For Kids · 4 min with a grown-up
David and Jonathan are still the best of friends - and today their friendship has to be braver than ever, with a secret plan and a hard goodbye.
Today's Story
David was in trouble, and he needed to know if it was safe to come home. So he and Jonathan made a secret plan.
“I'll find out what my father is thinking,” Jonathan said. “Then I'll give you a signal. I'll come to the field and shoot three arrows. If I tell the boy the arrows are nearby, you're safe. But if I say they're far away - you have to run.”
Jonathan loved David so much that he was willing to help him even though it made his own father angry. That's a brave kind of friendship.
The next day Jonathan went to the field with a boy to fetch his arrows. He shot one far, far out. “The arrow is way past you! Run and get it!” he called - and David, hiding nearby, knew exactly what it meant. It wasn't safe. He had to go.
When the boy left, the two friends hugged and cried. They didn't want to say goodbye. But before David left, they made each other a promise: We will always be friends, and so will our families - and the LORD is our witness forever.
A Big Word
Memory Verse
Talk About It
- Jonathan helped David even though it made his own father upset. When is it hard to do the right thing for a friend?
- David and Jonathan were sad to say goodbye. What helps when you have to be away from someone you love?
- They asked God to be the witness of their promise. What promise could you make and keep this week?