janbear
10-27-2007, 08:06 PM
Choosing Your Friends
Author: Warren Wiersbe
Devotion: Psalms
Scripture References:
John 15:15
Psalm 119:57-64
All of us enjoy having friends. We need them. The
psalmist says that the Word of God pertains to
our friendships. "I am a companion of all who
fear You, and of those who keep Your precepts"
(v. 63). He let the Word of God guide him in his
choice of friends and associates. We have many
acquaintances but few real friends. A friend is
someone you don't have to talk to all the time.
You can be together for long periods without
saying a word, yet your hearts are united. At the
other extreme, a friend is someone you aren't
afraid to talk to. You can unburden your heart,
and you are a better person for having been with
him.
God is our best friend. Abraham was called the
friend of God, and we can be His friends also.
Jesus said to His disciples, "I'm not going to
call you slaves. I'm going to call you friends"
(John 15:15).
Friends talk to each other. And if we talk to God
and let Him speak to us through His Word, we will
be a companion of those who fear Him and keep His
commandments.
One of the most important tests of friendship is
what my friend's attitude is toward the Bible.
Does he accept it? Does he receive the Word of
God as truth? Does he fear God with a reverential
awe and love for Him?
If I am in a right relationship to God through
His Word, I will be in a right relationship with
people. My friends will be God's friends. The
Bible calls this separation--not isolation, but
separation. It's the blessed by-product of a life
lived in Scriptures.
* * *
Choose your friends carefully. Do they fear God?
Do they receive the Word of God in their hearts?
Use your friends' attitudes toward the Bible as
an important test of friendship. Relationships
are investments of our time and other resources.
Make them count for eternity.
Author: Warren Wiersbe
Devotion: Psalms
Scripture References:
John 15:15
Psalm 119:57-64
All of us enjoy having friends. We need them. The
psalmist says that the Word of God pertains to
our friendships. "I am a companion of all who
fear You, and of those who keep Your precepts"
(v. 63). He let the Word of God guide him in his
choice of friends and associates. We have many
acquaintances but few real friends. A friend is
someone you don't have to talk to all the time.
You can be together for long periods without
saying a word, yet your hearts are united. At the
other extreme, a friend is someone you aren't
afraid to talk to. You can unburden your heart,
and you are a better person for having been with
him.
God is our best friend. Abraham was called the
friend of God, and we can be His friends also.
Jesus said to His disciples, "I'm not going to
call you slaves. I'm going to call you friends"
(John 15:15).
Friends talk to each other. And if we talk to God
and let Him speak to us through His Word, we will
be a companion of those who fear Him and keep His
commandments.
One of the most important tests of friendship is
what my friend's attitude is toward the Bible.
Does he accept it? Does he receive the Word of
God as truth? Does he fear God with a reverential
awe and love for Him?
If I am in a right relationship to God through
His Word, I will be in a right relationship with
people. My friends will be God's friends. The
Bible calls this separation--not isolation, but
separation. It's the blessed by-product of a life
lived in Scriptures.
* * *
Choose your friends carefully. Do they fear God?
Do they receive the Word of God in their hearts?
Use your friends' attitudes toward the Bible as
an important test of friendship. Relationships
are investments of our time and other resources.
Make them count for eternity.