April 18, 2013 (1 Samuel 20-21; Psalm 34; Matthew 5)
From the Life Journal of Adam Proux:
Scripture: “Show me this loyalty as my sworn friend – for we made a solemn pact before the Lord – or kill me yourself if I have sinned against your father. But please don’t betray me to him!” 1 Samuel 20:8 NLT
Observation: David and Jonathan were close friends. They had made a pact with each other in the presence of God and sworn loyalty to one another. Saul, Jonathan’s father, wanted to kill David because his kingship was threatened by him. Saul knew the Lord was with David but that didn’t stop Saul from trying to kill him. Jonathan was put in a tight spot by his earthly father, would he be loyal to Saul his father, or David his friend. Thankfully Jonathan had good moral character and chose to be loyal to what was right. He chose to be true to righteousness rather than his bloodline. The thought of being betrayed into the hands of his enemy by his best friend was worse to David than the thought of being killed. Few pains in this life hurt worse than the pain of being betrayed by someone you love.
Application: Loyalty. A word that seems to have very little value in this day and time we live in. Whether a friendship, marriage, or employment relationship loyalty seems to be an old fashioned outdated method of allegiance that contains no meaningful value. Moral decay leads to character rot when loyalty is neglected. Betrayal, on the other hand, is all the more common these days. It seems to be the way up the corporate ladder. Coworkers often betray one another’s trust in an effort to gain a position of power over another. Most marriages that end in divorce are a result of betrayal. Many friendships have been severed because of betrayal. Betrayal cuts down and destroys, but loyalty lifts up and encourages. Make the commitment to be loyal today and don’t betray!
Prayer: Dear Lord, thank You for this day You’ve made! Thank You for Your wonderful mercy and grace that provide and protect me every day. Help me to be loyal. Keep me from betraying. Open my eyes to see the importance of loyalty and enable me to stand strong when I’m tempted to betray a friend or loved one. Guard my heart and keep it cleansed and pure. Create in me a clean heart and a right spirit, in Jesus name, Amen!