto this—God is with you. This fight is not going to be over in ten minutes or ten weeks; there’s no quick solution. When you think it’s taking too long, remember—God is with you.”
“Be strong and courageous,” the weathered old leader said. “Do not fear or be in dread of them, for it is the Lord your God who goes with you. He will not leave you or forsake you.” I can imagine Moses adding, “Haven’t we learned this to be true in these forty years? He never left us while we were in the wilderness. He never forsook us but always provided what we needed. Why on earth should you fear now?”
Now as then, the worse the days get, the more God is with you. The harder the trial, the closer He moves toward you. Are you feeling crushed? He is rushing toward you to stand by your side and help you. When you’re going through hardship, or when you’re heavyhearted and burdened, God rolls up His sleeves and moves toward you in a way that’s unlike any other time. It doesn’t matter if you can see Him working. His approach may not cause you to feel any different. But it’s the truth—God is right there with you. The harder the days get, the closer He leans in so you can hear His voice. Sometimes it feels like God backs away from you when you hit hard times, but that’s not true. “The Lord is near to the brokenhearted and saves the crushed in spirit” (Psalm 34:18). Is your heart breaking today? God is rushing toward you. He is always with you.
Journal
Pray
Father, for all of us who daily need to renew our confidence and faith in You, help us now to lay hold of Your promise that You will never leave us nor forsake us. Help us to speak and live fearlessly because we are aware we are in Your presence. Lord, You are with me. I am never alone. Is there any greater assurance that I should not fear? Your promise stands, spoken over and over again in Your Word and satisfying Your followers throughout thousands of years—You are with me. I commit this truth to my heart right now. In the powerful name of Jesus I pray, amen.
Then I saw heaven opened, and behold, a white horse! The one sitting on it is called Faithful and True, and in righteousness he judges and makes war. On his robe and on his thigh he has a name written, King of kings and Lord of lords. Revelation 19:11, 16, ESV
Spoiler alert: In the end, Jesus Christ wins.
Scripture tells us repeatedly and pointedly that Jesus Christ, the Mighty Warrior, is always victorious. Make no mistake about it. Jesus is going to win. Someday the clouds will break open, and we will see Him on a white horse (Revelation 19:11). His powerful appearance will be breathtaking and terrifying: “His eyes are like a flame of fire. . . . He is clothed in a robe dipped in blood, and the name by which he is called is The Word of God. . . . From his mouth comes a sharp sword with which to strike down the nations, and he will rule them with a rod of iron. He will tread the winepress of the fury of the wrath of God the Almighty. On his robe and on his thigh he has a name written, King of kings and Lord of lords” (19:12–13, 15–16). With simply a word, He will instantly set the world in order. In the end, Jesus Christ wins.
All of history leads to Jesus’ victory, and all of God’s promises culminate in Jesus. We experience God’s promises through Jesus.
For example, do you need peace, that calm assurance that God is in control? Ephesians 2:14 assures us that Jesus “himself is our peace.” Remember, God doesn’t dispense peace like a pharmacist filling a prescription: “Take two, and call me in the morning.” He gives us Himself. God doesn’t have to give us something. He is the something! Jesus Christ fulfills the promise of God’s peace.
It’s Christ’s presence that takes away fear.
It’s Christ’s sovereignty that assures and calms us in the face of doubts.
It’s Christ’s goodness that renews us when we are weighed down by despair.
It’s Christ’s watchfulness and intervention that keep us from faltering.
And it’s Christ’s inevitable victory that assures us we will not fail.
When we think about times of trial in our lives, if we really pinpoint what’s most difficult about the trial, it’s the not knowing. The biggest reason why we fear, doubt, despair, and falter is that we don’t know how it’s all going to end.
Every one of us lives with some level of uncertainty. You’re not alone in this struggle. You have some insecurities in your life right now; I’m living with some question marks too. Yours might take the form of a health crisis, a broken relationship, a financial problem, a wandering child, a self-destructing family member.
Think of the stresses that keep you awake at night, those issues that linger on the edges of your thoughts and never fully go away. If you definitively knew when and how that circumstance would end, you would be okay. If you could foresee that it would end well, then you could bear the waiting. If you could predict with certainty that it would end badly, then you could prepare yourself for what’s to come. It’s the not knowing that pushes you to the limit.
A football team doesn’t give up because they lose a few yards. Their focus is on the final score, not one bad play. We fixate on our momentary trials (2 Corinthians 4:17), wondering, How will this finish? If only we knew.
We do know.
God is always victorious. Ultimately, I will not fail. Sure, I will experience some pains and losses along the way. But in the end, because Jesus wins, so do I.
Journal
Pray
Lord God, by faith I choose to lift my eyes from my momentary trials to the final outcome. Jesus wins. No matter how my life looks or feels today, ultimately Jesus wins. And as an adopted son or daughter of the living God, because Jesus wins, I do too. Teach me an eternal perspective, Father. Though life is painful, it’s short. I set my heart on eternity, and I thank You that I know exactly how this all ends. I pray in the name of Jesus, King of kings and Lord of lords, amen.
The Clarity of What (Part One)
Before the earth took shape, before time began—God was there. From everlasting to everlasting, He is. Yes, our days are short and fleeting.So what does God want you to do about it?Dive deep into Psalm 90 with us -and learn how to live fully in light of forever. Because your time is short, but the impact can be eternal.
Will I Get Through This?
“To all those in Rome who are loved by God and called to be saints: Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.” Romans 1:7, esv
You may or may not have noticed this, but almost every one of Paul’s epistles in the New Testament contains a similar if not identical phrase. It’s in Romans, Corinthians, Galatians, Ephesians, Philippians, Colossians, all the way down the line. And always the same thing: “Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.”
Peace from God.
If you’ve had a conversion experience, you’ve been given peace with God. As Paul said, “Since we have been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ” (Romans 5:1). Only through faith in God do you make your peace with Him—not in being a good person, not in being religious, not in saying your prayers. You recognize you have a sin problem, then you embrace what God has prescribed as the solution.
Peace from God, however, is something different. Notice in Romans 1:7, how the verse starts: “To all those in Rome who are loved by God and called to be saints.” Those are His children who’ve experienced conversion, who’ve been forgiven of their sins—like you have, I hope. If so, you have peace with God. But you also have something more. You have “peace from God.”
It’s the sense of living in covenant relationship with Him. It’s actually the New Testament equivalent of the Old Testament concept of shalom. People would greet one another in the streets, “Shalom, Shalom,” wishing them not just peace, but a complete state of wholeness and well-being. “Peace from God” is the realization that you’re living under this awesome covenant with Him that means great things about your life and your future because of His grace toward you.
If God had made a contract with us, we wouldn’t feel this peace. Contracts, you know, are agreements we make that say if we’ll do A-B-C, they’ll do X-Y-Z. We sign our name, and hope it all works out—hope everybody holds up their side of the bargain.
But God hasn’t made a contract with us. He’s made a covenant with us. It’s so much better than a contract. He doesn’t say to us, if we’ll do A-B-C, He’ll do X-Y-Z. He says, since we’re one of His children, since we’re one of those who’ve come into a covenant relationship with Him, He’ll do A-B-C—regardless of what we do.
Do you think you could experience some peace from that? By believing that?
That’s what covenant is. Because of the merits of Christ, because you’ve made peace with God through faith in Jesus, you’ve entered into a covenant relationship with Him where some days you’re going to be more committed than other days. Some days you’re going to be on, and some days you’re going to be off. Some days you’re going to be moving forward, and some days you’re going to be struggling. And yet on every single one of those days, God will be the exact same toward you. Nothing will change His love and His commitment to you.
That’s covenant.
And that’s peace. From God.
Every time you come across that line again in your Bible—“Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ”—remember what it means. Remember what He’s done for you and given you.
He’s given you peace.
Journal
Pray
O Lord, thank You that You are a covenant-keeping God. Thank You for understanding how my heart is prone to wander, that I’m hopeless without Your love, mercy, and power. Please replace my fear, doubt, and anxiety with faith and the calm assurance that You are good and You always keep Your Word. Thank You for the wondrous gifts of peace with God and peace from God. Fill me with gratitude for what You’ve done, and let Your peace in me be a witness of Your grace and might to the watching world. I pray these things in the awesome Name of Jesus, amen.