FRIENDS

1 Samuel 20: 12 – 17


And I am all alone.
There is no one here beside me.
And my problems have all gone.
There is no one to deride me.

But you got to have friends.
The feelings oh so strong.
You got to have friends
To make that day last long.
(B. Midler)


I used to love Bette Midler. I may have been the only straight man, other than her husband, that did.
I never saw a live concert, but I did watch the few that she recorded on film.
Bette would open her show dressed as a bag lady and begin singing the above song.
As the song went on with her singing about friends, she removed her “bag lady” costume to reveal her sparkling dress.
The show then went into overdrive.
Friends can take us from the depths of despair, to the soaring heights of bliss.
There are those in this world, that take the bond of friendship, forming a brotherhood, that they take more seriously than the bonds of marriage.
There are friends, then there are friends. We all have people that we are friendly with, but there are only a select few that we trust with our lives and feelings.
David and Johnathon had that kind of relationship. They had a deep bond where in they loved each other like they loved themselves. Johnathon would do anything for David, and “Visa Versa.”
unfortunately, there are those among us, who read into the love that these two men had for each other, and see a homosexual love story. It sometimes makes me think that people like them have never had a really true friend.


16 keep the covenant friendship with my family—forever. And when GOD finally rids the earth of David’s enemies, stay loyal to Jonathan!"
17 Jonathan repeated his pledge of love and friendship for David. He loved David more than his own soul!

We throw the word “love” around so much that it loses its value. I love my bike. I love my flip flops. I love you bro. Ad infinitem.
When the books of Samuel were written, the word love, really meant something more serious than it does today.
We are created for relationship, so we need friends in our lives almost like we need to breathe.
Our soul craves relationship whether it is with other people or with God.
My advice is to love those that you consider friends, more then you love yourselves, and see where it takes you.