The WORD today (see http://usccb.org/bible/readings/052413.cfm) reminds me how blessed it is to have true friends.
Let your acquaintances be many,
but one in a thousand your confidant.
When you gain a friend, first test him,
and be not too ready to trust him.
For one sort is a friend when it suits him,
but he will not be with you in time of distress.
Another is a friend who becomes an enemy,
and tells of the quarrel to your shame.
Another is a friend, a boon companion,
who will not be with you when sorrow comes.
When things go well, he is your other self,
and lords it over your servants;
But if you are brought low, he turns against you
and avoids meeting you.
Keep away from your enemies;
be on your guard with your friends.
A faithful friend is a sturdy shelter;
he who finds one finds a treasure.A faithful friend is beyond price,
no sum can balance his worth.A faithful friend is a life-saving remedy,
such as he who fears God finds;For he who fears God behaves accordingly,
and his friend will be like himself.
but one in a thousand your confidant.
When you gain a friend, first test him,
and be not too ready to trust him.
For one sort is a friend when it suits him,
but he will not be with you in time of distress.
Another is a friend who becomes an enemy,
and tells of the quarrel to your shame.
Another is a friend, a boon companion,
who will not be with you when sorrow comes.
When things go well, he is your other self,
and lords it over your servants;
But if you are brought low, he turns against you
and avoids meeting you.
Keep away from your enemies;
be on your guard with your friends.
A faithful friend is a sturdy shelter;
he who finds one finds a treasure.A faithful friend is beyond price,
no sum can balance his worth.A faithful friend is a life-saving remedy,
such as he who fears God finds;For he who fears God behaves accordingly,
and his friend will be like himself.
Come to think of it – this is true. We have many acquaintances. How many hundreds or thousands of facebook friends do you have? How many hundreds, thousands, or even millions of people follow you on twitter and instagram? However, not all these can be considered real friends.
When things are going well, we feel we have a lot of friends. There are a lot of people around us, always happy and celebrating with us. It is common for people who win a lottery, or win something big, to say that after winning, they suddenly have more relatives, more friends coming to them, celebrating with them, and wanting a part of their prize or victory. However, when the going gets tough, that’s when we will know who our real friends are. When we’re down and out, when people avoid us, when people speak ill of us – this is when we will know who our real, genuine and faithful friends are. And these situations, aside from being hardships in our lives, reveal to us a priceless gift – genuine friendship.
Father God,
Thank you for today. thank you that it’s Friday! Lord, I thank you for the gift of friends. I may not have a lot, Lord, but I have more than enough. Thank you for genuine and real friends that make your love so alive in my life. Thank you for genuine friends that have always been there, and I know will always be there for me – not just in victory and happy times, but more importantly during challenging times. Thank you for always making sure I have genuine friends that will remind me how much you love me when I tend to forget. Lord, as I thank you for my friends, I pray that you also make me a genuine friend to others, so I may in turn let them experience your love. Amen.
Blessed Friday!
In Christ,
-g-
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