My Friend

“I never repeat gossip, so listen close the first time!” It is said that if you don’t want everyone to know your secret don’t tell it to anyone, everyone has one special friend they trust and so on and so on, then your whole world knows what you meant for only one person to hear! Nothing feels worse than being betrayed by someone you love, a friend. Betrayal is rampant in every area, from politicians to preachers and everything in-between. What are we supposed to do when betrayed by a friend? The book of Job is the classic example. When Job’s troubles came the phrase “Job’s comforters” was born. His friends came along and raked him over the coals of accusation on every level. Even his wife told him to “curse God and die”. Job complains to God 16:20 My friends scorn me, my eyes pour out tears to God. Have you ever felt like “when it rains it pours”, everything happens at once, and then people want to blame you. It is easy to be bitter at a time like that, but remember, Jesus forgave Peter after he denied Him before the people in the courtyard within His hearing! As long as we carry un-forgiveness in our heart, it is like carrying around an arm full of dirty diapers and being surprised when someone says something about the bad smell, it shows. When did Job get everything back? Job 42:10 After Job had prayed for his friends, the Lord made him prosperous again and gave him everything he had lost and twice as much! Is it easy to do? Not really, but we have to forgive or we can’t be forgiven!

Proverbs 18:24 A man that has friends must show himself friendly: and there is a friend that sticks closer than a brother. That friend is Jesus. 1 John 5: 14-15 Now this is the confidence that we have in Him, that if we ask anything according to His will, He hears us. And if we know that He hears us, whatever we ask, we know that we have the petitions that we have asked of Him. Jesus told us to “ask” and we would receive. I know that sometimes it feels like the sky is brass and everything bounces back and lands in our lap, but the solution is the “friend that sticks closer than a brother” and that friend is Jesus, whatever you have need of take it to Him, right now.