And the LORD sent Nathan to David. He came to him and said to him, “There were two men in a certain city, the one rich and the other poor. The rich man had very many flocks and herds, but the poor man had nothing but one little ewe lamb, which he had bought. And he brought it up, and it grew up with him and with his children. It used to eat of his morsel and drink from his cup and lie in his arms, and it was like a daughter to him. Now there came a traveler to the rich man, and he was unwilling to take one of his own flock or herd to prepare for the guest who had come to him, but he took the poor man’s lamb and prepared it for the man who had come to him.” Then David’s anger was greatly kindled against the man, and he said to Nathan, “As the LORD lives, the man who has done this deserves to die, and he shall restore the lamb fourfold, because he did this thing, and because he had no pity.”

2 Samuel12:1-6

One of the biggest challenges most of us face is finding a friend who is willing to love us enough to say the uncomfortable truths in difficult moments. Just this afternoon, I spent some time talking with an old friend who related an encounter with a mutual friend that was a bit challenging to say the least.

It wasn’t quite as elegant as the encounter in the verses above between King David and Nathan, the prophet, but we all need friends like that at times. In the verses that follow, Nathan revealed the hard truth to David –

Nathan said to David, “You are the man! Thus says the LORD, the God of Israel, I anointed you king over Israel, and I delivered you out of the hand of Saul. And I gave you your master’s house and your master’s wives into your arms and gave you the house of Israel and of Judah. And if this were too little, I would add to you as much more. Why have you despised the word of the LORD, to do what is evil in his sight?

2 Samuel12: 7-9

Which man do you identify with most closely – David or Nathan?