November 10, 2022 … Real Deal Friends …

Berry Patch Devotions in 2021 - Day 314 

Devotional Song: ... GO TO THIS LINK ...   Please take the time to take in song and lyrics from Michael W Smith singing … Friends Are Friends Forever … poignantly singing of how genuine Christians friends remain loyal friends forever.  

==============        

Highlight Passage: …  Proverbs 17:17  [ESV] …  

<i>   17 A friend is always loyal, and a brother is born to help in time of need.. </i> 

… God, thru Solomon, declares that a friend is ALWAYS loyal, especially in time of need.                                                       

Highlight Passage (Context): … Proverbs 27:6-10 [NLT] …  USE THIS LINK … 

…Solomon writes about the essence of real, loyal and helpful, friendships.                                   

===============                                                                     .                                                   

Reference Passage: …  Ecclesiastes 4:9-12 [NLT] … USE THIS LINK …  

… Again Solomon writes about the importance of having close/loyal friends in times of trouble.  

Reference Passage: …  John 15:13-15 [NLT] … USE THIS LINK …  

… Jesus tells His disciples (and us) about the importance of their (our) friendships to Him and to each other.     

 

Reference Passage: …  Romans 12:10 [NLT] …  

10 Love each other with genuine affection, and take delight in honoring each other..  

… Paul charges fellow Christians to show the genuine love of friendship for one another.    

Reference Passage: …  Galatians 6;9-10 [NLT] … 

2 Share each other’s burdens, and in this way obey the law of Christ.  

… Paul shows fellow Christians that they (we) must share each other’s burdens and our Lord would do as their (our) Friend.    

  

Reference Passage </u>: …  James 2:23 [NLT] … 

23 And so it happened just as the Scriptures say: “Abraham believed God, and God counted him as righteous because of his faith.”[Gen 15:6] He was even called the friend of God. </i> 

… James quotes from the OT (Get 25:6) about God seeing Abraham as a “friend” because of his faith.  

                                                                              

My Devotional Journal: Today's Our Daily Bread author, Dave Brandon… AT THIS LINK …   told of how a high school teacher and coach formed a friendship with a student of his that became a lasting loyal friendship for the rest of the lives of the two friends.  

And if you’ve taken in the Michael W Smith song, linked above, and meditated on the Scriptures I’ve posted, wouldn’t you agree that God’s word promotes the necessity of having loyal friend who are there for us, especially in the tough times.  A “Lone Ranger” Christian walk thru life just doesn’t cut it, … does it?  No, as we see from God and thru His word, we can be weak on our own; but much stronger with friends helping (I especially cite Eccles 4:9-12). 

So, I hope all my readers are asking ourselves whom we can call on as real-deal - Christian - friends in times of trouble; and also, whom can we be that friend for a friend we care for deeply?   Oh how I pray we have a legacy of real-deal friendships in our lives.                                            

My THANKFULNESS: ... Oh, Abba Father, thank You, King Jesus, … for being my friend. 

My Prayer Today:: Oh Abba Father, ... King Jesus, ... . I pray that all reading here will join me, … to be a real-deal - Christian - friend for someone while we still have life these days..   …  Amen

=============

Blogger Note:  Everyday during this year, my daily devotional blogs are influenced by the reading and study of the online devotional blog entitled “Our Daily Bread,” distributed online via email by RBC Ministries.  If you GO TO THIS LINK on the date of my blog, you can read/study the ODB blogs; or you can subscribe to the blog via email at that site.