Whoever fears the Lord makes true friends, for as a man is, so is his friend.
Friendship!
According to the Book of Ecclesiasticus, I am an extremely lucky man. It discribes 3 types of friends:
- Stands by you in day of trouble
2. Fall out with you and not stand up for you in day of trouble
3. Will share your table but not stand up for you in day of trouble.
I have many cousins and many acquaintances but few close friends. I would never have married if I had listened to the bad advice of some of my close relatives. They failed me on that test. To be a friend takes time effort and a relationship.
Luckily, I have many close friends. I will witness to two of them and the fourth will come after we speak of the first three. Initial “J” was a traveling teacher. He married a wonderful woman who he was faithful to his entire life. He is not in the best of health today. When I was living out of state with my parents, he would visit my parents. My folks loved him When “J” was not in our hometown, I would visit his mom at home and also the nursing home she lived. I would bring her the Sunday paper every Sunday after church. When I was out of town, I got family and friends to visit and bring the paper. Our relationship passed the test.
I have another friend “D” and he, his parents, me and my dad met on the first day of high school. We graduated. That was in August of 1959. I am the godparent to his twin boys. One of whom died about a year ago. We helped with moral support for the son who died in the lifetime of hospital visits. He has a wonderful wife and the other twin has graduated college and working in his field of engineering. This relationship passed the test.
My third friend is my wife, Anna. We just celebrated 25 years of marriage and without a doubt is not only my wife but my friend. This week after our anniversary we spent the weekend in the emergency room with our daughter with a septic kidney stone infection. We are family we stick together in good times and bad. My wife and I passed the test.
Aren’t we forgetting something?
What about our relationship with our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ? A faithful friend is a sure shelter, whoever finds one has found a rare treasure. A faithful friend is something beyond price, there is no measuring his worth. A faithful friend is the elixir of life, and those who fear the Lord will find one. Whoever fears the Lord makes true friends, for as a man is, so is his friend. I want you to consider something that Ecclesiasticus tells us that we need to encourage real friends in our lives. We cannot do it alone. You may be what society calls a “loner”, but friends, loving one another and our relationship with Jesus Christ means we have to develop and be faithful to those relationships. We can’t be a loner.
God Love You Always
Bob Burford
PS: Please Pray especially hard for our Pontiff, Pope Francis who may be with his friend Jesus right now. Please Pray for Cancer victims and their caregivers. Pray for the conversion of Russia and the salvation of the Ukrainian and Russian people and their soldiers. Pray for the Holy Land. Pray for peace!
