The King’s Friend (F5)

Scripture: 2 Samuel 16:15-17:14 (Click Link for Scripture) 32 Jonathan, David’s uncle, was a wise counselor to the king, a man of great insight, and a scribe. Jehiel the Hacmonite was responsible for teaching the king’s sons. 33 Ahithophel was the royal adviser. Hushai the Arkite was the king’s friend. (1 Chronicles 27:32-33 NLT) I’ve always been intrigued by this verse and the related story in 2 Samuel 16 & 17 about King David’s friend, Hushai the Arkite. The verses in 1 Chronicles 27 read like a staff roster for David’s court. There’s a list of governors, army commanders, treasurers, building managers, agriculture and livestock supervisors, teachers, counselors and advisors. But here’s “Hushai the Arkite, the King’s Friend!” David realized something that so many times we overlook. Among all the people we surround ourselves with, we need to have somebody who is completely and simply a friend! This friend is someone who has no agenda, who is uninvolved with a thousand details of how we manage our lives. This friend is someone with whom we can relax, be honest, put on our real face, talk about anything and everything, important and unimportant. We need someone who is simply a friend!

In my early sixties I began to feel the need for such a friend, so I began to seek one. I met with a man from church once a week for coffee. We talked about life and its ups and downs until after a couple of weeks I heard from another source something I had only told my potential friend! One down (by the way, we’re still friends, but we’ll never be the kind of “friends” I was looking for). So I tried again. I met with another guy and began the process. It was soon clear that he thought his role was to straighten me out and shape me up. I certainly did need some straightening out, but that wasn’t what this was about. Two down (He moved away to another city). So I cautiously tried again. This time a relationship developed over a period of years and has become one of my most valued friendships. Our conversations have included laughter, tears, questions, repentance, honesty, and vulnerability. These interactions have built trust, confidence, and a degree of transparency that’s hard to find. Ten years or more in the making, this friendship is precious to me. What are you doing to discover and develop a King’s Friend kind of relationship with someone?

Prayer:

Father, Please help my friends and me to find a “King’s Friend” kind of friend out there somewhere. And help us to be willing to be that kind of friend to someone else. Amen.