Christian Living

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Have you had that close friend, the one you have laughed with and cried with. The one who sometime ago began making not so good choices. The one who made excuses to Jesus and stopped growing, then turned around and walked off the path, that person who is currently breaking God’s heart and putting tear into your own. They no longer listed to scripture or questions from you but have made up their mind. No matter if it is about a relationship, escape choices like alcohol or drugs, spending time in the world rather than the “Word”, walking away from their calling or caring too much what people think and not enough about the heart of Jesus. Your old and close friend who now is walking so close to the edge of the cliff and seems not to even see the drop off or danger coming close?

And then the Lord Jesus Christ seems to whisper into your spirit:

You are concerned over your sister’s path and rightfully so. She needs ME but is blind. I will bring her again into the fullness of my love in time. Pray and move as I direct. Love her with my love.

Proverbs 10:12 indicates that love covers a multitude of sins while hatred stirs up strife. It doesn’t mean that we aren’t to be bold and share the truth in love with our friend. It means that perhaps we are to have very fine tuned ears, listening to our Lord and knowing when to speak and when to hush.

We need to know when to be bold and when to love and simply be there. We need to know when He is calling us to be that watchman on the wall, to sound the trumpet of warning and not have our friend’s “blood on our hands” by being silent. Would it be easier to shake our head and walk away? Probably, love isn’t always the easiest choice BUT the Lord will walk through this with us.

In Proverbs 17:9 we are encouraged to cover a transgression rather than gossip. Gossip separates friends. With the help of the Lord we can hush and pray and watch the hand of the Lord move in the situation.

Hopefully the time will come for the following scripture from James to come true. What a gift to you and to your friend, to have that friend restored to right standing and fellowship with the Lord Jesus.

James 5:16
Confess your trespasses to one another, and pray for one another, that you may be healed. The effective, fervent prayer of a righteous man avails much. (NKJV)

Prayer: Lord, please convict my friend. Draw her back to you as only you can. Help me to know when to be bold and share the truth in love and when to be quiet. Help me to pray always until the burden lifts. In Jesus’ most incredible name, AMEN

(C) Marijo Phelps all rights reserved. Use with proper credits.

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