And David abode in the wilderness in strong holds, and remained in a mountain in the wilderness of Ziph. And Saul sought him every day, but God delivered him not into his hand. And David saw that Saul was come out to seek his life: and David was in the wilderness of Ziph in a wood. (1 Samuel 23:14-15)
David was in the wilderness of Ziph, a rugged terrain near Carmel that was removed from any real settlement. He had no bed to sleep in, no table or chairs, no recliner, no comforts of home. He was on the run—again. King Saul was determined to eliminate his perceived enemy at any cost. The text records that Saul sought him every day. These were desperate times for David.
It was also a very frustrating time for David because he had done nothing to harm Saul. He had fought valiantly for the armies of Israel, he had behaved himself wisely, God had even used him to soothe Saul’s troubled spirit by his skilful playing on the harp. He had been loyal—he was the king’s son-in-law no less! But none of that mattered to Saul. Moved by his own paranoid jealously, Saul chased ruthlessly after the young man and his followers. And so David found himself in the wilderness, “in a wood.”
There comes a time (probably many a time) when we will find ourselves in the wilderness, “in a wood.” Circumstances in life take a turn for the worst. They are dealt a blow of unfairness, or critical enemies show up when there should be no enemies at all. It is frustrating, discouraging, and disappointing in this wood. They don’t belong there and yet, there doesn’t seem to be much of a way out. I am sure that all this time in the wilderness was wearying to David. All he wanted was to get on with his life. Leave me alone! And then, something wonderful happened:
And Jonathan Saul’s son arose, and went to David into the wood, and strengthened his hand in God. (1 Samuel 23:16)
David’s friend Jonathan took a big risk on his own life and wellbeing to visit David “in the wood.” What a refreshing sight it must have been for David to see his friend!
David and Jonathan didn’t sit around and complain about the unfairness of it all. They didn’t talk of revenge. Jonathan sought to encourage and strengthen David’s hand in God. Jonathan wanted David to keep his eyes on the Lord, keep relying upon Jehovah, and keep walking with the Lord. In essence Jonathan said, “David, keep your faith; God has brought you through many things; He hasn’t changed; He has a plan in all this.”
It is a true friend who will strengthen you in the Lord—point you to the Saviour and undergird your faith with theirs.
I don’t know where you might be in your life right now. Maybe you are in the wood and could use a friend—I trust that you will let someone know where you are. But maybe you are in the place where you could be a Jonathan. Your friend doesn’t need to re-hash the ugly details of the wood nor does he need empty pious phrases. What he needs is someone to find him in the wood and minister to him—remind him of the greatness of God, and that he is not alone.
