Friends? What are they? Why are they so important? Why do we take them for granted?

Friends are people who stand by you no matter what. A friend loves at all times (Proverbs 17:17a). Is this why we take them for granted? We just expect them be right around the corner to pick us up out of a hole.

Have you ever wondered why your friendship to someone is so important? Have you really sat down to think about it? Ecclesiastes 4:9-10 sums up this answer very well.

Two are better than one, because they have a good return for their work. If one falls down, his friend can help him up. But pity the man who falls and has no one to help him up.

If our friendships are so important, then why do we jeopardize it by staying angry at each other? Why would we just toss our friendships in the trash? Why is it we don’t follow the advice of James?

Everyone should be quick to listen, slow to speak, and slow to become angry. (James 1:19)

It seems if we could just follow this advice, that we would not place our friendships in jeopardy. Ephesians 4:26 also states, “In your anger do not sin. Do not let the sun go down while you are still angry.” Sounds like simple advice. Don’t go to bed and still be angry with your friends. If the advice seems so simple then why can’t we do it? The answer is WE ARE HUMAN. We need a higher power to help us accomplish this. GOD!!!

True Life Experience: I went to college and became best friends with a girl named Carolyn. We could not be separated. It seem like nothing could tear us apart. Guess what? Something did. The friendship we took for granted was fading away. Basically we ended up going our separate ways. Three years went by without speaking to each other. (Talk about letting the sun go down.) We finally began speaking to each other. I don’t even think either of us knows what caused our anger. We are now friends and talk to each other back and forth. The sad part to this story is that we lost three years of a great friendship due to anger. We will never be able to gain those years back. NEVER.

Are you willing to loose a friendship because of anger? It is very hard to gain what you have lost back.

CHALLENGE FOR YOU: Regain a friendship that you took for granted. Don’t let the sun go down on this anger that you have been holding inside you. Start afresh with this friendship.

Two are better than one, because they have a good return for their work. If one falls down, his friend can help him up. But pity the man who falls and has no one to help them up. (Ecclesiastes 4:9-10)

I am blessed because….

 

1.    I have a church that has faults and it brings all us closer to God.

2.    I have a husband that lets me bring my autistic sister home for a week.

3.    I have discovered a way to save $500 a month on health insurance (That’s $6,000 a year).  Thanks Jeff.

4.    I have been able to beat the devil away and stay on track with my Bible reading.

5.    I have two great people helping me with my special needs children website.

4 weeks ‘til the big Master’s Degree!!

After reading Jeff’s post on When Things Don’t Make Sense, I can’t get this verse off my mind. I have to admit last night I skipped over this verse and didn’t read it because it was linked off his site. For some reason, I was lead back to his site and began reading the post again. Only this time, I got by Bible Notes journal and begin to write the verses he mentioned and what they meant to me. I came to I Peter 5:8 and could not move from it without praying to God to give me peace and wisdom to stay far away from the devil as I can.

I want you to read this verse in many different Bible translations. One word stood out to me.

5:8 Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil, as a roaring lion, walketh about, seeking whom he may devour (King James Version)

5:8 Be sober, be watchful: your adversary the devil, as a roaring lion, walketh about, seeking whom he may devour, (American Standard Version

5:8 Be well balanced (temperate, sober of mind), be vigilant {and} cautious at all times; for that enemy of yours, the devil, roams around like a lion roaring [in fierce hunger], seeking someone to seize upon {and} devour. (Amplified)

5:8 Be vigilant, watch. Your adversary [the] devil as a roaring lion walks about seeking whom he may devour. (Darby English Version)

5:8 Be alert, be on watch! Your enemy, the Devil, roams around like a roaring lion, looking for someone to devour. (Good New Bible)

5:8 Be clear-minded and alert. Your opponent the devil is prowling around like a roaring lion, looking for someone to devour. (International Standard Version)

5:8 Be self-controlled and alert. Your enemy the devil prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour. (New International Version)

The word devour stood out to me. To this very moment, I cannot get this word off my mind. The devil is looking for someone to devour. In my mind, I kept thinking about the dogs and big black birds that are devouring the dead deer in the road and will not move when you are approaching them in the car. To think the devil wants to devour me like that and not let go is a bit scary for me. He really wants to eat me up with his thoughts and ways. You are probably thinking OK watch out the devil is right around the corner. That is such a little kid scenario. Yes, he is right around the corner, but he is ready to devour or eat you up with his ways.

Like I said this verse is so amazing. It made me realize what is going on in my life for the past few days. Since last Sunday, I have been hitting the Bible hard trying to make sense of the world, yet I still second guess my blessings. You know the whole blessings are really coincidences. I hate to say but these were my thoughts. I had this internal battle going on inside me. I knew that I shouldn’t have those thoughts, but yet they were there. I couldn’t understand why? It is a good thing I reread Jeff’s post this morning. It gave me great insight. The devil is going to try his best to get you when everything is going good. There is no way he is going to let you leave him and head toward the brighter light of Jesus.

Watch Out the devil is around the corner! Guess What? HE WANTS TO DEVOUR YOU. Keep your watch and put on that full armor of God because we have a war to fight against the devil.