SUNDAY July 14, 2019
Keeping a Confidence
“Then I will shoot three arrows to the side, as though I shot at a target; and there I will send a lad, saying, ‘Go, find the arrows.’ If I expressly say to the lad, ‘Look, the arrows are on this side of you; get them and come’—then, as the Lord lives, there is safety for you and no harm. But if I say thus to the young man, ‘Look, the arrows are beyond you’—go your way, for the Lord has sent you away. And as for the matter which you and I have spoken of, indeed the Lord be between you and me forever.”
1 Samuel 20:20-23
Jonathan worked out a detailed plan with David to ensure his safety. He discussed the signals David needed to listen for. If Jonathan shouted to the lad with him, “Go, find the arrows,” David knew he was safe, and he could come out of hiding. However, if Jonathan said, “Look, the arrows are beyond you,” David needed to run, as Saul was determined to kill him. Even in the event that would happen, Jonathan had peace in his heart; he knew the Lord had a purpose for sending David away.
Jonathan swore by the Lord all these spoken plans would be kept between David, Jonathan and God––alone. The conversation was to be kept confidential. Nothing from Jonathan’s lips would ever be told to another living soul. Not one other person would ever find out what they had said. David could trust Jonathan’s word; he knew his friend’s loyal character. Even though he was Saul’s son, there was no betrayal.
A friend must be loyal. Proverbs 20:6 (NLT) tells us: Many will say they are loyal friends, but who can find one who is truly reliable? A friend must keep in confidence what you have shared with them in secret: A talebearer reveals secrets, but he who is of a faithful spirit conceals the matter (Proverbs 11:13). In this life, choose your friends wisely.
The firmest friendships have been formed in mutual adversity, as iron is most strongly united by the fiercest flame.
~C. C. Colton~
For more from Raul Ries, please visit SomebodyLovesYou.com!