November 15 – Friendship Takes Persistence

“Do not forsake your friend and the friend of your father, and do not go to your brother’s house when disaster strikes you — better a neighbor nearby than a brother far away.” Proverbs 27:10 (NIV)

In Luke 11:5-8 (NIV), Jesus told a parable about a man who went to his friend at midnight to borrow three loaves of bread to entertain some guests. His friend was already in bed and said, “Don’t bother me… my children are with me in bed. I can’t getup and give you anything.” BUT, the man was PERSISTENT.  He kept knocking and asking.

Jesus said in Verse 8, that because of his IMPORTUNITY “ his friend would arise and give him as much as he needed.” Importunity is defined as “boldness, forwardness, unreasonable persistence.”

Friendship takes persistence and patience. It requires pressing in to another’s life to the point of vulnerability to test the level of love and trust. Valuable friendships do not “just happen,” nor do they happen quickly.  Friendships are developed over a course of time and experiences.

Be willing to test your friendships. Be willing to have your friendship tested by others. Stick in there with your friend for the long haul. . . the big picture. After all, God has stuck in there with YOU!

PRAY: “Lord, help me to cultivate my friendships through love, patience, and persistence.  Help me not to be so easily hurt and offended. I desire to be a friend like You. I pray in Jesus’ precious Name. Amen.”

November 14 – Identify Your Friends

“Confidence in an unfaithful man in time of trouble is like a broken tooth, and afoot out of joint.”  Proverbs 25:19

Picture yourself in this crisis… alone in a car on a remote country road. It is after midnight and you have just run out of gas. Fortunately, you are near a phone booth, but all you have in change is one quarter for one telephone call.

WHO ARE YOU GOING TO CALL FOR HELP?

Suppose that you are not a member of AAA Road Service Club and that all your immediate family is overseas on a trip… NOW who are you going to call?

Your answer to this scenario may help you to identify your real friends. Can you name ONE who would gladly come to help you at midnight? Can you name FIVE?

You will qualify and identify your friends in three ways:

1) CHARACTER QUALITIES – honesty, integrity, love.

2) PRIOR EXPERIENCES – “How did they respond before?”

3) PROVEN THROUGH TIME – “How long have I known them?”

So, what kind of friend are YOU? How would you respond to a call from your friend at midnight?

PRAY: “Loving heavenly Father, You are the greatest example of a friend upon whom I can depend. Help me to be more like You as I broaden my family of friends.”

November 13 – Unity of the Faith

“Till we all come in the unity of the faith, and of the knowledge of the Son of God, unto a perfect man, unto the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ.”   Ephesians 4:13

God is looking for a church body that is in UNITY, a body that is alive and functioning as it was intended… growing up unto a perfect man… with

the EYES of a prophet the HANDS of a servant the EARS of a teacher

the FEET of an exhorter the ARMS of a giver

the HEAD of a ruler the HEART of mercy

Working together in Christ, all form a complete, healthy, functional body.

“From whom [Christ] the whole body fitly joined together and compacted by that which every joint supplieth, according to the effectual working in the measure of every part, maketh increase of the body unto the edifying of itself in love.” (Ephesians 4:16)

So… “As every man hath received the GIFT, even so minister the same one to another, as good stewards of the manifold grace of God.” (I Peter 4:10) (Emphasis supplied.)

PRAY: “Dear Lord, with Your help l am discovering the gifts and abilities given me.  Help me also to appreciate the gifts of others, so that together we will be effective and see Your body increase. In Jesus’ Name, amen.”