Recently I experienced the privilege of celebrating with a precious friend over an answered prayer.  Together we prayed scripture for months over a situation, and as usual, God was faithful to answer.  Rejoicing together and praising Him for His goodness is nothing short of exhilarating.

There was a time in my life – not that long ago – when an experience like this was not even in the vicinity of possible for me.  God took me through a long season of friendlessness.  Removing every important relationship from my life (outside of family) occurred quickly.  Twenty year friendships dissolved as quickly as pressing send on your phone.

This was a lonely, hard season full of tears, anger and hurt.  While wandering in this desolate wilderness of solitude, I began learning to rely solely on Him for companionship and advice.  But I was also building a protective wall to protect myself from ever experiencing the pain of lost friendship again.

Then, in typical God-fashion, Bible verses and themes appeared repeatedly in my quiet times – everything I read, every sermon I heard, and everyone I listened to had the same message:

  Proverbs 18:24

            One who has unreliable friends soon comes to ruin, but there is a friend that sticks closer than a brother.

Proverbs 27:5-6

            Wounds from a friend can be trusted, but an enemy multiples kisses.

Ecclesiastes 4:9-10

  Two are better than one, because they have a good return for their labor: If either of them falls down, one can help the other up. But pity anyone who falls and has no one to help them up.

 

So I started earnestly praying for this kind of friendship.  I desired the friend that would stick closer than a brother.  The friend that would wound me with the Truth.  The friend that would pick me up.

Do you have a friend like this?

Now most of us have an assortment of people in our lives that serve different purposes.

There’s our shopping friend – the one who snatches the atrocious item out of our hands while chiding us for picking it up in the first place.

Or our playdate friend – the one who gives us those brief moments of sanity while our children are occupied playing with theirs.

Maybe you have an exercise friend, mealtime friend, or a hobby friend.

Some of us are blessed to have all of these friends.

But do you have the friend that immediately looks at you and knows you’re not okay? The friend that will get on their knees beside you and lift your burdens to the throne? The friend that cries with you? Laughs with you? Does a happy dance around the living room to celebrate with you?

In my season of loneliness, God revealed how I had become transparent with the wrong people.  People who would never pray with me or for me.  People who would never open up God’s Word and cover my hurts and fears with Truth.

And He didn’t stop there.  God also showed me how I had intentionally avoided developing friendships where I would have this kind of person in my life, because I didn’t want Truth.  I had no desire to know what He said about my behaviors, thoughts and actions.

Can you relate?  Are there times in your life when you avoid the people in your life that will give you Truth?  And then we find ourselves wondering why life seems so out of control.

Sweet person reading these words – my heartfelt prayer for you is a friendship from God that far exceeds anything you thought possible.  And you find yourself rejoicing together over the answered prayers you have pray together.

He is faithful.

Consider

• Read the following verses. What do they teach about favoritism?
  • Genesis 25: 27-34
  • Genesis 37: 3-4
  • 1 Samuel 1: 5-6
  • Deut. 21: 15-16
  • Job 13:10
  • Acts 6:1
  • Romans 10: 12-13

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• James tells us that mercy triumphs over judgment in 2:13.
  • Has anyone ever extended mercy to you?
    • Describe how receiving mercy made you feel.
    • Is there anyone that you need to extend mercy? If yes, take action toward obedience.

Feeling ambitious?

Read the book of Jonah.

Write out every time mercy is shown in these 4 chapters.

Note the who, what, where, when and why.

What is revealed to you through these chapters about obedience and mercy?