SPIRITUAL DIARY FOR 2/26/2013
8:23 AM
My Worship Time Focus: Friends
& Neighbors PT-2
Bible Reading & Meditation Reference: Proverbs
Message of the
verses: We have been looking at what
the book of Proverbs has to say about friends and neighbors, and in particular
we have been looking at the quality of true friendship. We will try and finish this section in today’s
Spiritual Diary.
The quality of true
friendship PT-2: The first quality
that we will look at this morning is the ability to control the tongue. “With his mouth the godless man destroys his
neighbor, But through knowledge the righteous will be delivered (Pr. 11:9).” One way to remember to control the tongue is
to have the ability to remember that we are not always to believe the first
thing that we hear about a matter: “The
first speech in a court case is always convincing—until the cross-examination
starts! (Pr. 18:17 The Message).” “A man
of understanding holds his tongue (Pr. 11:12b).” If you
realize that your neighbor is telling lies about you, then you must confront
him but you are not to avenge those lies by lying yourself about him. “28 ¶
Do not be a witness against your neighbor without cause, And do not
deceive with your lips. 29 Do not say,
"Thus I shall do to him as he has done to me; I will render to the man
according to his work’ (Pr. 24:28-29).”
We are also to beware of people who cause you trouble and then say to
you that “I was only joking.” “18 ¶ People who shrug off deliberate deceptions,
saying, "I didn’t mean it, I was only joking," 19 Are worse than careless campers who walk away
from smoldering campfires (Pr.26:18-19 The Message).”
Next: Friends and
neighbors must be loving honest with one
another. “Faithful are the wounds of
a friend, But deceitful are the kisses of an enemy (Pr. 27:6).” As believers we cannot build a friendship on
lies for we must tell the truth, and do it in a loving way, even if the truth
will hurt. “But we are meant to speak
the truth in love, and to grow up in every way into Christ, the head (Eph. 4:15
Philips).” We know that the Spirit of
God can use the truth when we speak it, but Satan uses lies and flattery to
tear down relationships, “He who rebukes a man will afterward find more favor
Than he who flatters with the tongue (Pr. 28:3).”
Don’t take advantage of a friend by thinking that they
will immediately forgive our offences even though it is the right thing to do
as a believer. “A brother offended is
harder to be won than a strong city, And contentions are like the bars of a
citadel (Pr. 18:19).” Dr. Wiersbe writes
“It’s strange but true that some of God’s people will forgive offenses from
unbelievers that they would never forgive if a Christian friend committed
them. It takes a diamond to cut a
diamond, and some Christians have a way of putting up defenses that even the
church can’t break through. Matthew
18:15-35 give us the steps to take when such things happen, and our Lord warns
us that an unforgiving spirit only puts us into prison!” 2/26/2013 9:19 AM
2/26/2013 1:16 PM
Faithful friends
and neighbors counsel and encourage each other: I would suppose that this is a good place to
say that the reason that I had to stop and start this SD was because that I was
getting some counsel from our Pastor and so it kind of fits right into the
conclusion of this Spiritual Diary. “Oil
and perfume make the heart glad, So a man’s counsel is sweet to his friend
Proverbs 27:9).” This probably speaks of
when times when the subject of the counseling is without any problems or
strife, but when there is trouble we can look at Proverbs 27:17, “Iron sharpens
iron, So one man sharpens another.”
Again we must follow Ephesians 4;15b, “speaking the truth in love.”
Friends and
neighbors must exercise tact and be sensitive to each other’s feelings: We cannot spend too much time with each other
as far as friends and relatives are concerned or we will wear out our
welcome: “Let your foot rarely be in
your neighbor’s house, Or he will become weary of you and hate you.” Friendship can be like trees, if we plant
them to close together we will have a problem with their growth, and if we are
to grow as a believer we need some space.
Dr. Wiersbe writes “Even husbands and wives must respect each other’s
privacy and not be constantly together if their love is to mature.”
“He who blesses his friend with a loud voice early in the
morning, It will be reckoned a curse to him (Pr. 27:14).” We have to beware of our friends who just continually
say good things about us even to the point that they wake us up early to talk
to us. Dr. Wiersbe writes “Love is
sensitive to other people’s feelings and needs, and true friends try to say the
right things at the right time in the right way.” “Like one who takes off a garment on a cold
day, or like vinegar on soda, Is he who sings songs to a troubled heart Pr.
25:20).”
Dr. Wiersbe concludes “A happy family, encouraging
friends and good neighbors: What
blessings these are from the Lord! Let’s
be sure we do our part to make these blessings a reality in our lives and the
lives of others.”
Spiritual meaning
for my life today: I think that it
is so wonderful that the Bible has such wisdom for situations like this, for it
teaches us the right way to treat other people and how to make good friends and
how to keep them and encourage them.
My Steps of Faith for Today: Follow the things that I have learned from
this subject and also from the counseling that I have received today from our
Pastor.
Memory verses for the
week: Psalm 32:1-4
1 Blessed is he whose transgression is forgiven, whose
sin is covered! 2 How blessed is the man
to whom the LORD does not impute iniquity, and in whose spirit there is no deceit! 3 When I kept silent about my sin my body
wasted away through my groaning all day long.
4 For day and night Your hand was heavy upon me; my vitality was drained
away like the fever heat of summer.
Selah.
Turning Points Wisdom for
Today: “You are in His hands, and He is
Lord.” (David Jeremiah) “Your hand shall lead me, and your right hand
shall hold me.” (Psalm 139:10)
2/26/2013 1:40 PM
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