friends and family - Pro 17:17
Written by jesuskvinne
Posted on Wednesday, August 13, 2008 at 11:59 PM.
Pro 17:17
* "Friends love through all kinds of weather, and families stick together in all kinds of trouble." (MSG)
* "A friend loves at all times, and a brother is born for adversity." (KJ2000)
From Matthew Henry's commentary on the whole Bible:
This intimates the strength of those bonds by which we are bound to each other and which we ought to be sensible of.
1. Friends must be constant to each other at all times. That is not true friendship which is not constant; it will be so if it be sincere, and actuated by a good principle. Those that are fanciful or selfish in their friendship will love no longer than their humour is pleased and their interest served, and therefore their affections turn with the wind and change with the weather. Swallow-friends, that fly to you in summer, but are gone in winter; such friends there is no loss of. But if the friendship be prudent, generous, and cordial, if I love my friend because he is wise, and virtuous, and good, as long as he continues so, though he fall into poverty and disgrace, still I shall love him. Christ is a friend that loves at all times (Joh_13:1) and we must so love him, Rom_8:35.
2. Relations must in a special manner be careful and tender of one another in affliction: A brother is born to succour a brother or sister in distress, to whom he is joined so closely by nature that he may the more sensibly feel from their burdens, and be the more strongly inclined and engaged, as it were by instinct, to help them. We must often consider what we were born for, not only as men, but as in such a station and relation. Who knows but we came into such a family for such a time as this? We do not answer the end of our relations if we do not do the duty of them. Some take it thus: A friend that loves at all times is born (that is, becomes) a brother in adversity, and is so to be valued.
What comes next is copied from a blast I sent out in continuance of this Bible-commentary:
We all faces times in our lives that are really really hard, sometimes it can be so tough that we don't now at all what to do... In these times we are in need of others to be there with and for us; *to support us and love us *to share our confusion and guide us out of it *to encourage and back us up *to carry us in before the throne of God and to help us see that there is a good future ahead of us *to remind us that God has good plans made ready for each one of us, that this only is for a time- not for ever *to help us receive from God what He is 'thinking' about what we are in *to get help to receive THE WORD from God that will solve the whole situation.
We need each other, we need true friends, friends that are by our side no matter what, friends that can take, forgive and forget the 'stupid' things we sometimes say or do, friends that loves us for the one we are friends that don't leave us when it get hot under our feet's or dark and tough in our lives, friends standing in the gap with us, friends that share and participate in both "summer and winters" of our lives, friends that love us like God do- unconditional and because we are!!
I wanna be this kinda friend, and I know I need this kinda friends in my life.
If you don't have friends like this, don't let it affect you negative, don't feel sorry for your self and get depressed... ask God to send you one!! I've gone through many hard years in my own life, and I've had to do it 'alone' for loooong periods- meaning without support from friends, BUT God was always there! You never forget that!!
And if your friends are leaving you when the winter of life comes...are they true friends?? But even if they do leave you, God will NEVER leave you!
A thing to think about...what kinda friend do you wanna be to others??
And as I've said many times before, we have 2 very important things to do and live out in our lives- love God and love thy neighbour!!
" Dear God, I pray that all of my GT friends and family will have true friends in their lives. And if there are some of them that don't have it in this time of their lives, I pray God, that You send them someone. You God, has created us with a deep and strong need to share fellowship with You and others, and I pray that all of my dear ones here will have or get this possibility. God, I pray Your blessing down on their lives, I pray that Your peace, joy and love both surrounds and fills them in a strong and mighty way. Ohh God, teach us more about what it means to be true friends, purify us so we can receive more of Your love and because of that have more to share with others. In the mighty Name of Jesus, Amen!"
