“You and Me”—Keeping close - All The LORD is near Daily Devotionals for 2026

Jonathan said to David, "Go in peace, since we have both sworn in the name of the Lord, saying, ‘May the Lord be between you and me'" So he arose and departed, and Jonathan went into the city
1 Samuel 20:42


"You and Me"—Keeping close
King Saul was determined to destroy David, despite the efforts of his son, Jonathan, to defend David's cause, even at the risk of his own life (19:4-5; 20:32-33). Now Jonathan secretly tells David that he must flee. The previous verse says they "kissed one another; and they wept together, but David more so" (v. 41).

They went back a long way. When David defeated Goliath, "the soul of Jonathan was knit to the soul of David, and Jonathan loved him as his own soul." They made a covenant and he "took off the robe that was on him and gave it to David, with his armor, even to his sword and his bow and his belt" (18:1, 3-4). He gave them all to David because he loved him.

But how far would his love for David go? To the cave of Adullam where "everyone who was in distress, everyone who was in debt, and everyone who was discontented gathered to him" (22:2)? He did visit David once during the time of his rejection and "strengthened his hand in God," but whereas "David stayed in the woods," he "went to his own house" (23:16-18). As far as we know, that was the last time they saw each other before Jonathan died in battle against the Philistines (31:1-2).

When David heard of his death, he lamented, "I am distressed for you, my brother Jonathan; you have been very pleasant to me; your love to me was wonderful, surpassing the love of women" (2 Sam. 1:26).

Jonathan's case is beautiful and tragic because it shows how our love can wax and wane. He had said, "May the Lord be between you and me," but there was no substitute for keeping close to David. The Lord Jesus says to us, "abide in my love" (Jn. 15:9).

Simon Attwood