Job 14:1 we read, “Man that is born of a woman is of few days and full of trouble.”
Friends are wonderful blessings from the Lord. A friend may not always be there with you, but they will always be there for you. Eleanor Roosevelt said, “Many people will walk in and out of your life, but only true friends leave footprints in your heart.” You may not have a lot of money, but a person is wealthy even if they can count their friends on one hand. Maybe today you are thinking you actually can count your friends on one hand. Well, I want to add one more to that number. Let me introduce him to you. His name is Trouble.
You might say, “Pastor, that’s kinda bizarre to think of trouble as being my friend!”
Exactly! And Trouble is a strange friend because most have never thought of Trouble that way.
Robert Hamilton penned these words,
“I walked a mile with pleasure, He chatted all the way; But left me none the wiser for all he had to say; Then I walked a mile with trouble and ne’er a word said he, but oh the things I learned from him, when trouble walked with me.”
A QUICK CHECKLIST.
The Bible gives us a list of qualities that describe what a true friend is like. Let’s go down that list of ways God’s Word gives and see if our friend Trouble checks every box.
- A TRUE FRIEND WILL CORRECT US WHEN WE’RE WRONG. Proverbs 27:6 says, “Faithful are the wounds of a friend…” A friend is not someone who agrees with you all of the time, especially, when you’re wrong. A godly friend loves you enough to hurt you to help you. Thank the Lord for friends like that! In the same way, Trouble comes into our lives to correct us and get us back on track with the Lord. The Psalmist said, “Before I was afflicted (suffered physically) I went astray: but now have I kept Thy Word (Psalm 119:67). Jonah would tell us that sometimes it takes ‘whale sized’ trouble to turn us back to the Lord.
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A TRUE FRIEND WILL BRING YOU CLOSER TO JESUS. Proverbs 27:7 says, “Iron sharpeneth iron; so a man sharpeneth the countenance of his friend.” A godly friend will put a keen edge on you spiritually. They’ll keep you spiritually sharp by encouraging you and challenging your faith. A friend will help you live closer to the Lord. Trouble has a way of bringing you closer to the Lord too, if you will look to Him during difficult times. You may be going through a troubling situation today and you feel the Lord is a thousand miles away. But He is never closer than when we’re facing a heart wrenching problem. Psalm 34:18 says, “The Lord is nigh (close by) unto them that are of a broken heart and saveth such as be of a contrite spirit.” He’s only a prayer away. Trouble brings the Lord near! Anything that brings you closer to Jesus is a good thing. - A TRUE FRIEND WILL BUILD UP YOUR FAITH IN THE LORD. Proverbs 17:17 says, “A friend loveth at all times…” A godly friend will not only be there to rejoice with you when everything is going great, but they’ll be there to strengthen your faith when you’re facing a difficulty. In the same way, Trouble teaches us to trust. Trouble comes with a purpose. It tests our faith. The Bible compares trouble to a refining fire, burning off impurities: “Gold and silver are tested by fire, and a person’s heart is tested by the Lord” (Proverbs 17:3). God sends your friend Trouble to test you to see if you believe what you claim. When the heat is on, do you turn away or turn toward God? Do you lower your standards just to be popular? Are you totally committed to God, even when the pressure is strong? When trouble has come and gone from our lives, our faith is made stronger than before.
- A TRUE FRIEND WILL HELP YOU WIN OTHERS TO CHRIST. Is there a greater way a friend could be a blessing in your life than to help you bring others to Christ? In Acts 16, major trouble came into Paul and Silas lives. They were beaten and thrown into jail for preaching the gospel. At midnight they sang and praised God. That’s when God caused an earthquake and the prison doors flew open. When the Philippian jailer witnessed how God delivered Paul and Silas from their trouble, he and all of his family were saved (Acts 16:34). Those around us need to to hear us SHARE our faith. But when trouble comes our way, we have an opportunity to SHOW them our faith. Trouble helped demonstrate Paul and Silas’ faith so they could win souls to Christ! Paul said, “But I would ye should understand, brethren, that the things which happened unto me have fallen out rather unto the furtherance of the gospel”(Phil.1:2).
WHEN TROUBLE COMES.
I’m not suggesting you should be overjoyed when Trouble comes along. No one enjoys facing difficulties. Trouble is never welcomed by any of us. But I do want to encourage you to remember something. The next time Trouble comes knocking, believe that somehow the Lord is gonna make Trouble a blessing in your life….somehow that trouble is going to grow your faith and afford you the opportunity to be a faithful witness to everyone around you and encourage them to trust the Lord more in their lives too!
Think it over . . .
Doug Pierce is a Church planter and a pastor. In 2003 he started and continues to pastor First Independent Methodist Church in Madison, Mississippi. His #1 priority is to glorify God in all aspects of ministry. He does this through teaching his congregation to Love God, Love One Another, and Love Others to God. Prayer, outreach, and church growth through evangelism are vital parts of his ministry. He and his wife Suzanne live in Madison, Mississippi where they also enjoy their children and grandchildren. To find out more about Doug‘s ministry visit the FIMC Website
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Dear Doug, Thank you for this, but this is how I do understand it. You have listed the advantages of a true friend. Remember, the other ‘Untruefriends’ may be this Trouble you have mentioned above as bizarre . Some one once said; “God Save Me From My Friends. I Can Protect Myself From My Enemies” He was reffering to these UNTRUE friends but whom we have found out to be equally valuable. Thanks to our Friends.
Your Friend -His servant,
Isaac Otieno