re-blog

I am SO VERY thankful that the Lord gifted us with friendships. It is distinctly possible that I often put significantly more value in them than in seeking The Father himself. However, on the other hand, he continues to bless, grow, strengthen, refine, and bring joy to me through the people he so purposefully placed in my life. I absolutely LOVE the following excerpts from a another blogger. It strikes the things that run the deepest within me my relationship with others. Some treasures are worth passing on! So this is like a re-tweet of sorts...a re-blog.

It is fun for me to research the Word just a bit when I started thinking about friendships in the Bible and how the Lord blesses His children with people during various seasons of life.

The first one that comes to mind is David and Jonathan. Jonathan's father, Saul, was on a man-hunt for David...and so Jonathan helped protect him. In 1 Samuel 18, it says that Jonathan was "knit" to the soul of David, and Jonathan loved David as himself. Jonathan even risks his relationship with his father, King Saul, to protect his friend David.

Shadrach, Meshach, and Abendego - friends of Daniel who refused to worship King Nebuchadnezzar's Baylonian god. The three stood firm together, even if it meant being thrown in to a fiery furnace. Not one waivered.

Ruth and Naomi...an odd couple, not necessarily bound by friendship at first. Maybe it's more mother/daughter-ish, but Ruth definitely showed characteristics of a good friend by not leaving Naomi with whom she had no ties. She was constant and committed, selfless and helpful.

Mary, Martha and Lazarus...brought up a few times in the New Testament. It starts in Luke 10 when they invite Jesus in to their home. Maybe He knew them ahead of time? I'm not sure. But they develope a deep relationship, so much so that upon Lazarus's death, Jesus comes back to them and WEEPS with them (John 11). It even says "Jesus loved Martha and her sister and Lazarus."

Paul, Priscilla and Aquila - I love these 3 because this has been me many times in my own life, even now...being friends with a couple when I have no one to accompany me - it's like I'm intruding on date night! There have been a few times over the last couple months where I spent dinner with friends of mine who are couples...couples that I respect and admire, who have prayed for me and with me. There's no feeling like a 3rd wheel here. I'm sure Paul didn't either...he lives with Priscilla and Aquila for a short period of time, and even travels with them (Acts 18). He refers to them in Romans 16:3-4 as "fellow workers in Christ Jesus" and mentions them several more times in other books (1 Corinthians and 2 Timothy) in regards to greeting. He loved them and missed them.

"Ointment and perfume rejoice the heart: so doth the sweetness of a man's friend by hearty counsel."
~Proverbs 27:9~

These individuals highlighted in the Word give me some interesting characteristics of friendship to ponder. When friends do life together it creates a community that is rewarding beyond words in both the heights and depths of circumstances.