Friends
Ecclesiastes 4:9-12
I would like to dedicate this devotional to Ryan and Cherie, two friends that my wife and I have grown to love over the past 8 months or so. We invited Ryan and Cherie and some other friends over tonight for a final farewell before they move this weekend to Colorado. Unfortunately, we were just getting to know them better. We were so happy to call them our friends. We will continue to call them friends. I could stress the unfortunate things about their leaving, but there is one fortunate thing about all this . . . the fact that God brought them into our lives. God knows it was not good for man to be alone. Because of this, he created woman. God knows it’s not good for anyone to be alone. Because of this, he created friends. Ecclesiastes 4:9-12 says so much about the importance of friendship.
In this mobile world where people rarely put down roots, there is a temptation to just not make friends. If we have no friends, then no tears are shed when a job change necessitates a move. To quote an old rap song which probably quoted some poet, “It’s better to have loved and lost, than never had loved at all.” I think the same can be said about friendship in a little different way, “It’s better to have had some good friends and have them move away, than never had any good friends at all.”
I believe life is a lot more enjoyable and tough times are easier to handle with God given friends. May God bless you abundantly with wonderful and long lasting friendships.
