There is a friend who sticks closer than a brother. Proverbs 18:24
Thought Of The Day...
“You can’t live with ’em, and you can’t live without ’em,” my father used to say. I’m not sure who he was talking about, but I think he may have been referring to his work boots, since his feet often hurt. Closeness and separation are twin realities that call for continual attention.
For many of us, friendships are complex, for they call for maintaining those twin realities of closeness and separation. But maintaining this balance is often difficult, even painful.
On the one hand, we can smother our friendships by too much closeness. And sometimes we get close to the wrong people and choose friends who influence us in ways that get us into trouble.
On the other hand, we can be hurt by the pain of separation. Losing someone who is close to us can cause intense pain! At times we may so fear the pain of separation that we avoid making friendships. Or we keep a friend at arm’s length, afraid that if our friendship becomes too strong, we won’t be able to endure the pain of separation that may come in the future.
Proverbs speaks of a friend who is appropriately close and yet is more reliable than a brother. The Friend we need most is the Lord Jesus. He guides us between the extremes of closeness and separation. He gives us wisdom. He is our Brother in the family of God.
Prayer...
Heavenly Father, I come before you today to thank you for the gift of friendship. You have called us your friends, and I am humbled and grateful to be in a relationship with you. Your love and presence in my life have never wavered, and for that, I am forever thankful. Help me to meditate on this truth and soak in the promise that you have given us. May I be reminded of your unwavering love and friendship each day.
As your friend, I pray that you will empower me to be a blessing to others. Help me to reflect the love that I have experienced from you to those around me. May I show consistency and loyalty in my friendships, just as you have shown me. I want to be a reflection of your love and friendship in this world.
Thank you, Jesus, for being not only our Lord and Savior but also our friend. May we never take for granted the beautiful and powerful relationship we have with you. May we continue to grow in our friendship with you and with one another. In your loving and holy name of Jesus, I pray. Amen.
Thought Of The Day...
“You can’t live with ’em, and you can’t live without ’em,” my father used to say. I’m not sure who he was talking about, but I think he may have been referring to his work boots, since his feet often hurt. Closeness and separation are twin realities that call for continual attention.
For many of us, friendships are complex, for they call for maintaining those twin realities of closeness and separation. But maintaining this balance is often difficult, even painful.
On the one hand, we can smother our friendships by too much closeness. And sometimes we get close to the wrong people and choose friends who influence us in ways that get us into trouble.
On the other hand, we can be hurt by the pain of separation. Losing someone who is close to us can cause intense pain! At times we may so fear the pain of separation that we avoid making friendships. Or we keep a friend at arm’s length, afraid that if our friendship becomes too strong, we won’t be able to endure the pain of separation that may come in the future.
Proverbs speaks of a friend who is appropriately close and yet is more reliable than a brother. The Friend we need most is the Lord Jesus. He guides us between the extremes of closeness and separation. He gives us wisdom. He is our Brother in the family of God.
Prayer...
Heavenly Father, I come before you today to thank you for the gift of friendship. You have called us your friends, and I am humbled and grateful to be in a relationship with you. Your love and presence in my life have never wavered, and for that, I am forever thankful. Help me to meditate on this truth and soak in the promise that you have given us. May I be reminded of your unwavering love and friendship each day.
As your friend, I pray that you will empower me to be a blessing to others. Help me to reflect the love that I have experienced from you to those around me. May I show consistency and loyalty in my friendships, just as you have shown me. I want to be a reflection of your love and friendship in this world.
Thank you, Jesus, for being not only our Lord and Savior but also our friend. May we never take for granted the beautiful and powerful relationship we have with you. May we continue to grow in our friendship with you and with one another. In your loving and holy name of Jesus, I pray. Amen.
There is a friend who sticks closer than a brother. Proverbs 18:24
Thought Of The Day...
“You can’t live with ’em, and you can’t live without ’em,” my father used to say. I’m not sure who he was talking about, but I think he may have been referring to his work boots, since his feet often hurt. Closeness and separation are twin realities that call for continual attention.
For many of us, friendships are complex, for they call for maintaining those twin realities of closeness and separation. But maintaining this balance is often difficult, even painful.
On the one hand, we can smother our friendships by too much closeness. And sometimes we get close to the wrong people and choose friends who influence us in ways that get us into trouble.
On the other hand, we can be hurt by the pain of separation. Losing someone who is close to us can cause intense pain! At times we may so fear the pain of separation that we avoid making friendships. Or we keep a friend at arm’s length, afraid that if our friendship becomes too strong, we won’t be able to endure the pain of separation that may come in the future.
Proverbs speaks of a friend who is appropriately close and yet is more reliable than a brother. The Friend we need most is the Lord Jesus. He guides us between the extremes of closeness and separation. He gives us wisdom. He is our Brother in the family of God.
Prayer...
Heavenly Father, I come before you today to thank you for the gift of friendship. You have called us your friends, and I am humbled and grateful to be in a relationship with you. Your love and presence in my life have never wavered, and for that, I am forever thankful. Help me to meditate on this truth and soak in the promise that you have given us. May I be reminded of your unwavering love and friendship each day.
As your friend, I pray that you will empower me to be a blessing to others. Help me to reflect the love that I have experienced from you to those around me. May I show consistency and loyalty in my friendships, just as you have shown me. I want to be a reflection of your love and friendship in this world.
Thank you, Jesus, for being not only our Lord and Savior but also our friend. May we never take for granted the beautiful and powerful relationship we have with you. May we continue to grow in our friendship with you and with one another. In your loving and holy name of Jesus, I pray. Amen.
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