A Friend's Strengthening Hand - 1 Samuel 23:15–29
If someone was to ask you, how does God preserve his people? What would you say? What does God use in order to keep folks close to him even through the darkest times?
If you’re like me, your first thoughts are probably things like Bible studies, prayer, church attendance. I think God does use all of those things, but he’s certainly not limited by them.
There are probably a lot of ways to answer that question. I don’t necessarily think there is only one answer. I think God uses a whole host of different things to keep and preserve his people.
What about faithful friends? Would that be one of the first things that come to mind?
Isn’t that exactly what we just read about in our passage? As David sat, wallowing in his despair, God sent him a faithful friend to encourage him (vv. 15-16), remind him of God’s promises (vv. 17-18), and which gave him the strength to carry on (vv. 19-29).
Frankly, the same is true for each of us still today. We need faithful, godly friends who will remind us of God’s truth that will in turn help us preserve.
Encouragement by a friend (vv. 15–16)
A little encouragement can go a long way. And in our passage David was desperate for encouragement. You have to keep in mind everything that David has gone through. He’s hiding in the wilderness of Ziph, after freeing the village of Keilah from the Philistines and narrowly escaping from Saul. The Lord told David that the village of Keilah was going to surrender him to Saul, which had to be incredibly discouraging news.
They went out of their way to save this Jewish village only to have them betray David and his men to Saul – the one person who desperately wanted them dead.
That whole experience had to have taken its toll on David. Just think about what happened: David obeyed the word of God, which made matters worse for him! That’s not the way things are supposed to work! Don’t we all expect our lives to dramatically improve because we obeyed the word of God?
There isn’t a single example I can think of in the entire Bible where someone followed the Lord and their life got easier. It’s always the opposite isn’t it? They followed the Lord which in turn made their lives harder – the ultimate example is Jesus himself! He was sinless and yet he suffered the most injustice in all of human history. The truth is, God often uses hard obediences to sanctify us – they’re the refiners' fire.
But we tend to forget this truth in the midst of the fire. Too often doubt, confusion, and despair begin to creep in in the midst of obedience induced suffering – which was exactly what was going on with David in Ziph. David had to be thinking, “I obeyed the Word of the Lord for nothing! I did exactly what God told me and things have gone from bad to worse.”
Not only that, but David had been anointed King in Israel. God had told him he was King in waiting, which must have seemed like something that would never be fulfilled as he sat there in the wilderness in Ziph. The seeds of doubt were sprouting in his mind. On the most fundamental level, David had begun to question the trustworthiness and reliability of God’s Word.
Which is why Jonathan’s timing arrival is so crucial. The Lord sent Jonathan to David for a very specific reason. Did you catch it in verse 16? “And Jonathan, Saul's son, rose and went to David at Horesh, and strengthened his hand in God.”
Jonathan didn’t go to David to give him a pep talk or a motivational speech. Jonathan strengthened David’s hand in God. In other words, Jonathan went to Ziph in order to encourage and build David up in the faith, which is exactly what David needed.
David was spiritually anemic. He had a faint spiritual pulse.
Jonathan strengthened David’s hand in God. He went to Ziph in order to encourage and build David up in the faith.
He needed the encouragement of a faithful friend.
Who can’t relate to David’s experience. We’ve all gone through challenging seasons of life that have caused us to doubt God’s Word. Sometimes what we need in those moments is to be built up in the Lord by a dear friend – someone who knows you, knows what you're going through, and can strengthen your hand in God.
On a more fundamental level, this passage forces us to ask ourselves: what makes someone a good friend?
In our culture, friendship is often seen through a lens of convenience, compatibility, and emotional support. Worldly friendship is typically built on shared interests, mutual enjoyment, and a sense of personal benefit. It often avoids conflict, because it values harmony over honesty and comfort over confrontation. It may be loyal to a point, but that loyalty is usually conditional—based on how well the relationship continues to serve both people. In this view, friendship is transactional: "I’m here for you as long as you’re here for me."
Which is what makes biblical friendships so different. They’re rooted in something far deeper than common interest—it’s rooted in a shared commitment to Christ. Rather than being based on what one gets out of the relationship, biblical friendship is about giving, encouraging, and helping the other person grow in godliness. Proverbs 27:6 tells us, “Faithful are the wounds of a friend,” highlighting that biblical friends are willing to speak hard truths in love, even when it’s not easy.
Whereas worldly friendships are shallow, Christian friendships are deep. When you're in a spiritual slump you need a Jonathan to pull you out.
A Reminder of God’s Promises (vv. 17-18)
But an important question that we have to ask is, what do good, godly friends do to help us in our moments of spiritual weakness?
I think the answer is in verses 17-18.
“And [Jonathan] said to him, “Do not fear, for the hand of Saul my father shall not find you. You shall be king over Israel, and I shall be next to you. Saul my father also knows this.” 18 And the two of them made a covenant before the Lord.
Jonathan reminded David that he would one day be king in Israel. In the Hebrew there is a level of certainty to Jonathan’s reminder that he will be King in Israel. Jonathan knew that David was anointed King in Israel. He knew that it was God’s will. And so, from Jonathan’s perspective it was only a matter of time. Jonathan even said that Saul knew that David would be king in Israel.
Jonathan and David even renewed their covenant to one another before the Lord. It was a covenant of loyalty between them, which was a big deal. Jonathan not only said that David would be king in Israel, he covenanted his loyalty to him. Remember, Jonathan was Saul’s son – which means you’d expect him to be the next king in Israel.
Jonathan and David had covenanted to one another in 1 Samuel 18, but the two of them had not seen each other since then. David had basically been on the run since then and had to wonder if their covenant still stood. What if after spending all the time around Saul, Jonathan had changed his mind and no longer supported David because he wanted to be king in Israel?
Of course, Jonathan had remained loyal to David even though they had been separated for some time.
But the big thing that I want us to reflect upon is that good, godly friend speaks truth to you. They remind you of the certainty and trustworthiness of the promises of God – which is exactly what Jonathan did for David.
In the early years of Charles Spurgeon’s ministry, the “Prince of Preachers,” struggled deeply with depression and public criticism. Shortly before Spurgeon was set to preach at the Surrey Gardens Music Hall in 1856 a prankster yelled ‘fire’ which caused a stampede that killed seven people and injured many others. Spurgeon was emotionally devastated. He was only 22 years old at the time.
In the days and weeks that followed, Spurgeon battled intense despair, even questioning whether he could continue in ministry. But during this time, his wife, Susannah Spurgeon, became one of his greatest encouragers. She became, in many ways, like Jonathan to him — strengthening her husband’s hand in God, pointing him back to the truth, and helping him endure.
A godly friend points you to Christ and reminds you of the glorious promises he’s made to you. Christ has promised eternal life, victory over sin and death, peace, rest, joy, and even his own presence.
Do you remember that interaction that Jesus had with the man whose son had an unclean spirit in Mark 9? The father said to Jesus, “...if you can do anything, have compassion on us and help us.” 23 And Jesus said to him, “‘If you can’! All things are possible for one who believes.” 24 Immediately the father of the child cried out and said, “I believe; help my unbelief!”
Of course, Jesus healed his son. But the interaction is so incredibly relatable isn’t it? Who here cannot relate to the father who said, “I believe; help my unbelief!”
Jesus’ promise to him was so clear and glorious: “All things are possible for one who believes.”
You hear that and might even be tempted to think, “all things?” Is that right Jesus?
Here’s what a good godly friend does – he or she comes to you and says, “Yes. He means it. All things are possible for one who believes.”
All of us need friends who are willing to rally around us and point us to the reliability of the promises of God.
Strength to Carry On (vv. 19–29)
Because it’s those promises of God that will give us the strength to carry on. His promises are the fuel that sparks our engine and keeps us moving forward. A godly friend can remind you of the truth that will help you press on.
I think that’s exactly what we see in this passage? David knew the promises of God, he just needed Jonathan’s strengthening hand.
And Jonathan was able to encourage him in the faith just in time for another hardship. Last week, the village of Keilah was set to betray him, this week, it’s the Ziphites who betray David to Saul.
The Ziphites told Saul exactly where to find David. “Is not David hiding among us in the strongholds at Horesh, on the hill of Hachilah, which is south of Jeshimon? 20 Now come down, O king, according to all your heart's desire to come down, and our part shall be to surrender him into the king's hand.”
Then in verse 25 we’re told that, “Saul and his men went to seek him.” Not only did they seek David, they got very close to him. David is literally going around one side of the mountain while Saul is on the other. From a human standpoint, it looked hopeless. Saul had the advantage, and David was outmatched.
But just as they were closing in to capture David, “...a messenger came to Saul, saying, “Hurry and come, for the Philistines have made a raid against the land.”
Just in the nick of time Saul has to abandon his pursuit of David in order to fend off the Philistines.
Here’s what is so obvious from this passage: Even though it may have felt like God had abandoned David, the reality is He was with him all along. God had been protecting and keeping David.
David wrote about this experience as well in Psalm 54. The heading of Psalm 54 says, “To the choirmaster: with stringed instruments. A Maskil of David, when the Ziphites went and told Saul, “Is not David hiding among us?”
Psalm 54 is a prayer of deliverance and trust in the face of danger.
David began the Psalm with “O God, save me by your name, and vindicate me by your might. O God, hear my prayer; give ear to the words of my mouth.” (vv. 1–2)
Then he wrote in verse 4, “Behold, God is my helper; the Lord is the upholder of my life.” (v. 4)
And concluded the Psalm by stating, “With a freewill offering I will sacrifice to you; I will give thanks to your name, O Lord, for it is good. For he has delivered me from every trouble, and my eye has looked in triumph on my enemies.” (vv. 6–7)
God was always in control of the circumstances of David’s life—and David knew that. But in a moment of weakness, when fear pressed in and the threat of Saul loomed large, he needed someone to remind him to keep trusting in the Lord. That’s exactly what Jonathan did in 1 Samuel 23, and it's also the central theme of Psalm 54.
Sometimes we forget the promises of God—not because they aren’t true, but because fear is loud and suffering is real. And in those moments, God in His kindness often sends someone to help us remember. That’s what Jonathan did for David. He didn’t just offer empty platitudes or tell him to “cheer up.” He “strengthened his hand in God.” He reminded David of what was true: that God had chosen him to be king, that God’s promises still stood, and that Saul would not prevail.
In the same way, friendships are often where we turn when the world feels like it’s closing in. We seek the comfort, support, and encouragement of others. But the question is: Do your friends point you to the right things? Do they remind you to run to the Rock of Escape? Do they help you cling to the promises of God? Does their encouragement strengthen your hand in God?
There is a kind of friendship that merely consoles us in the moment, and there is a kind of friendship that lifts our eyes to the hills and says, “Your help comes from the Lord” (Psalm 121:1–2). The latter is the kind of friend we see in Jonathan. He didn’t just strengthen David—he strengthened him in God. He gave David what he needed most: a gospel-centered, God-rooted encouragement that enabled him to take the next step forward.
And isn’t that how God often works in our lives? He speaks through His Word, and then He graciously confirms that Word through His people. He uses Christian brothers and sisters to speak truth, apply promises, and bear burdens with us. He uses them to remind us that we are not alone, and that God is still holding us fast—even when we feel like letting go.
David kept going because God was faithful. But he also kept going because he had a friend who encouraged him. And that’s still how it works today. God never fails us—and often, He proves that to us through the presence of a friend who helps us remember.
So if you’re in a hard season—overwhelmed, anxious, or afraid—don’t isolate. Look to the Lord, yes. But also look around. Who has God placed in your life to encourage you, pray with you, and remind you of the truth? And maybe the better question is this: Whom might God be calling you to strengthen in Him today?
Because the gospel doesn’t just tell us that God is our refuge—it tells us that He puts us in a family. And sometimes, in His great mercy, He lets us feel His embrace through the arms of a friend.
When we think about the greatest expressions of friendship in all of Scripture, none compares to the friendship of Jesus Christ. The story of David and Jonathan is beautiful, powerful, and deeply moving—but it ultimately points us to a greater Friend, a better Jonathan, who not only strengthened the hands of the weak but laid down His life for them.
Jesus said in John 15:13, “Greater love has no one than this, that someone lay down his life for his friends.” And then He did exactly that. He gave Himself for us—not because we were lovable or faithful or strong, but because He is. He called us His friends, even when we were still sinners (Romans 5:8). He drew near to us, not when we had it all together, but when we were broken, burdened, and far from God.
What kind of friend is Jesus? He is the Friend who never leaves you nor forsakes you (Hebrews 13:5). He is the Friend who speaks truth, even when it cuts, because He loves you too much to lie. He is the Friend who comforts you with real hope, not shallow words. He is the Friend who carries your burdens, who prays for you, who walks with you in the valley of the shadow of death and promises you resurrection on the other side.
In our darkest moments, Jesus does not recoil—He draws near. He is not embarrassed by our weakness. He isn’t disappointed by our doubts. Like Jonathan in the wilderness, He comes to us and strengthens our hand in God. But more than Jonathan ever could, Jesus brings us into union with the Father by His own blood. He doesn’t just encourage us with words—He anchors us with His work on the cross.
Friendship with Jesus changes everything. It means that no matter how isolated you feel, you are never truly alone. It means that no matter how far you’ve fallen, He still calls you His. It means that even when your strength is gone and your heart is heavy, you can lean on the One who will never grow tired of carrying you.
But let’s be clear: Jesus isn’t a casual friend. He’s not your buddy or your backup plan. He’s the King who became a friend to sinners. And His friendship demands response. He said, “You are my friends if you do what I command you” (John 15:14). That isn’t a condition of love—it’s the fruit of it. Those who know the friendship of Christ follow Him—not out of guilt, but out of gratitude.
So today, whether you feel strong or weak, joyful or discouraged, surrounded or alone—remember this: Jesus offers his friendship to you. He’s the truest, most faithful, most loving Friend you will ever have. And He will never give up on you. Trust Him. Walk with Him. And when life feels like a wilderness, rest in the truth that He will strengthen you, carry you, and lead you home.
Amen. Let’s pray.
