Lord's Day Devotion - Still A Friend

 

"A friend loves at all times..." (Proverbvs 17:17 ESV)

This verse tells me that no matter what, a friend will still love.  Sounds like true unconditional love in operation.

Which makes me wonder, is there really such a type of friend?  No one is perfect.  Really no matter what you do or say or hide secretly in your heart, that friend who loves, will still love at all those times?!

True friends will.  There are those who betray and disappoint.  I appreciate friends who do 'stick' and forgive despite what I may have said or done.  There have even been those I didn't realize were friends but who came out of the woodwork, so to speak, to be a friend.  Then those who I thought were friends, did disappoint.  That is the friendship spectrum and what I've come to realize.

Yet, the One whom we can always rely on is Jesus.  I really like these lyrics,

"I've found a friend in Jesus,

He's everything to me...

He all my griefs has taken,

and all my sorrows borne,

In temptation He's my strong and mighty tower ...

He'll never, never leave me, nor

yet forsake me here,

While I live by faith and do His blessed will,

A wall of fire about me,

I've nothing now to fear, ..."

And so on.

A follower of Jesus Christ can really count on this type of friend.  He is THE Friend to have.  Thanks to Jesus for coming to earth to die on the cross to provide the means of salvation, forgiveness of sins and give eternal life as well as the hope and future we can have with Him - not really some unidentified day in the future, but here and now.

Jesus is my friend now.  He is by my side never to leave nor forsake.  This is what my mind and heart mediate upon and bask in, in the warmth of his abiding presence.

This Lord's Day, these are my thoughts about His friendship with me.  They can be your thoughts too, brothers and sisters-in-Christ as we partake of the broken bread and drink of the cup of wine, those symbols of His action of love sent from above.  Let's do so in remembrance of Him and all He has done for us.

In His time on earth and now in ours, He is still that wonderful, perfect Friend who loves at all times.  This is true love,

Thank You Jesus for this unshakeable friendship.  Amen.

                                                ~ ERC  February 2025 ~

Based on Proberbs 17:17 ESV.

Sing, I've Found a Friend In Jesus, along with Extened Life Worship.