The Need for Friendship..... Dr. Charles Stanley

 The Need for Friendship

Dr. Charles Stanley

2 Timothy 4:9-22

Independence is a prized attribute in our culture, but biblically, it isn't a worthy aspiration. Nowhere in Scripture will you find the erroneous quote, "God helps those who help themselves." The very fact that the Lord formed the church--a community of believers--should tell us that He did not create people for self-sufficiency or isolation.

When we place faith in Jesus Christ, the Holy Spirit indwells us so we can have a fulfilling relationship with the Lord and satisfying friendships with one another. In God's design, a close, committed biblical friendship between two believers serves to build both toward Christlikeness. Look at any of the saints in Scripture, and you will find evidence of reliance upon a close friend or confidante for support. Paul, in particular, spoke freely and often of his dependence upon dear companions and encouraged others to form intimate partnerships as well (2 Tim. 2:22).

It's interesting to me that our modern culture seems to be headed in the opposite direction. The farther our nation drifts from God, the more pervasive our self-sufficient attitude becomes. Neighbors treat each other with suspicion instead of congeniality, and that mindset has invaded the church as well. We're hesitant to give to others, which in turn makes us reluctant to receive.

Scripture tells us to love one another, bear our brothers' burdens, and confess our sins to fellow believers (John 13:34 ; Gal. 6:2; James 5:16). In other words, we're to give ourselves away to others and receive from them in return. That's how church members can stimulate one another to Christlikeness.

Seeing Past the Brokenness..... Craig Denison

 Seeing Past the Brokenness

Craig Denison

Weekly Overview:

Loving others is one of the most important and difficult commands Jesus gave us. We are a messy, broken, needy, and sinful people. We constantly deal with our own wounds and those of others. Because there is no perfect person, the foundation for loving others must be based outside of the merit or worth of others. The foundation for love must come from the God who is love. As believers we must be constantly tapped into the love and grace of our heavenly Father so that we can love others selflessly and powerfully. May you receive the love of your Father and be empowered to love others this week as we look to grow in our obedience of Jesus’ command to love people.

Scripture:“The Lord is near to the brokenhearted and saves the crushed in spirit.” Psalm 34:18

Devotional:

Without perspective given by the Spirit, our love will only reach as far as the human eye can see. Brokenness comes in all forms and fashions. Without Jesus, the man or woman covered in dirt and filth standing on the street corner begging for help is just as broken as the millionaire lying and cheating his way into fleeting fame and fortune. It’s just that our brokenness takes on varying forms depending on what temptations and trials get the better of us.

Jesus saw past the brokenness to the hearts of those around him. He chose to love and minister to the core of the person rather than being intimidated by the symptoms of sin in those around him. He saw into the heart of the woman at the well in John 4 and ministered to her brokenness caused by failed marriages and sexual sin. We see him speak to the core of the wealthy tax collector, Zacchaeus, in Luke 19 and love him by spending time with him when no one else would.

If we are ever going to love others well, we have to devote ourselves to loving people at a heart level. We have to care for and speak to the core of their wounds rather than dismissing them for their external problems. Romans 15:1-5 says:

We who are strong have an obligation to bear with the failings of the weak, and not to please ourselves. Let each of us please his neighbor for his good, to build him up. For Christ did not please himself, but as it is written, ‘The reproaches of those who reproached you fell on me.’ For whatever was written in former days was written for our instruction, that through endurance and through the encouragement of the Scriptures we might have hope. May the God of endurance and encouragement grant you to live in such harmony with one another, in accord with Christ Jesus.

We must follow the example of Jesus and love those no one else will. We must take in the outcasts, orphaned, widowed, poor, prideful, arrogant, and selfish. We must have our Father’s heart for the enemies, strangers, socially unacceptable, and downcast. If we don’t love them, who will? If we don’t speak and provide love for the deep wounds that cause their brokenness, who will? If we don’t reveal the heart of our Father, who will?

Psalm 34:18 says, “The Lord is near to the brokenhearted and saves the crushed in spirit.” May you discover the unconditional love your heavenly Father has toward those broken and crushed today as you enter into guided prayer.

Guided Prayer:

1. Meditate on the importance of seeing past brokenness to the heart of those around you. Allow Scripture to fill you with desire and purpose to love people well today.

“So then let us pursue what makes for peace and for mutual upbuilding.” >Romans 14:19

“And let us consider how to stir up one another to love and good works, not neglecting to meet together, as is the habit of some, but encouraging one another, and all the more as you see the Day drawing near.” >Hebrews 10:24-25

2. Whose brokenness has kept you from loving them well? What person would God fill you with the ability to minister to today that desperately needs a touch from God?

3. Ask the Lord for his heart for that person. Ask God to give you an understanding of what wound he wants to minister to. Ask him to give you a creative insight on how to love them well today.

“The Lord is near to the brokenhearted and saves the crushed in spirit.” Psalm 34:18

Often, loving someone well can be as simple as going out of your way to say hello, ask a loving question, or make an uplifting comment. Many people just need to know that someone cares about them and notices them at the heart level. May the Lord use you in mighty ways to draw others to himself today.

Extended Reading: John 4

What to Do When You’re Lonely (Isaiah 41:10)..... By: Anne Peterson

 What to Do When You’re Lonely (Isaiah 41:10)

By: Anne Peterson

Today's Bible Verse: So do not fear, for I am with you; do not be dismayed, for I am your God. I will strengthen you and help you; I will uphold you with my righteous right hand. - Isaiah 41:10

One thing I am continually hearing from people is how lonely they feel. It makes me thankful for my family. And yet, my heart hurts for them.

With the pandemic we have gone through and are still experiencing, many have lost loved ones. All of us lost community as we previously knew it. So what can we do when we’re lonely?

One thing that’s vital is to fill our minds with the truth. It’s pretty certain that the enemy of our souls knows we humans are frail and the power of loneliness to tempt us to despair.

When our emotions are fragile, it is imperative that we focus on what is true so we don’t succumb to the enemy’s lies.

Lies like:

You are all alone.

No one cares about you.

Everyone else is with someone.

There may not be another person living with you right now, but God promised that he would not leave us nor forsake us (Deuteronomy 31:6). God tells us he will hold your right hand. He will say to you “Fear not, I am the one who helps you,” ( Isaiah 41:13).

And those of us who have accepted Jesus as our Savior have the Holy Spirit indwelling us (Romans 8:11).

When we believe the lie that no one cares about us, we are forgetting all the verses where God tells us how much he cares. God notices when even a tiny sparrow falls to the ground, and he tells us that we are worth much more than those precious little birds (Matthew 10:31).

God also tells us to cast our cares on him because he cares for us (1 Peter 5:7). God provides whatever we need. List all the things God has done for you when you’re feeling low. And thank him for each one. The enemy will be defeated, and our heavenly Father will be pleased.

One productive thing we can do when we feel alone is to ask God who we can reach out to. The chances are if you are lonely and you ask God to let you know someone else who may be lonely, God will let you know. And think of how wonderful that person will feel if you take a few minutes and call them, or text them, or even sit down and pen them a note. And I’m sure you’ll share their joy.

The enemy wants us to be focused on ourselves. He loves it when we feel sorry for ourselves because when we’re in that state of mind, our eyes are on ourselves instead of on God. Satan hates it when we think about the Lord.

Another thing we can do when we’re feeling lonely is to ask God to draw near to us. Take out a hymnal, or put on some music that draws you to the Lord. Or open the love letter God left us, His Word. And read one of the Psalms.

When we’re lonely, the enemy lurks around like a lion seeking whom he may devour (1 Peter 5:8). We don’t have to be that person.

Barbara Streisand used to sing the song, with the words “People who need people are the luckiest people in the world.” God made us for relationships. And if we feel alone, we can sit in silence and meditate on who God is. And when we do that, we just have to stop and talk to him. The one who patiently waits for us to spend time with him. He’s always there.

All Along

Sometimes I really struggle, Lord

when I am feeling low.

It feels as if the world’s moved on,

as people come and go.

And yet, if I can just be still,

I realize I’m wrong.

For I have not been left alone;

you’ve been here all along.

   - Anne Peterson © 2016

When 'Good Morning' Is a Bad Word..... by Katherine Britton

 When 'Good Morning' Is a Bad Word

by Katherine Britton

If a man loudly blesses his neighbor early in the morning, it will be taken as a curse. - Proverbs 27:14

Let no corrupting talk come out of your mouths, but only such as is good for building up, as fits the occasion, that it may give grace to those who hear. - Ephesians 4:29

I am not a morning person.

My college friends and I still joke about the semester our intrepid Bible study (we were studying Romans with just about every denominational background represented) decided it was a good idea to change our meeting time to Saturday mornings. My nocturnal habits often made me the least inclined to drag myself from repose, and I confess that I used the "I think I'm coming down with a cold" excuse more than once. On one such morning, another member of the group decided she would jumpstart my lethargic spirituality. While I was groggily ignoring my roommate's gentle encouragement to come to Bible study, she walked the dorm room, threw open the curtains to the sunshine, and loudly proclaimed, "GOOD MORNING, KATHERINE!"

I have no idea what I said in response, but I'm sure it wasn't Christian.

I respect my friend's abiding faith in early bird philosophy, but I was delighted a few months later when I discovered Proverbs 27:14. The Message clarifies the verse by putting it this way: "If you wake your friend in the early morning by shouting ‘Rise and shine!' It will sound to him more like a curse than a blessing."

I immediately told my friends that my discovery. I had found concrete evidence that God was not a morning person.

Of course, the verse's real point deals less with God's waking hours and more with speaking wisely. Proverbs once again brings the focus back to the power and timing of our words when we relate to other. The funny illustration demonstrates that wisdom is more than a wholesome word or truth. Wisdom is also a truth aptly spoken.

Sunday School has drilled the catchphrase "Speak the truth in love" (Ephesians 4:15) into our heads, but even this approach can lack grace. Paul himself encouraged his readers to consider that not every word is fit for every occasion. Even the comforting promise of Romans 8:28 - that God works all things for good of those who love him - should sometimes give way to grieving when the cancer diagnosis is first announced or a loved one dies. Those are obvious examples, and the more subtle situations are myriad. But here's the lesson I take away from this verse: We're supposed to consider the impact on our hearers. Wise words do more than offer the right word and expect our friends to recognize its truth even if we choose an inopportune moment. Instead, I have to recognize that the right word offered at the wrong time might as well be a curse instead of a blessing.

I take comfort in knowing that I don't have to spew every nugget of knowledge at every pertinent encounter. We're not supposed to be somebody else's Holy Spirit, convicting them of every errant or off-color word. Nor are we supposed to be perpetually perky saints, walking around singing hallelujahs all the time. There's a place for bold ministry, but too often I confuse boldness with my very human need to "say something" - and the results are rarely "good for building up" or "as fits the occasion."

Intersecting Faith & Life: Don't be the neighbor who yells, "Good morning" too loudly. Let's encourage each other with words that "will give grace to those who hear" this week. Our goal is not to make others see our point of view or our wisdom, but to build each other up with the love of Christ.

Further Reading

Ecclesiastes 3

A Prayer for When You Feel Disappointment..... By Betsy de Cruz

 A Prayer for When You Feel Disappointment

By Betsy de Cruz

“No unbelief made him waver concerning the promise of God, but he grew strong in his faith as he gave glory to God, fully convinced that God was able to do what he had promised.” – Romans 4:20-21

I prayed for God’s will to be done, but I was positive I knew what it was. Surely God would give me and my husband the house we had just bid on. I prayed for an attitude of surrender, but deep inside I thought surely God wanted to bless us with a house that seemed to meet our needs perfectly.

Until I got the text. No house. I forced myself to say, “I will praise God anyway.” However, I also felt disappointed and angry because I’d have to continue my one-hour commute to work and spend yet another weekend looking at houses.

Maybe you also have been praying for something, only to have your hopes dashed time and time again. Perhaps you’ve asked God for a job, healing, or a child.

Abraham has something to teach us. Can you imagine the pain of discovering Sarah was still not pregnant, month after month? For 80 years? Yet Scripture informs us “in hope he believed against hope, that he should become the father of many nations” (Romans 4:18). Today’s verse tells us no unbelief made Abraham waver; despite setbacks his faith grew stronger.

Abraham focused on the promise of God rather than on his current circumstances.

He lived with an attitude of worship. He gave glory to God by focusing on God’s power and ability to fulfill His promises. Abraham continued praising God even though he did not see results.

If a long time of waiting on God to answer prayer has discouraged your faith, consider following Abraham’s example.

Turn your gaze away from the result you do not see and towards God who is working His wonderful plans for your life. Consider what promise of God you can lean on today and keep your focus on Him.

Keep praising God. If doubt is entering your heart, turn on worship music and sing along. Praise Him often for his attributes and power. You’ll be strengthened in your faith, just like Abraham was. 

Let’s place our hope not in a specific outcome, but in the God who never fails to show us steadfast love and faithfulness.

Let’s Pray:

Dear Lord, you know the prayers I have prayed and the answers I cannot yet see. I bring my discouragement to you and pray that you will renew my hope again. Help me remember prayer is less about getting specific answers and more about developing a relationship with you.

Father, teach me to pray so that my heart is focused on you more than on the results I am hoping for. Show me promises from your word that speak to my situation and give me discernment to understand whether my prayer aligns with your Word or not.

Help me walk by faith and not by sight. Give me the grace I need to continue praising you even when I cannot see you working as I would like.

Lord, you are loving, compassionate, and faithful to your people. I praise you for all the ways you have provided for me and protected me in the past. Thank you for the many blessings I enjoy today. Thank you for my salvation, for the death of Jesus Christ. I praise you, my living hope. When my faith falters, help me believe. 

In Jesus’ name, Amen.