Tag: friend
What are friends for?
Scripture reading for May 18: Job 4-7
Close friends who we can share our hearts with are few and far between. I am blessed with a close friend in my wife. She is God’s precious gift to me in the area of friendship. I also have several men who are friends I can count on. But outside of your mate, friends who will stick with you and speak honestly to you through thick or thin are not that easy to find. We have trouble trusting others and as we live life, we come to see that each person, ourself included, has his own load of faults and walls of self-defense. The gift of friendship is something special that must be cultivated over time.
Job was in the thick of his personal crisis. He had lost his material possessions and his children, and now had lost his health. His body was covered with sores and he itched and ached. Worms infested the sores and he could find no rest day or night. His skin was disfigured and he was sickly and emaciated. He was just a shadow of his former self and at this point had no answers as to why this was happening to him. His own wife had advised him to curse God and die. Three friends were sitting quietly with him.
One friend, Eliphaz, finally spoke with advice for his friend. Eliphaz believed that God punished the wicked and He rewarded the righteous. Any suffering was the result of some sin and God was punishing wickedness. God would restore and heal any person who honestly confessed their sin. Eliphaz got this revelation from a personal experience with a “spirit” and from personal observation. (Job 4:12-21) The ‘accuser’ had used Eliphaz to torment his friend. Eliphaz did not know God had Himself declared Job righteous before the suffering began and allowed Satan to test Job in this manner! (Job 1:8)
But Job knew his own heart and his integrity would not let him confess to something he did not know about. He would not try to manipulate God just to get everything back. Rather than being comforted by Eliphaz’s words, he was made even more miserable! (Job 6:21) Job went to God in prayer for the help he needed and the advice his friend did not give! (Job 7:17-21)
As I read Job’s story, I am reminded of my need for compassion for those who suffer! It is easy to judge others from our own worldly wisdom! God’s ways are above our understanding and we cannot always know the whole story through our own study or personal experience. Listening closer is wise! Waiting on the Lord and encouragement is a wiser course of action. My prayer: “Help me O Lord, to be a better friend to those who suffer!”
Friends that bless
Scripture reading for March 21: 1st Samuel 20-23
1 Samuel 18:1 “As soon as he had finished speaking to Saul, the soul of Jonathan was knit to the soul of David, and Jonathan loved him as his own soul.” 1 Samuel 23:16 “And Jonathan, Saul’s son, rose and went to David at Horesh, and strengthened his hand in God.”
When I was in school, I had a best friend named Kendal and we were in the same class from kindergarten until our junior year of high school. We tried to sit together and be together. We camped out during the summer and loved to hunt birds and fish. We often shared our hearts with each other. Kendal was drafted into the Army and went to Vietnam. I had gone to college and had enlisted in the Iowa National Guard. Kendal gave his life serving our country. I had the privilege of being a pall-bearer at his funeral! Best friends are hard to find, and even harder to loose!
David and Jonathan were best friends. The Scripture records their love for each other and how their hearts were knit together. (1st Samuel 18:1-4) Jonathan was Saul’s son and the probable heir to the throne of Israel. David was a shepherd and musician who God had selected to be the next king of Israel. God placed David in Saul’s court to prepare him for his kingship. Jonathan recognized the favor of the Lord on David and was drawn to him in a covenant love. They became best friends and shared their hearts with each other. They made a covenant to help each other and even their extended families.
King Saul became jealous of David’s reputation and was afraid of David’s anointing. He was insecure and tormented by an “evil spirit from the Lord” because he was in rebellion. (1st Samuel 17:14, 23) David played his harp and the evil spirit would leave for a time. The evil spirit would return and sometimes turn murderous towards David. Saul tried to kill him on several occasions and David was forced to flee. Jonathan always tried to patch things up or help his friend.
Finally, David realized that King Saul was going to kill him. Jonathan tried one more time to patch things up, but was himself attacked with a spear by his own father! Jonathan sent David away with tears and reaffirmation of their friendship. (1st Samuel 20:41-42) When he could, Jonathan would slip away and meet with David. He always encouraged him in the Lord! (1st Samuel 23:15-18)
We have a Friend in our Lord Jesus Christ! He is faithful and true to us, even when the going gets rough! He provides encouragement and shares his armaments with us! We can call on Him at any time and he will come. He will warn us of danger and help us to either face it or escape. He is a friend by covenant and promises to help our descendants as well! Praise the Lord–He has called us friends! (John 15:15-17)