Category: Devotion of the Day

WHEN THE BEST FRIEND FAILS

Mine own familiar friend, in whom I trusted, which did eat of my bread, hath lifted up his heel against me. But thou, O Lord…
Psalm 41:9,10

We might as well as face it: most of us meet some sad disillusionments and heartaches at the hands of our friends. The servant of God will learn that while God never fails him, God’s people sometimes do. He will learn to expect little of people but much of God. We must make up our minds – “Am I going to trust God or not?” People will fail me, my very best friend may forsake me, but God will make up any deficits in His own way. Either we carry on with a childlike trust or we become sour and suspicious and hard-boiled, we worry and scheme by our own wits to “give as good as we get,” and that does disastrous things to us as Christians. Of course, we are not to be gullible simpletons, but it is better to be wronged once in a while by people we trusted than to grow cynical after the pattern of this world. When it is all over, we shall find that God evened it up and took care of us, even though some of His people failed. We are winners after all if we stay sweet, though we may be losers at the hands of men.

HURT BEFORE HEALING

Wherefore come out from among them, and be ye separate, saith the Lord, and touch not the unclean thing: and I will receive you, and will be a Father unto you, and ye shall be my sons and daughters, saith the Lord Almighty.
II Corinthians 6:17,18.

There can be no normal Father-and-son fellowship until sin has been dealt with and put away. It is all very well to talk of just leading a normal daily Christian life without having to be “revived,” but most Christians are not ready to lead such a life. One might as well tell a sick man to get out in the sunshine and follow his usual habits. We are subnormal and abnormal, and sometimes drastic measures are necessary before we can be normal Christians again. Even surgery may be indicated and the offending eye or foot or hand must be removed. We let Christians and churches go on in their sick condition rather than remove infection and employ spiritual catharsis. Sometimes radical procedure is necessary, and it may be disturbing to sick souls who prefer to be unmolested, but there can be no recovery without it.

Paul followed this course with the Corinthians, and our Lord called for repentance among the ailing churches of Asia. Sometimes we must feel worse before we can feel better. Hurt often must come before healing.