“Do not forsake your friend and your father’s friend, and do not go to your brother’s house in the day of your calamity. Better is a neighbor who is near than a brother who is far away.” Proverbs 27:10
Devotional Thought For The Day
This is another proverb about friendship and loyalty, two things that are in short supply these days. Oh, we can have plenty of “acquaintances” these days – we are with and around people all the time, and many have begun to rely on “cyber friends” rather than taking the time and effort to develop real relationship with real people, face to face. But real friendship requires more than mere superficial chit-chat; a real friend is ready to give, and to be pressed upon for another. Real friendship takes up the other person’s plight and doesn’t forsake that person until his/her difficulties are resolved or relieved. Many people today are far too wimpy for real friendships; they have too many issues of their own and are too emotionally needy themselves. They lack faith that God has their back so that they can leave off concern for themselves and be freed to have concern for others.
Loyalty remembers what others have done for you, and remains committed and devoted to true friends. Loyalty should extend even to your parents’ friends, if possible. After all whatever helped your parents also helped you, and for many of us, we have specific memories of what a friend of a parent did to help us directly – out of friendship for that parent. And we should forget that, and not hold ourselves accountable to keep such people in great esteem and respect, and not do whatever we can to befriend them? Ah, I’m afraid many people today have lost all sense of decency and propriety when it comes to friendship and loyalty, but it should not be so among people who know God’s love, devotion, loyalty, and friendship to us! After all, a good friend and neighbor may be more inclined to aid and support you in calamity than a near kinsman, a brother or sister. We can never have enough truly good friends, even though such relationships require some loyalty and dedication from us.
The truest friend we will ever have is the Lord – and this is true even for the unbelieving. Who gives us sunshine, rain, productive soil, food, air, all of our physical needs, all bodily functions, the civilization we live in, the economic benefits we enjoy, our abilities, our wondrously deep thoughts, our logic, our capacity to learn, to enjoy, to taste, see, smell, and feel? And Who is it that has given Himself for us, even into death on a cross, that we might be sure and certain that we do not face impending arrest, prosecution, and punishment for our many sins and unkindnesses? Who is it that assures us of His ongoing love, mercy, protection, and providence, working all things together for our good throughout this earthly life, and Who has promised us eternal life in perfect bliss when this life is over? Think of what kind of loyalty and friendship we owe to Him – yet He requires nothing from us, and receives only what His own love inspires from us! What could be more blessed and proper than to treat Him with utmost respect, loyalty, and love?
And He bids us love Him by loving others: “Inasmuch as you have done it to one of the least of these My brothers, you have done it unto me.” [Matt. 25:40] He will be pleased to receive your love, friendship, and loyalty in your spouse, your children, your parents, your friends, your parents’ friends, your neighbors, your co-workers, and all other people – especially those suffering calamity. We may not receive the same loyalty from others, but what should matter most to us is who we are, what is inside of us, and how we are able to give, for “it is more blessed to give than to receive.” [Acts 20:35] God grant such abundant blessedness to each of us!
Prayer For The Day
Dear Lord Jesus, truly You are our best, most loyal, and truest Friend. Thanks and praise be to You for all that You have done for us, and all that You continue to do for us each moment. May we also grow in our friendliness and loyalty to You. Thank You for granting us access to help and befriend You, to love You, in all the people You have placed around us. Help us to grow in loyalty and love, to also be true friends to others, and to understand that this is the greatest blessedness. Amen.