Proverbs 18:24
“A man who has friends must himself be friendly, but there is a friend who sticks closer than a brother.”
Thinking back across the years of my life, I have been blessed with a wealth of friends. Some of those friends have gone on to be with the Lord, but some are still alive. One of my friends once gave me a plaque that reads, “A friend is one who knows you as you are, understands where you’ve been, accepts who you’ve become, and still gently invites you to grow. Cecil, Thanks for being that friend. Chris.”
As close as our dearest friend or friends may be, we have a friend who is still closer. Of course I am speaking of the Lord Jesus Christ. He is the One who is with us at all times. When we walk through the valley of the shadow of death, He is there beside us. When we receive devastating news, He is there to provide the comfort and solace to ease the pain. When we receive news that calls for rejoicing, He makes it even better for we have One who rejoices with us.
I know that it is possible to become frustrated with life. We may feel hurt or depressed because of the way things are going. We are prone to question whether it even helps to pray. Things are going to happen regardless of what we do. Wait just a minute! That fatalistic view of life is myopic. It is like slamming the door in the face of our closest friend and huddling in the corner of a closet while He patiently stands at the door and quietly knocks. Please open the door and welcome Him to come in once again and heal all of the hurts you feel right now.
May God richly bless you as you bless others by your words and actions!
– – – Pastor Cecil