A Friend Loves

From “Lessons In The Wilderness” by David G. Perkins

“A Friend loves at all times, and a brother is born for adversity” Proverbs 17:17 ESV

“Faithful are the wounds of a Friend; profuse are the kisses of an enemy” Proverbs 27:6 ESV

Loves takes on many characteristics.  God knows what characteristic of Love you need and when you need it.

God offers fortification when you need it.  He offers discipline when you need it.  Correction, understanding, the warmth of His presence and the intensity of His silences, but He is never absent from your circumstances.  He is always there.

Sometimes our circumstances distract us to the point where we don’t remember to turn to Him for wisdom or guidance or comfort or anything else.  When that happens, God will send a friend.

AT ALL TIMES

Your friend loves you, even when you are unlovely.  Your friend cares about you, even though you are driving everyone away from you.  When you have made a royal mess of your life, and no one can stand being near you, your friend cares, steps in, and loves you. Even if it doesn’t look like love, he loves you.  It’s just that you are not in your right mind, and don’t recognize all the facets loves shows you.  But your friend does, and is there to love you in spite of yourself.

FAITHFUL ARE THE WOUNDS

Your friend will tell you something that hurts like blows to the ribs and a kick to the heart.  You will not want to hear this.  You will want to hear what you want to hear, but not this.  You will go so far as accuse your friend of things that aren’t true rather than face the facts of the circumstances. That is OK because your friend loves you at all times.

Be patient and let this teach you something valuable.  Don’t disown your friend for being honest.  Wait, let God show you what this means.  

The next step in this dance, if you refuse to learn from your friend, is that your enemies will slide a knife between your ribs while kissing you and praising you.

WOULD YOU RATHER

Would you rather be hurt for a short season by the sincere blows of your friend, or shun that friendship and be met with the deadly things your enemies will give you with a smile?

Your friend stepped in where other family has feared to tread because you have already shown them you are not stable enough to hear the truth.  Your friend cares less about how you will react to the truth than how you should react to the truth.  Your friend can tolerate your reaction and forgive you for being an ass.  

Don’t forget, God sends you His friends, who are also your friends to tell you things no one else has the desire to tell you. It isn’t that they love you less than your friend, its just that they have grown weary of trying.

Your Friend, however, is less concerned for his safety than he is for yours, and will tell you things you simply don’t want to hear.  It is from love he does this.  A friend like this is a gift from God.

I praise you, Father, in the name of Jesus, for the blows of a friend, and pray you protect me from the sweet kisses of those who will do me harm.

Let’s be about it.

David G. Perkins

Sammy.snardfarkle@gmail.com