Are you blessed to have a friend who would do anything for you? David certainly was. Even though she was the daughter of King Saul, David’s wife Michal took David’s side when her father sent soldiers to kill her husband. She helped David to escape from their home, and then placed a dummy in his bed and claimed he was sick in order to give him more time to make a clean getaway (I Samuel 19:12-14).

Michal’s brother Jonathan was just as loyal to David. When his father announced his intention to kill David, Jonathan took David’s side, publicly protesting David’s innocence (I Samuel 20:32). In fact, Jonathan made himself a target of Saul’s anger (I Samuel 20:33), and even ran the risk of being accused of treason by going out of his way to warn David of his father’s murderous intentions. Jonathan was even willing to give up his own right to the throne, doing everything he could to make sure that David one day became king.

But however faithful Michal and Jonathan may have been to David, neither of them was able to dissuade their father from his irrational hatred and fear. The priests at the tabernacle couldn’t save David either (I Samuel 21:1-3), and neither could the prophet Samuel (I Samuel 20:1). Instead, David had to trust in God alone to protect him, and he was not disappointed: “I sought the Lord, and He heard me, and delivered me from all my fears” (Psalm 34:4).

So, will we go on looking to our family and friends to keep us safe? Or will we place our trust in the Son of David, the only One Who is able to deliver us from bondage to sin and death, the only One Who can keep us safe from even the worst of our enemies? As David said, “O taste and see that the Lord is good; Blessed is the man who trusts in Him” (Psalm 34:8)!

I Samuel 20:11-16 (NASB)

11 And Jonathan said to David, “Come, and let us go out into the field.” So both of them went out to the field.
12 Then Jonathan said to David, “The LORD, the God of Israel, be witness! When I have sounded out my father about this time tomorrow, or the third day, behold, if there is good feeling toward David, shall I not then send to you and make it known to you?
13 “If it please my father to do you harm, may the LORD do so to Jonathan and more also, if I do not make it known to you and send you away, that you may go in safety. And may the LORD be with you as He has been with my father.
14 “And if I am still alive, will you not show me the lovingkindness of the LORD, that I may not die?
15 “And you shall not cut off your lovingkindness from my house forever, not even when the LORD cuts off every one of the enemies of David from the face of the earth.”
16 So Jonathan made a covenant with the house of David, saying, “May the LORD require it at the hands of David’s enemies.”