Devotional

Friendships With Other Believers

Matthew 18:20
“For where two or three come together in my name, there am I with them”

This is probably the most important verse about friends in the bible. Having Christian friends, why? Because when you come together with them, there God is.

How many Christian friends do you have?

What is the time with them spent doing?

Do realize that God is there at your gathering?

Have you ever tapped into God’s presence, that power, when you spend time together?

Lord, help us to become more aware of You, where and when we meet our friends, to really use that time positively, edifying each other, and learning more about You!

God Created Friendships

Ecclesiastes 4:9-12

Two are better than one,
because they have a good return for their work:

If one falls down,
his friend can help him up.
But pity the man who falls
and has no one to help him up!

Also, if two lie down together, they will keep warm.
But how can one keep warm alone?

Though one may be overpowered,
two can defend themselves.
A cord of three strands is not quickly broken.

You don’t really expect the bible to say much on friends, but this verse so clearly states the importance of having friends. We think its just natural, part of our social nature. But actually its biblical! God did not create us to be alone but in relationship with the other people around us he has created!

Lord, thanks that you created friendship, thank-you that you created me to need friends!

Friendship Proverbs

Proverbs 17:17
A friend loves at all times,
and a brother is born for adversity

Proverbs 18:24
A man of many companions may come to ruin,
but there is a friend who sticks closer than a brother.

Proverbs is full of wisdom on friends and right relationships.

To me Proverb 18 speaks about someone – a friend - who is closer than family, Jesus Christ himself.

Sometimes it can either be easy or hard to see Jesus in that role in our lives, but its good to keep in mind that he would love to fill that role as well.

Jesus’ Friendships

What about Jesus , what value did he put on friendships?

Matthew 10 highlights the 12 disciples Jesus had.

Matthew 26:36 points out that he chose 3 of those disciple to pray for him.

So out of all the people who followed Jesus and listened to his teaching , He chose 12 people to invest more time and energy to. And then out of the 12, He chose Peter, James and John to be more intimate with.

Look at the friends in your life; see if you have the 3 categories, acquaintances, close, and intimate friends. Secondly look at the ratio of time you spend on the people in those groups , are you giving your most intimate friends (which can be family or spouse) the most amount of time and energy and accountability?

Friends

Lets go to the old Testament:

Read about David and Jonathan in 1 Samuel 20

They actually made a covenantal relationship as friends.

Think about the people in your life whom you have that sort of serious, till we die kind of friendship.

If not why not what is stopping you?

The relationship between husband and wife

Ephesians 5:22-24

Wives, submit to your husbands as to the Lord. For the husband is the head of the wife as Christ is the head of the church, his body, of which he is the Savior. Now as the church submits to Christ, so also wives should submit to their husbands in everything.

The main point I want you to notice in the readings about submission is the type of relationship between the wife to the husband (the one women always get upset about!), but more importantly the one the one between the husband and Christ. In the church the body submits to the head, us to Christ – women to man, BUT Christ always submits to his Father God. And so the husband is to be under the submission of Jesus Christ , and honestly what women wouldn’t want that for her family!

Lord, in marriage please teach me your way of submission and the type of relationship that will bring you glory.

Proverbs 31 – The wife of Noble Character

Today’s reading is as much for the guys as it is for the girls so no skipping it!

A wife of noble character who can find?
She is worth far more than rubies.

Her husband has full confidence in her
and lacks nothing of value.

She brings him good, not harm,
all the days of her life.

She selects wool and flax
and works with eager hands.

She is like the merchant ships,
bringing her food from afar.

She gets up while it is still dark;
she provides food for her family
and portions for her servant girls.

She considers a field and buys it;
out of her earnings she plants a vineyard.

She sets about her work vigorously;
her arms are strong for her tasks.

She sees that her trading is profitable,
and her lamp does not go out at night.

In her hand she holds the distaff
and grasps the spindle with her fingers.

She opens her arms to the poor
and extends her hands to the needy.

When it snows, she has no fear for her household;
for all of them are clothed in scarlet.

She makes coverings for her bed;
she is clothed in fine linen and purple.

Her husband is respected at the city gate,
where he takes his seat among the elders of the land.

She makes linen garments and sells them,
and supplies the merchants with sashes.

She is clothed with strength and dignity;
she can laugh at the days to come.

She speaks with wisdom,
and faithful instruction is on her tongue.

She watches over the affairs of her household
and does not eat the bread of idleness.

Her children arise and call her blessed;
her husband also, and he praises her:

“Many women do noble things,
but you surpass them all.”

Charm is deceptive, and beauty is fleeting;
but a woman who fears the LORD is to be praised.

Give her the reward she has earned,
and let her works bring her praise at the city gate.

Looking at the passage , find the type of relationships between men and women.

What Does God Think About Dating?

There aren’t a lot of stories involving how men and women should come together in a relationship, Isaac and Rebekah are my favourite so today we’ll do a quick bible study of the story.

Read with me in Genesis 24: 1-66

Notice a few things:

I see God’s position as Abraham in the story.

Notice what both Rebekah and Isaac were doing at the time in the story.

What are the main parts that stand out for you? Why?

Is this how the world views dating?

Is this how you view dating?

For further reading, the story of Boaz and Ruth in the book of Ruth is really beautiful.

Lord, even though your word is not as clear cut as I would like it about finding the right partner, please help me to find your guidance about the issue always.

Single Life

For those of us who aren’t married or dating I came across some really encouraging scriptures from Paul in 1 Corinthians 7

An unmarried man is concerned about the Lord’s affairs - how he can please the Lord.

An unmarried woman or virgin is concerned about the Lord’s affairs: Her aim is to be devoted to the Lord in both body and spirit.

The purpose of being single is not to wallow in loneliness and try every effort to find someone. I believe that the finding we need to leave up to God, if our desire is to be married that is what will happen. If you don’t believe me see Psalm 37:4.

There are a few goals to the single life I have found helpful in keeping focused :

  • Time to deal with all those past troubles and issues
  • Come to a better understanding of who you are
  • Find out who you are as the woman/man God created , what your purpose is as a wo/man in this world.
  • Get to know how the opposite sex thinks and works, through friends and observing friends who are already married.
  • Get a good idea of the person you would like to marry one day.
  • And most importantly build a strong relationship with Jesus, one that no man or woman can influence, but only make stronger.
  • Spend time building friendships with both men and woman.
  • Get involved at church, figure out what your gifts and talents are!

Obviously these are things that couples and married couples can still grow and learn in!

Lastly just a note to those of you who are in relationships, take care with the single people around you, encourage them, teach them, and try hard not to leave them out!

Lord, help me get the right perspective of my single time, help me to make the most of this special time in my life!

Men and Women by God

Genesis 2:18

The Lord said, “It is not good for the man to be alone. I will make a helper suitable for him.”

Usually when you want to know what God feels on a certain matter you turn to the beginning – Genesis!

It is quite clear that God created men and women to be in relationship with one another.

Reading further on to verse 24 it says ‘For this reason a man will leave his father and mother and be united to his wife, and they will become one flesh.’ We get the first illustration of marriage and formation of a new family.

Everyday the world distorts this meaningful relationship, so it is important for us to have a Godly perspective on the kind of relationship that God wants us to have in His Kingdom.

It doesn’t matter if you are single, dating, married, divorced, outside of those intimate relationships we all interact with members of the opposite sex everyday. If it’s at work, varsity or even in your family, somewhere along the line a relationship with the opposite sex may have affected the view you see all men/women in.

At some time in your life you will need to evaluate your view of men and women and see if lines up with how God views them. This task is important if you are to fully understand your design and purpose as a man or woman and help and encourage your partner now or one day to be fully the man or woman God created them to be.

Think about it today and I encourage you to find some books on men and woman to give you some biblical perspectives , we all need a little help. There are so many, here’s a few I’ve come across; Understanding the Purpose and Power of Woman/Men – Dr. Myles Munroe, His needs, Her needs – Willard, F Harley Jnr, The Five Love Languages.

Lord, show me if my view of the opposite sex had been distorted by the world, and help me get a kingdom perspective of them.