‘A friend loves at all times.’ Proverbs 17:17 NKJV
Two men were travelling down the road together when a bear appeared out of nowhere. Before the bear could spot them, one guy ran for a tree at the side of the road, climbed into its branches, and hid. The other man, who wasn’t as nimble as his tree-climbing companion, threw himself on the ground and pretended to be dead. The man had always heard that bears won’t touch a dead body, so he lay perfectly still and held his breath. The bear came up, sniffed around, bent down apparently whispering in the man’s ear and then left. When the coast was clear, the man in the tree came down. Curious, he asked his friend what the bear had whispered. The friend replied, ‘He told me never to travel with anyone who deserts you at the first sign of danger!’
It’s easy to be friends with someone who is successful, has it all together, and is riding the crest of the wave. But what about when that person falls, or fails, or loses their connection to Christ, or deliberately disconnects and causes all kinds of ugly consequences? The Bible says, ‘A friend loves at all times.’ (Proverbs 17:17 NKJV) When you’re ‘up’, they’re not envious, and when you’re ‘down’, they’re not condescending. They’re compassionate and considerate whether or not you are. Elbert Hubbard said, ‘Your friend is the man [or woman] who knows all about you and still loves you.’ If you have a friend like that, treasure them and tell them often how much you appreciate them.
SoulFood: Gal 1–3, Mk 9:38–50, Ps 128, Prov 13:17–19
The Word for Today is authored by Bob and Debby Gass and published under licence from UCB International Copyright ©