The Bible for Women

Weekly Devotional

FRIENDSHIP

As sisters in Christ, I do believe that we value our friendships. Our friends are very dear to us. They cry with us, laugh with us, share our joys and our faith. Throughout our lives friends come and go. We move away from some places and again to others. Some of us are fortunate enough to have friends for a lifetime. No matter what happens between friends, they do touch our lives and our hearts. Every person that we have called friend, has impacted us in a positive way. Even more, our sisters in Christ. For we know that these are the friends we will meet in heaven and be with in eternity.

Think of how fortunate the apostles were to be able to call the son of God- friend. Jesus surrounded himself with friends. He wept when his good friend, Lazarus, died. His heart was aching when he was betrayed by his friends. Jesus experienced the love of friends and the hurt of friends. He experienced faithful friends and unfaithful ones. Jesus knew that even after Peter betrayed him, that he would forgive him and wanted Peter to continue his work. He told Peter in Luke 22: 31-32"Simon, Simon, Satan has asked to sift you as wheat. But I have prayed for you, Simon, that your faith may not fail. And when you have turned back, strengthen your brothers."

The Bible says many things about friends.

Proverbs 17:17 states, "A friend loves at all times."

John 15:15 says, " Jesus said, 'I no longer call you servants because a servant does not know his master's business. Instead, I have called you friends, for everything that I learned from my Father I have made known to you.' "

Proverbs 27:6 "Wounds from a friend can be trusted."

Ecclesiastes 4:9-10 "Two are better than one, because they have a good return for their work: If one falls down, his friend can help him up."

Jesus said in John 15:13-14, "Greater love has no one than this, that he lay down his life for his friends. You are my friends if you do what I command."

We know that if we follow Christ, he will call us friend. He promises us this.

Let us strive to be good friends and help us to know that although we try to model ourselves after Christ, no one is perfect but him. Our friends will make mistakes. We will make mistakes ourselves. Let us pray for our friends as Christ prayed for his friends. Let us encourage each other as sisters and love each other in Christ.

May God bless your week. Margie