Love and Truth

God’s love and truth should reign supreme in our lives.

“Now Saul told his son Jonathan and all his servants to put David to death. But Jonathan, Saul’s son, greatly delighted in David.”—1 Samuel 19:1 NASB

David had been a champion and hero in Saul’s kingdom. But when David became more successful in battle and popular with the people, Saul began to see him as a rival. He became obsessed with jealousy and felt that those who supported David were disloyal and even guilty of treason.

Instead of focusing his life on serving God, Saul increasingly sought to protect his own interests. Tormented and insecure, he began to see enemies everywhere, and David became his primary target.

But Saul’s son Jonathan had a different attitude. For him, David was a trusted friend. Instead of being influenced by his father’s jealousy and insecurity, Jonathan saw things for what they really were. Rather than treating David as a competitor, Jonathan “loved him as he loved his own life” (20:17).

It can be easy for us to be like Saul—self-centered, biased, jealous, and concerned with our own reputations and kingdoms. But Jonathan demonstrated how everything changes when our lives are filled with God’s love. Paul described the impact of this kind of love when he wrote that love is patient, kind, and not jealous. It does not seek its own benefit, but “rejoices with the truth; it keeps every confidence, it believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things” (1 Corinthians 13:4–7).

Ask God to fill you with His love and show you His truth about your relationships. Seek the good of others.

Reflection Question: How are you living out God’s truth and love in your life currently?