You Know Who Your
Friends Are When …
Like a bad tooth or a
lame foot, is reliance on the unfaithful in times of trouble. Like one who
takes away a garment on a cold day, or like vinegar poured on soda, is one who
sings songs to a heavy heart. (Proverbs 25:19-20)
The current circumstances have offered ample opportunity for
people to show their true colours. Whether is has been a health issue, or
financial strain, many people have fallen into hardship during these months of
social distancing and the shutdown of our economy. It’s a time when many of us
have seen who our true friends are; people who stick with us through the good
times and the bad.
True friends show their worth
when they come to our aid, or bring a word of encouragement that helps us focus
on the One who meets our greatest needs. Solomon is quick to identify these
people.
Like the coolness of
snow at harvest time is a trustworthy messenger to those who send him; he
refreshes the spirit of his masters. (Prov. 25:14)
A word aptly spoken is
like apples of gold in setting of silver. (Prov. 25:12)
Like cold water to a
weary soul is good news from a distant land. (Prov. 25:25)
We are given the opportunity during these days to
demonstrate the kind of a friend we are. The Scriptures speak of this in many
places, reminding us that it is God’s love, given freely to us, that He expects
to give to others:
We love because he
first loved us. (1 John 4:19)
A friends loves at all
times, and a brother is born for adversity. (Prov. 17:17)
My command is this:
Love each other as I have loved you. Greater love has no one than this, that he
lay down his life for his friends. (John 15:12-13)
Like so many other things in the Scriptures, we are given
bad examples as a warning, not to justify a pity-party. The issue is never, “who
has come to help me,” but rather, “who have I reached out to and shown my true
friendship?”
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