Our old friend Webster says: one attached to another by affection or regard; a member of the same nation or political group. In all my years I've had friends. We children in our neighborhood were great friends, especially when we gathered together to play games such as Hide and go Seek, Run Sheep Run and many others. We gained new friends in the community when we entered school and some of those remained classmate friends until the l2 years had passed. After graduation we scattered and some I never saw again.
I left home to enter Bible school in Minneapolis and there I found new friends who also were in God's big family. I corresponded with some after graduation, but many of those have gone on. When I married my best friend, Chester Osland, we began pastoring in North Dakota and then again made new friends.
I can go on and on talking about the addition of friends, but I would like to call your attention to some verses in the Bible which speak of friendship. Proverbs 17:17 states that "A friend loveth at all times." That may be very difficult when someone offends you, but God will give the love that is needed to heal the wound.
The Bible tells how to gain friends: “A man that hath friends must show himself friendly” Proverbs 18:24. How does one show friendship? Smile!!! A smile is beautiful and a frown is not. I remember an old song which we use to sing: “It isn't any trouble just to S M I L E. If ever you're in trouble, It will vanish like a bubble, If you only S M I L E.” Other extensions of showing friendship are kind words and helping hands.
Another phrase in that same verse above says, “There is a friend that sticketh closer than a brother.” That may be true in an earthly brother, but I like to adapt this to the real true friend, Jesus. He became my best and greatest Friend when I was a little girl of ten years which I told you about in my last blog. I do not have all the friends I previously had because of the passing of time, but Jesus has been my continual friend all these years.
I love the words of the old song, “What a Friend we have in Jesus, All our sins and griefs to bear. Can we find a friend so faithful, who will all our sorrows share?” Do you have this Friend? Just ask Him to come into your life and forgive your sins, and He will become your Friend. Then you, too, will be able to sing "Friendship with Jesus, Fellowship divine, Oh, what blessed sweet communion, Jesus is a Friend of mine."
