Friendless

 “The man of too many friends [chosen indiscriminately] will be broken in pieces and come to ruin . . . “(Proverbs 18:24a AMP)

Although there are hermits, who are satisfied living in solitude, God created humanity for companionship and association with other people. Some people are satisfied with calling only one person a friend, while others need multiple friendships to satisfy their longing for camaraderie. If you are searching for a friend, know that others are looking for someone just like you.

The question is, can you have too many friends? According to the passage, it isn’t the number of friends who poses a problem, but the kind of friends you choose. Rushing into gaining friendships quickly without wisdom causes devastating destruction. Being selective is not to be confused with being snobbish, but choosing comrades wisely, as the proverb warns. If friends are not like-minded, problems will occur.

The second half of this proverb says, “But there is a [true, loving] friend who [is reliable and] sticks closer than a brother.” Jesus is our friend, a friend we can depend on, one who will never disappoint, will always understand, and never leave us. You may be thinking, well, of course, Jesus is my friend. But is He? A friend is one with whom we spend time and share our thoughts. Is Jesus your friend? Is He mine?

Friendship and fellowship with other believers are essential to our spiritual well-being, but friends come, and friends go. If you find yourself without friends, we learn Jesus is enough as we mature in the Lord. He is “The Friend” in your life who sticks closer than a brother, the One to turn to first for help and answers—for everything you need. He is trustworthy and will never leave you friendless.

The Bottle's Message

 “Prove all things; hold fast that which is good.” 1 Thessalonians 5:21

Our friend was hesitant to say anything at first as he fixed a cup of coffee, but out of curiosity, he blurted out, “I keep glancing at that bottle; I’ve got to know what it is.” The bottle he referred to was on the beverage tray kept near the coffee pot. Picking up the bottle in question, he laughed and said, “I knew it couldn’t be what it looked like, but I had to know.”

Why did the bottle stir such curiosity? The visitor recognized the “look” of the bottle as one that held a popular, name-brand liquor, but ours had agave (honey). Scripture warns us: “Abstain from all appearance of evil” (v.22). You may be thinking, but agave is not evil. No, it isn’t, and neither are alcoholic beverages unless you abuse the use of them. But what if our visitor didn’t know us well and was unaware of the standards by which we live? If that person thought the same thing about the bottle’s message as our friend but didn’t inquire about the contents, he may have left wondering, this preacher drinks hard liquor?

My agave sweetener now exists in a new container that doesn’t resemble the former. Why? God’s Word says to put all things to the test and cling to those that are good. We should withdraw from any wrong appearance or that which could cause someone to stumble in life (Matthew 18:6). What message does your life container send?

Are You Afraid?

 “Say to them that are of a fearful heart: Be strong, fear not; behold your God will come with vengeance, even God with a recompense, He will come and save you.” Isaiah 35:4

What do you fear? Or more precisely, what do you fear most? Is it your family’s well-being? Job security? Illness? The world’s current condition? The future for yourself and generations that follow? Though these issues are crucial, they should not rob you of peace with God. Shortly before leaving this world, Jesus spoke comforting words to His disciples, “Peace I leave with you, My peace I give unto you: not as the world giveth, give I unto you. Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid.” John 14:27. Jesus prepared them for His coming cruel death and departure, to not fear what would happen and the days to follow. He speaks the same message today in some form of the phrase, “fear not,” which covers every day of the year, including leap year. God knows; God sees; God provides—God cares. He has not missed nor ignored one event in your life or the world.

Isaiah’s message tells us to stand firm fearlessly, trusting in God to intervene righteously and avenge injustices. As born-again believers, we belong to God. We are His children. His Holy Spirit lives within each of us; He is already with us, so why would He need to “come” to us? When we need saving from life’s adversities, we must cry out to our Savior for daily saving. It is then that He comes to save us, meet and rescue us in our time of need.

Peter stepped out of the boat and bravely walked on the raging waters to meet Jesus on the sea but began sinking when he shifted his gaze from the Maker of the waves and focused on the storm. As he cried out for help, Jesus went to Peter, met him in his need, and saved him. The disciples then worshiped Jesus, acknowledging Him as the Son of God (Matthew 14:22–33). Are you afraid today? This same Jesus will meet you in every storm you face. Be strong; you need not fear. Cry out to your Savior; He is nearby.

As the Wheel Spins

“But the jar he was making did not turn out as he had hoped, so he crushed it into a lump of clay again and started over.” Jeremiah 18:4

Remember the days of modeling clay and play dough? What fun we had, squishing the stuff in our hands to soften, making it more pliable for creating masterpieces. Once we completed the piece but didn’t like the outcome, we would smash it down, squish it up, and start over. But remember what happened if you left your unfinished handiwork exposed to the air or sunlight too long? Yep, it hardened—maybe not entirely, but enough that it was not useable to reshape, and you discarded the work.

God instructed Jeremiah to go to the potter’s shop, and He would speak with him there. Jeremiah found the potter busy working at his wheel. Not satisfied with the jar he was making, the potter smashed the clay back into a lump and started over; the clay was still moldable. As Jeremiah watched the potter, God told him to warn all Judah and Jerusalem; they faced destruction if they refused to turn from their evil ways. The people replied they were satisfied with their way of life and would continue following their evil desires.

God wanted His people to stay moldable in His hands, but they stubbornly chose to expose their lives to evil living. By doing so, their hearts of clay became harder and harder. Because of their disobedience, God scattered them before the enemy, refusing to notice their suffering (v. 17).

As a lump of clay spins on the wheel, the potter must apply consistent, equal pressure within and without the object. This technique is vital in forming and strengthening the vessel, preparing it to survive the fire it must endure for useful service. On days you feel hard-pressed within and without, it may be the “Master Potter” at work as He spins you on life’s wheel, preparing you for the “fires” of life you will face, creating a masterpiece for His service. Stay moldable in His hands—that decision is yours to make by yielding to His Son-light-authority in your life. The danger of stubbornly choosing the world's light and your desires over God’s way paves a pathway to becoming an unprepared, easily broken, unusable pile of clay. 

Step Up

 “Elijah passed by him and cast his mantle upon him . . . “(1 Kings 19:19)

Elijah, not questioning God’s message to anoint Elisha as his replacement, hints at his weariness. After Elijah cast his mantle on Elisha as God instructed (indicating Elisha’s call as his assistant and to the prophetic office), the prophet left Elisha to ponder his calling. Elisha took his plow for firewood, roasted his oxen, fed the townspeople, and said his goodbyes. Without the plow and animals, he would never return to farm life. Fully committed to God’s choosing him, he chose to follow God, leaving family, friends, and former life behind and went after Elijah as his assistant-in-training.

Total obedience—that is what God looks and longs for from those He calls for service. The call of God to “step up” in serving Him may come suddenly and unexpectedly. If you feel unworthy or ill-equipped, you are in the perfect posture as a useful tool for God’s work. Questioning the validity of or doubting His call is an indication you think God made a mistake or acted in haste. But God never makes mistakes, and His timing is always right. When His Spirit “is cast” on you, embrace your calling; surrender yourself into the capable hands of the One who knows you. Trust Him. When God calls you to a task, He equips you to carry it out successfully.

Elijah was weary, and at God’s instruction, stepped down. Elisha was unsuspecting yet followed God’s leading and stepped up—both men were obedient. We know from Scripture that even though Elijah faltered, he didn’t die; God carried him by a whirlwind to heaven in a chariot of fire drawn by horses of fire (2 Kings 2:11)—but, because he has not yet died, we know God is not finished with his service yet. Elijah was gone but left behind his mantle (a type of robe usually worn by prophets, made of skin with hair). Because Elisha saw God take his master to heaven, he received a double portion of Elijah’s spirit, just as Elijah said (vs. 9–10). The newly appointed prophet picked up Elijah’s mantle and immediately began fulfilling his calling.

As Elisha plowed the field that morning, the last thing on his mind was that God would appoint him as His prophet. Without hesitation or question, he left everything to answer God’s call. If God unexpectedly called you to a task, would you surrender to Him? Would you be willing to leave behind everything that may keep you from being fully committed? Like Elijah and Elisha, you and I have much to do for the Lord, empowered by His Spirit, if we are willing and obedient.

Step Down

 “It is enough; now O, Lord, take away my life . . . “(1 Kings 19:4)

Elijah not only saw but was directly involved when God sent down fire from heaven that consumed the sacrifice, the wood, the stones, the dust, and even “licked up the water” around the altar (v. 38) as hundreds of Baal’s prophets watched. When God’s people saw the miracle, they proclaimed, “The Lord, He is God” (v. 39). The same day, Elijah saw God turn one tiny cloud “like a man’s hand” (v. 44), into a deluge of rain, after years of drought. And the same day, he felt the Almighty’s hand of power and strength on him as he ran ahead of Ahab’s chariot back into the city, many miles away (v. 46).

Elijah experienced three extraordinary miracles within one day. Yet, only minutes after his run, he sat under a tree, asking God to take his life. What caused a mighty, faith-filled man of God to change so drastically? Jezebel, King Ahab’s evil wife, was infuriated after hearing of the event-filled day and sent a messenger to Elijah with news that he would die by the next day for killing their pagan prophets. He ran for his life to Beersheba, the Promised Land’s southernmost area, a place of safety. After a day’s journey into the wilderness, Elijah sat under a shade tree, and it was there he told God it was enough; he could do no more for God’s people.

Fear found a foothold as the evil words of Jezebel pierced Elijah’s heart. The weary warrior forgot the power and faithfulness of God; one sentence sent him into a tailspin so severe that he felt useless, helpless, and welcomed death. Elijah continued his one hundred- and fifty-miles trek to Horeb, God’s mountain. Along the way, God supernaturally supplied rest areas, food, and water for His exhausted servant. Upon reaching mount Horeb, Elijah lodged in a cave, and it was there that God asked him, “What are you doing here?” Elijah answered that he was the only prophet left who served God, and all of Israel wanted him dead. God told Elijah that he was not alone in the battle as he thought; there were still thousands of Israelites faithfully serving Him. Some of God’s words that followed are heart-wrenching. He instructed the mighty prophet to anoint Elisha, who would aid him while in training to one day soon take his place as God’s prophet (v. 16).

When fear speaks to your heart, do you embrace its message? Are you weary of the day-to-day battles? Do you feel like you are alone in the struggle? Have you felt like running away? Are you ready for God to take you home; you cannot go any further? Don’t let fear, weariness, or discouragement rule your life or rob you of your God-given calling. God alone is the judge of who and when someone should step aside for another to fulfill their responsibilities. Satan is the father of all lies and a most effective fear-stirrer, so remember: “Ye are of God little children and have overcome them: because greater is He that is in you, than he that is in the world” (1 John 4:4).

Eyewash

 “. . . And the Lord God will wipe away tears from off all faces, and the rebuke of His people shall He take away from off all the earth, for the Lord hath spoken it.” (Isaiah 25:8)

Men, women, and children do it—we cry. An eyelash or foreign particle in the eye, grief, allergies, hurtful words, a joyous moment—we cannot escape tears. Yet, tears are helpful. Every time we blink, tears moisten the eye, and that lubrication helps us see more clearly. Crying also keeps the eyes clean and free of bacteria. Using artificial tears as an eyewash substitute is okay, but natural tears are by far more effective, for they can also “wash the soul.”

Sometimes our emotional state dictates when tears flow, and even though it doesn’t seem to at the time, crying releases different chemicals, making one feel better. G. Gensen wrote the song: Tears are a Language—God sees the tears of a brokenhearted soul and hears them fall. He understands what caused the pain and is always nearby to help. Ira F. Stanphill wrote the lyrics to He Washed My Eyes With Tears—a broken heart exposes fears and pride to which we are sometimes blind; brokenness reveals God’s glory and the greatness of Jesus’ sacrifice on our behalf.

Shedding tears occasionally arouse a thoughtful spiritual self-check-up. They are beneficial, but one day God will wipe them all away because we will no longer need them.