A faithful friend is a life-saving remedy,
such as he who fears God finds;
For he who fears God behaves accordingly,
and his friend will be like himself.
Fearing God and delighting in his law are the basis for good relationships. If we put the LORD first and trust in his Spirit we find the antidote to the selfiness toward which we are all prone. We will find faithful friends rather than those who will abandon us if we are brought low.
But if you are brought low, he turns against you
and avoids meeting you.
And putting God first we will be better friends to others.
Let us join with the psalmist in prayer for a deeper understanding of God's ways, trusting that in them we will find the blueprint for meaningful relationships. In them we will find our joy.
Lead me in the path of your commands,
for in it I delight.
The friends we find along this path of his commands are a great blessing to us. Following this path we will be a great blessing to those whom we befriend. And we will both delight in one another for we both prize God's law above our own desires.
This standard applies even more to marriage. Selfishness cannot be allowed prevail. It is bad to be a fair weather friend but there is no place in marriage for turning aside when times are difficult.
“Whoever divorces his wife and marries another
commits adultery against her;
But if we are honest we find that our motives in our relationships are never completely pure. Some selfishness always sneaks in. Meditating on the law of the LORD can help us to recognize it. In fact, the ability to apply the law even in the difficult and emotionally charged circumstances of our relationships is a gift from God. That gift is discernment.
Give me discernment, that I may observe your law
and keep it with all my heart.
If we don't have the discernment which comes from the Holy Spirit (cf. 1 Cor 12) or don't have enough we should ask Jesus for more. He is the perfectly faithful friend. He will not abandon us in our need even though there is nothing in it for him.
A faithful friend is a sturdy shelter;
he who finds one finds a treasure.
A faithful friend is beyond price,
no sum can balance his worth.
Let us rejoice, therefore, that he calls us friends (cf. John 15:15).
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