TODAYS WORD FOR TUESDAY JANUARY 31, 2012.
CONTENT
DEFINITION:
Satisfied; easy in mind; happy.
SCRIPTURE:
Not that I speak in regard to need, for I have learned in whatever state I am, to be content. Philippians 4:11.
Now godliness with contentment is great gain. For we brought nothing into this world, and it is certain we can carry nothing out. I Timothy 6:6-7.
KNOWLEDGE AND EXPERIENCE:
The apostle Paul wrote the two verses above, one to the church at Philippi and one to Timothy to help them understand the true meaning of contentment and how to find it. Paul was well educated and held an esteemed position as a Pharisee, yet he willingly gave it all up to serve his Lord and Savior and to preach the message of salvation to the multitudes. As a result he lived a hard life traveling from place to place, with no home and often without food, and suffering great persecution.
So why was he able to write that he could be content in all circumstances? It was because he had learned to rely on God for his contentment. As believers we need to rely on the Lord for contentment as Paul did. When God is blessing us with abundance we are to be content in Him. When we are in a state of crises we are to be content in Him. This is a difficult principle to learn but this is what God wants of us as believers and children of God. It is always easy to be content when all is going well but most difficult in a time of crisis.
We see people all around us today looking to find contentment. Many people spend every moment of their free time sitting in a chair, eating food and watching the television or surfing the web on the computer. For them this is contentment. When the cable or the computer goes out they quickly get frustrated and there goes there contentment.
There are others that are content only when they are working and making money. For others contentment is going places or doing “fun” things. These things are very temporal and do not bring contentment that satisfies for very long.
How many people have you met that are never content. They seem to constantly be complaining. They seem to be lonely and unfulfilled and searching for happiness. They always want more but when they get it they are still not happy. They are basically a “pain in the neck” to their families and friends. The word contentment does not seem to be in their vocabulary, because they have never learned to trust in the Lord and not on “things.”
As believers in Jesus we need to realize that the verse above from I Timothy is so very true. We brought nothing into this world and it is certain that we will carry nothing out. Whatever we have has been given to us from God. When we are thankful for what we have we will be content in whatever state we are in.
We have no control over crises that we may face like earthquakes, floods, hurricanes, civil wars or other disasters. God has a reason that He allows us to go through these situations. We may find ourselves in circumstances we are not content to be in but, God will protect us and bless us if we stay true to Him.
LEARNING:
Our memory verse for this week is found in I John 1:3.
That which we have seen and heard we declare to you, that you also may have fellowship with us; and truly our fellowship is with the Father and with His Son Jesus Christ.
PRAYER:
It is my prayer today that I be content with whatever I face today knowing that You are my Savior and Lord and that You are with me no matter what the circumstance. May I be a leader of my family showing them how to be content in You through every situation, good or bad, that we may face.
January 31, 2012
January 30, 2012
Abililty: January 30, 2012
TODAYS WORD FOR MONDAY JANUARY 30, 2012
ABILITY
DEFINITION:
Having the means or power to be or to act.
SCRIPTURE:
“And to one he gave five talents, to another two, and to another one, to each according to his own ability.” Matthew 25:15
If anyone speaks he should do it as one speaking the very words of God. If anyone serves he should do it as with the strength which God provides so that in all things God may be glorified through Jesus Christ. I Peter 4:11
KNOWLEDGE AND EXPERIENCE:
When we think of the word ability we are reminded of three distinct types of people we have known and worked with over the years.
There was a person that comes to mind that worked with us in the ministry. This person was not doing the job that was expected of him and other people in the ministry thought, as we did, that he could do much better. But after several conversations and additional training he never improved.
The reason he did not improve became very clear to us. He was happy in his comfort zone coming to work every day and doing just enough to get by and then going home. He had great ability but never seemed to have the desire to take advantage of the abilities God gave him.
We have known others with possible limited ability that worked hard at every task given them and made sure that what they did was done beyond what was expected despite of their limited ability.
And we have also worked with people that always had the attitude that they could do anything and do it better than others. Many times they overestimated their ability and could not produce what they said they could.
We have shared with you three types of people. Those that have great ability and do not use what God has given them. Those who may have great ability or little ability but they always work over and above what is expected of them and excel in what they accomplish. And finally you have the person who talks the talk, saying nothing is impossible for him to accomplish, but cannot walk the walk. The result is always failure.
In the verse we have put above from Matthew we read part of the parable that Jesus preached about the talents. It was very evident as you read this parable that Jesus knew that there were those that had more ability than others. In this parable Jesus makes it clear that He expects us to use whatever talents He has given us to the best of our ability. What counts with God is not how much we have to offer Him but about how well we serve Him with what we have.
In his writing to the church at Corinth (II Corinthians 8:3) Paul commended the church at Macedonia for their sacrificial giving in spite of their deep poverty. They did not have much but they gave according to their ability and YES they gave beyond their ability. God wants us to give back to Him beyond our ability.
Some people say they have no abilities or special talents that the Lord could use. This is not true. Everyone has some ability. In I Peter 4:6-11 Peter lists things that everyone has the ability to do. We all can show love to one another, be hospitable to one another, serve one another and to speak the Words of God.
LEARNING:
Our memory verse for this week is found in I John 1:3.
That which we have seen and heard we declare to you, that you also may have fellowship with us; and truly our fellowship is with the Father and with His Son Jesus Christ.
PRAYER:
Thank you for the abilities You have given me and help me to be faithful in using them to show love to others. Help me to be able to train my children to love You and use their abilities in serving You.
ABILITY
DEFINITION:
Having the means or power to be or to act.
SCRIPTURE:
“And to one he gave five talents, to another two, and to another one, to each according to his own ability.” Matthew 25:15
If anyone speaks he should do it as one speaking the very words of God. If anyone serves he should do it as with the strength which God provides so that in all things God may be glorified through Jesus Christ. I Peter 4:11
KNOWLEDGE AND EXPERIENCE:
When we think of the word ability we are reminded of three distinct types of people we have known and worked with over the years.
There was a person that comes to mind that worked with us in the ministry. This person was not doing the job that was expected of him and other people in the ministry thought, as we did, that he could do much better. But after several conversations and additional training he never improved.
The reason he did not improve became very clear to us. He was happy in his comfort zone coming to work every day and doing just enough to get by and then going home. He had great ability but never seemed to have the desire to take advantage of the abilities God gave him.
We have known others with possible limited ability that worked hard at every task given them and made sure that what they did was done beyond what was expected despite of their limited ability.
And we have also worked with people that always had the attitude that they could do anything and do it better than others. Many times they overestimated their ability and could not produce what they said they could.
We have shared with you three types of people. Those that have great ability and do not use what God has given them. Those who may have great ability or little ability but they always work over and above what is expected of them and excel in what they accomplish. And finally you have the person who talks the talk, saying nothing is impossible for him to accomplish, but cannot walk the walk. The result is always failure.
In the verse we have put above from Matthew we read part of the parable that Jesus preached about the talents. It was very evident as you read this parable that Jesus knew that there were those that had more ability than others. In this parable Jesus makes it clear that He expects us to use whatever talents He has given us to the best of our ability. What counts with God is not how much we have to offer Him but about how well we serve Him with what we have.
In his writing to the church at Corinth (II Corinthians 8:3) Paul commended the church at Macedonia for their sacrificial giving in spite of their deep poverty. They did not have much but they gave according to their ability and YES they gave beyond their ability. God wants us to give back to Him beyond our ability.
Some people say they have no abilities or special talents that the Lord could use. This is not true. Everyone has some ability. In I Peter 4:6-11 Peter lists things that everyone has the ability to do. We all can show love to one another, be hospitable to one another, serve one another and to speak the Words of God.
LEARNING:
Our memory verse for this week is found in I John 1:3.
That which we have seen and heard we declare to you, that you also may have fellowship with us; and truly our fellowship is with the Father and with His Son Jesus Christ.
PRAYER:
Thank you for the abilities You have given me and help me to be faithful in using them to show love to others. Help me to be able to train my children to love You and use their abilities in serving You.
January 29, 2012
Music: January 27, 2012
TODAYS WORD FOR FRIDAY JANUARY 27, 2012.
MUSIC
DEFINITION:
The combining of sounds and tones as a form of artistic expression.
SCRIPTURE:
Serve the Lord with gladness; Come before His presence with singing. Psalm 100:2
Be filled with the Spirit, speaking to one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing and making melody in your heart to the Lord. Ephesians 5:18-19.
KNOWLEDGE AND EXPERIENCE:
We have often said and have heard many people say over the years that when we get to heaven we will be able to sing so much better than we try to now. Have you thought how thrilling it will be just to sit down and sing with the angels, psalms and hymns most likely with words and music like we have never heard before.
We have mentioned several times in prior devotionals the experiences we have had in Kenya. Each year the 75 churches that we helped to sponsor had a three day conference somewhere in the middle of where their churches were located. We will never forget the singing that we heard at these conferences.
The church choirs would come and everyone would join them in singing songs and praising God through music. It was an experience that we will never forget and we commented at the time that it maybe would be something like the singing we anticipated in heaven.
But when we get to heaven John tells us in Revelation 5:11 that there will be thousands upon thousands singing praises of honor and glory to the Lord. In the verses we have put above we see in Psalms that we are to come before our Lord singing as we enter into His presence. Can you imagine the thrill of that happening for an eternity?
While Jesus was here on earth He joined with His disciples in singing hymns. After instituting the Lord’s Supper with His disciples they joined in singing a hymn before they went up to the Mount of Olives where Jesus prayed in the Garden of Gethsemane. In Matthew 26:30 we read: “After singing a hymn, they went out to the Mount of Olives.”
In Ephesians (above) the apostle Paul reminds us that while we are here on this earth waiting for our Lord’s return we are to speak to one another in psalms, hymns and spiritual songs. Our Lord wants us to honor and glorify His name through music. Songs of praise to the Lord ministers to our hearts and lifts us up.
When we think of music we often think of hearing the Halleluiah Chorus sung by a mass choir of hundreds. What a thrilling experience that is. We all have heard wonderful singing honoring God in our churches and at Christian concerts. Over the years music has changed. We personally have our hearts moved when we hear the old songs sung years ago.
It is important that we make music part of our daily lives. We need to listen to music that honors God. We need to sing songs that honor God, even if we really cannot sing. God listens to the heart knowing that when we are with him we will all have wonderful new voices.
LEARNING:
Our memory verse for this week is found in I Peter 2:2-3.
As newborn babes, desire the pure milk of the Word that you may grow thereby, if indeed you have tasted that the Lord is gracious.
PRAYER:
May my heart be filled with music that honors and glorifies Your name today.
MUSIC
DEFINITION:
The combining of sounds and tones as a form of artistic expression.
SCRIPTURE:
Serve the Lord with gladness; Come before His presence with singing. Psalm 100:2
Be filled with the Spirit, speaking to one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing and making melody in your heart to the Lord. Ephesians 5:18-19.
KNOWLEDGE AND EXPERIENCE:
We have often said and have heard many people say over the years that when we get to heaven we will be able to sing so much better than we try to now. Have you thought how thrilling it will be just to sit down and sing with the angels, psalms and hymns most likely with words and music like we have never heard before.
We have mentioned several times in prior devotionals the experiences we have had in Kenya. Each year the 75 churches that we helped to sponsor had a three day conference somewhere in the middle of where their churches were located. We will never forget the singing that we heard at these conferences.
The church choirs would come and everyone would join them in singing songs and praising God through music. It was an experience that we will never forget and we commented at the time that it maybe would be something like the singing we anticipated in heaven.
But when we get to heaven John tells us in Revelation 5:11 that there will be thousands upon thousands singing praises of honor and glory to the Lord. In the verses we have put above we see in Psalms that we are to come before our Lord singing as we enter into His presence. Can you imagine the thrill of that happening for an eternity?
While Jesus was here on earth He joined with His disciples in singing hymns. After instituting the Lord’s Supper with His disciples they joined in singing a hymn before they went up to the Mount of Olives where Jesus prayed in the Garden of Gethsemane. In Matthew 26:30 we read: “After singing a hymn, they went out to the Mount of Olives.”
In Ephesians (above) the apostle Paul reminds us that while we are here on this earth waiting for our Lord’s return we are to speak to one another in psalms, hymns and spiritual songs. Our Lord wants us to honor and glorify His name through music. Songs of praise to the Lord ministers to our hearts and lifts us up.
When we think of music we often think of hearing the Halleluiah Chorus sung by a mass choir of hundreds. What a thrilling experience that is. We all have heard wonderful singing honoring God in our churches and at Christian concerts. Over the years music has changed. We personally have our hearts moved when we hear the old songs sung years ago.
It is important that we make music part of our daily lives. We need to listen to music that honors God. We need to sing songs that honor God, even if we really cannot sing. God listens to the heart knowing that when we are with him we will all have wonderful new voices.
LEARNING:
Our memory verse for this week is found in I Peter 2:2-3.
As newborn babes, desire the pure milk of the Word that you may grow thereby, if indeed you have tasted that the Lord is gracious.
PRAYER:
May my heart be filled with music that honors and glorifies Your name today.
Emptiness: January 26, 2012
TODAYS WORD FOR THURSDAY JANUARY 26, 2012.
EMPTINESS
DEFINITION:
Containing nothing; lacking in value; meaningless.
SCRIPTURE:
He has filled the hungry with good things, and the rich He has sent away empty. Luke 1:53
Let no one deceive you with empty words, for because of these things the wrath of God comes upon the sons of disobedience. Ephesians 5:6
Surely God will not listen to empty talk, nor will the Almighty regard it. Job 35:13.
KNOWLEDGE AND EXPERIENCE:
We talk to so many people that have emptiness in their lives. They feel alone and many just feel rejected. The life style that many people live today initiates the emptiness that so many feel. Where there is no hope in life the natural opposite is an emptiness that seemingly cannot be filled.
But the Bible has an answer for those who want to get rid of their emptiness. In the verse above from Luke the writer refers to the ones that feel emptiness in their lives as being hungry. And if you are one that is hungry you are searching for righteousness. This verse assures us that if we come to God empty and searching for righteousness He will fill our lives with good things. He contrasts this with the rich that have everything and put their trust in “Things” instead of God.
The verse above from Ephesians reminds us that in this world we face many temptations and evil pressures. Paul refers to these as “empty words.” False teachers use empty words to deceive us and pull us away from the cross which is the truth of our salvation we were given by Jesus on the cross of Calvary. It is the cross alone that stops the wrath of God against sin in the lives of those who believe in Jesus.
In the Old Testament we read about Job (above) and all of the temptations and frustrations that God allowed him to go through to prove to Satan that he (Job) was a righteous man. In this verse Job was accused of being empty and vain in his belief. This accusation was false, of course, but is an example for us today. Satan daily is going to tempt us to make us think that our relationship with God is empty. When this happens how do you respond?
Emptiness is a tool that Satan uses with one who believes in God to cause us to doubt God when we face difficult situations in our lives. Put your total faith in the Lord, your Father, and he will turn your emptiness into a life full of joy and hope.
LEARNING:
Our memory verse for this week is found in I Peter 2:2-3.
As newborn babes, desire the pure milk of the Word that you may grow thereby, if indeed you have tasted that the Lord is gracious.
PRAYER:
My prayer is that You will not let anyone deceive me with empty words. Help me to live above the frustrations of everyday life, putting all of my trust and hope in You. Help me to lead my family through any emptiness that they may be facing in their lives.
EMPTINESS
DEFINITION:
Containing nothing; lacking in value; meaningless.
SCRIPTURE:
He has filled the hungry with good things, and the rich He has sent away empty. Luke 1:53
Let no one deceive you with empty words, for because of these things the wrath of God comes upon the sons of disobedience. Ephesians 5:6
Surely God will not listen to empty talk, nor will the Almighty regard it. Job 35:13.
KNOWLEDGE AND EXPERIENCE:
We talk to so many people that have emptiness in their lives. They feel alone and many just feel rejected. The life style that many people live today initiates the emptiness that so many feel. Where there is no hope in life the natural opposite is an emptiness that seemingly cannot be filled.
But the Bible has an answer for those who want to get rid of their emptiness. In the verse above from Luke the writer refers to the ones that feel emptiness in their lives as being hungry. And if you are one that is hungry you are searching for righteousness. This verse assures us that if we come to God empty and searching for righteousness He will fill our lives with good things. He contrasts this with the rich that have everything and put their trust in “Things” instead of God.
The verse above from Ephesians reminds us that in this world we face many temptations and evil pressures. Paul refers to these as “empty words.” False teachers use empty words to deceive us and pull us away from the cross which is the truth of our salvation we were given by Jesus on the cross of Calvary. It is the cross alone that stops the wrath of God against sin in the lives of those who believe in Jesus.
In the Old Testament we read about Job (above) and all of the temptations and frustrations that God allowed him to go through to prove to Satan that he (Job) was a righteous man. In this verse Job was accused of being empty and vain in his belief. This accusation was false, of course, but is an example for us today. Satan daily is going to tempt us to make us think that our relationship with God is empty. When this happens how do you respond?
Emptiness is a tool that Satan uses with one who believes in God to cause us to doubt God when we face difficult situations in our lives. Put your total faith in the Lord, your Father, and he will turn your emptiness into a life full of joy and hope.
LEARNING:
Our memory verse for this week is found in I Peter 2:2-3.
As newborn babes, desire the pure milk of the Word that you may grow thereby, if indeed you have tasted that the Lord is gracious.
PRAYER:
My prayer is that You will not let anyone deceive me with empty words. Help me to live above the frustrations of everyday life, putting all of my trust and hope in You. Help me to lead my family through any emptiness that they may be facing in their lives.
Assurance: January 25, 2012
TODAYS WORD FOR WEDNESDAY JANUARY 25, 2012
ASSURANCE
DEFINITION:
An ernest statement intended to give confidence; freedom from doubt; a promise.
SCRIPTURE:
And we know that the Son of God has come and has given us an understanding, that we may know Him who is true; and we are in Him who is true, in His Son Jesus Christ. This is the true God and eternal life. I John 5:20
KNOWLEDGE AND EXPERIENCE:
People of all ages today constantly need assurance. When a child takes his or her first step he or she looks to the parent for assurance. They want you to know what they have accomplished and want a “good job, we are proud of you” response.
The same is wanted when a child enters new endeavors. They look for assurance when they have their first day of school. The same when they have to take their first test or give their first speech.
Teenagers need assurance that only a parent can give when they start a new school or meet new friends. And adults need assurance at their work places. If a boss never gives one a pat on the back or says “good job” one gets very discouraged and soon loses interest in their job.
In the verse we have written above the writer in closing his letter makes strong comments as to the assurance that God gives to us as believers. What God has told us in His Word is true and unshakeable. What He has revealed to us is absolutely certain.
In fact in three consecutive verses, I John 5: 18, 19, and 20, John begins with the confident phrase of assurance, “We know.” John says that we are of God, that we possess the very nature and being of God, and that the whole world is in the power of the evil one.
The world talks about love and hungers for love, but it does not understand the very thing that it seeks, and it lacks the power to practice it because the world does not know the One who is love personified.
God is love. John writes that since we are of God, He has given us the understanding to know Him and the power to experience eternal life. What a declaration this is and what assurance this gives to all of us who believe in Him.
We live in an age of moral relativism, where people claim we cannot know anything for sure, where uncertainties and confusion abound. But we, as believers in Jesus, have been given the assurance that we are people who can stand alone in an unsecure world that is falling apart because of our trust in God.
LEARNING:
Our memory verse for this week is found in I Peter 2:2-3.
As newborn babes, desire the pure milk of the Word that you may grow thereby, if needed you have tasted that the Lord is gracious.
PRAYER:
Thank You for the assurance that You have given me because of my faith in You. May I this day be the shining light that You expect of me so that others may find the same assurance in life that I experience daily because of You.
ASSURANCE
DEFINITION:
An ernest statement intended to give confidence; freedom from doubt; a promise.
SCRIPTURE:
And we know that the Son of God has come and has given us an understanding, that we may know Him who is true; and we are in Him who is true, in His Son Jesus Christ. This is the true God and eternal life. I John 5:20
KNOWLEDGE AND EXPERIENCE:
People of all ages today constantly need assurance. When a child takes his or her first step he or she looks to the parent for assurance. They want you to know what they have accomplished and want a “good job, we are proud of you” response.
The same is wanted when a child enters new endeavors. They look for assurance when they have their first day of school. The same when they have to take their first test or give their first speech.
Teenagers need assurance that only a parent can give when they start a new school or meet new friends. And adults need assurance at their work places. If a boss never gives one a pat on the back or says “good job” one gets very discouraged and soon loses interest in their job.
In the verse we have written above the writer in closing his letter makes strong comments as to the assurance that God gives to us as believers. What God has told us in His Word is true and unshakeable. What He has revealed to us is absolutely certain.
In fact in three consecutive verses, I John 5: 18, 19, and 20, John begins with the confident phrase of assurance, “We know.” John says that we are of God, that we possess the very nature and being of God, and that the whole world is in the power of the evil one.
The world talks about love and hungers for love, but it does not understand the very thing that it seeks, and it lacks the power to practice it because the world does not know the One who is love personified.
God is love. John writes that since we are of God, He has given us the understanding to know Him and the power to experience eternal life. What a declaration this is and what assurance this gives to all of us who believe in Him.
We live in an age of moral relativism, where people claim we cannot know anything for sure, where uncertainties and confusion abound. But we, as believers in Jesus, have been given the assurance that we are people who can stand alone in an unsecure world that is falling apart because of our trust in God.
LEARNING:
Our memory verse for this week is found in I Peter 2:2-3.
As newborn babes, desire the pure milk of the Word that you may grow thereby, if needed you have tasted that the Lord is gracious.
PRAYER:
Thank You for the assurance that You have given me because of my faith in You. May I this day be the shining light that You expect of me so that others may find the same assurance in life that I experience daily because of You.
Friend: January 24, 2012
TODAYS WORD FOR TUESDAY JANUARY 24, 2012.
FRIEND
DEFINITION:
A person on intimate and affectionate terms with another; supporters; well wishers.
SCRIPTURE:
“Greater love has no one than this, than to lay down one’s life for his friends. You are My friends if you do whatever I command you.” John 15:13-14
A friend loves at all times. Proverbs 17:17
A man who has friends must himself be friendly, but there is a friend who sticks closer than a brother. Psalm 18:24
KNOWLEDGE AND EXPERIENCE:
People need friends desperately because human nature drives a person to need to communicate with someone in many situations in life. In this world we live in there are many types of friends.
Many friends we feel are what we call “fair weather friends.” They are with you as a friend as long as all is going well between the two of you or until another “friend” comes along. Since we are living in a “ME GENERATION,” many people keep friendships only as long as it benefits them. They are suddenly gone when you face a crises or situation when you really need a friend.
Where do you look for friends? This is a critical decision that every person must make when looking for friends. One needs to remember that where your heart is that is where you will feel most comfortable. When you love the Lord you need to look for friends in places where like-minded people who also love the Lord gather.
We developed friends in places where we were involved. But we found out that in some situations we were involved in gave us a different caliber of friends. One area where we developed friends with was the parents of children that played sports with our children. Many of these were not Christians so the friendship was different.
We developed friends with parents of children that went to the same school and church that our children attended. They attended a Christian school so there was a closer bond because of our mutual love for the Lord.
Our best friends in our lives were the leaders we met in missions. It was simple to see why this was so because our heart interests were the same. Take a moment to read the book of Philemon. It is only 25 verses long but Paul in these 25 verses talks to his brother in Christ, Philemon, the beloved friend and fellow laborer in the faith with Timothy about Christian brotherly love.
Paul writes Philemon to intercede for Onesimus, Philemon’s runaway slave. Through Paul, Onesimus had become a believer and developed a deep bond of friendship with Paul and was a help to Paul while Paul was in prison. Paul asks Philemon to be forgiving and welcome Onesimus back, not as a slave but as a Christian brother.
Paul reminds Philemon that they have a responsibility to love their friend Onesimus. We as believers have the same responsibility today to love our friends just as Jesus loves us. To love as Jesus does we must be forgiving of those who have wronged us and who seek our forgiveness and accept them back as a friend.
The three verses that we have written above are a reminder to us as to how we are always to live our lives in a spirit of love and be the kind of friend Jesus wants us to be. Do you show love to those friends that are counting on you for support and friendship? Do you show the love of Christ in your daily walk and talk? Do your friends see a difference in you than some of the other friends they may have?
It is important for us to remember that the greatest friend we have is Jesus. He is with us through thick and thin. He never leaves us nor forsakes us. What more can we expect or have?
LEARNING:
Our memory verse for this week is found in I Peter 2:2-3.
As newborn babes, desire the pure milk of the Word that you may grow thereby, if indeed you have tasted that the Lord is gracious.
PRAYER:
I rejoice that I have You as my friend and Savior. Help me to be a friend that loves at all times and sticks closer than a brother. Help me to show others that You want to be their friend and help me to lead them to You.
FRIEND
DEFINITION:
A person on intimate and affectionate terms with another; supporters; well wishers.
SCRIPTURE:
“Greater love has no one than this, than to lay down one’s life for his friends. You are My friends if you do whatever I command you.” John 15:13-14
A friend loves at all times. Proverbs 17:17
A man who has friends must himself be friendly, but there is a friend who sticks closer than a brother. Psalm 18:24
KNOWLEDGE AND EXPERIENCE:
People need friends desperately because human nature drives a person to need to communicate with someone in many situations in life. In this world we live in there are many types of friends.
Many friends we feel are what we call “fair weather friends.” They are with you as a friend as long as all is going well between the two of you or until another “friend” comes along. Since we are living in a “ME GENERATION,” many people keep friendships only as long as it benefits them. They are suddenly gone when you face a crises or situation when you really need a friend.
Where do you look for friends? This is a critical decision that every person must make when looking for friends. One needs to remember that where your heart is that is where you will feel most comfortable. When you love the Lord you need to look for friends in places where like-minded people who also love the Lord gather.
We developed friends in places where we were involved. But we found out that in some situations we were involved in gave us a different caliber of friends. One area where we developed friends with was the parents of children that played sports with our children. Many of these were not Christians so the friendship was different.
We developed friends with parents of children that went to the same school and church that our children attended. They attended a Christian school so there was a closer bond because of our mutual love for the Lord.
Our best friends in our lives were the leaders we met in missions. It was simple to see why this was so because our heart interests were the same. Take a moment to read the book of Philemon. It is only 25 verses long but Paul in these 25 verses talks to his brother in Christ, Philemon, the beloved friend and fellow laborer in the faith with Timothy about Christian brotherly love.
Paul writes Philemon to intercede for Onesimus, Philemon’s runaway slave. Through Paul, Onesimus had become a believer and developed a deep bond of friendship with Paul and was a help to Paul while Paul was in prison. Paul asks Philemon to be forgiving and welcome Onesimus back, not as a slave but as a Christian brother.
Paul reminds Philemon that they have a responsibility to love their friend Onesimus. We as believers have the same responsibility today to love our friends just as Jesus loves us. To love as Jesus does we must be forgiving of those who have wronged us and who seek our forgiveness and accept them back as a friend.
The three verses that we have written above are a reminder to us as to how we are always to live our lives in a spirit of love and be the kind of friend Jesus wants us to be. Do you show love to those friends that are counting on you for support and friendship? Do you show the love of Christ in your daily walk and talk? Do your friends see a difference in you than some of the other friends they may have?
It is important for us to remember that the greatest friend we have is Jesus. He is with us through thick and thin. He never leaves us nor forsakes us. What more can we expect or have?
LEARNING:
Our memory verse for this week is found in I Peter 2:2-3.
As newborn babes, desire the pure milk of the Word that you may grow thereby, if indeed you have tasted that the Lord is gracious.
PRAYER:
I rejoice that I have You as my friend and Savior. Help me to be a friend that loves at all times and sticks closer than a brother. Help me to show others that You want to be their friend and help me to lead them to You.
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