Working Together

Proverbs 6:13(MSG)
They wink at each other, they shuffle their feet, they cross their fingers behind their backs.

I remember having secret hand shakes and speaking in special coded words with my best friend when I was little.  This verse reminds me of that, as it tells of a communication between two people, albeit seemingly negative in this instance.  There are facial gestures, a certain swagger, and even secret hand gestures shared between these two individuals.  The problem is that what they are sharing between them, is not so good....deception, lies, and tearing down of others.  But, this isn't how God designed for friendship to be....nope...not at all.

There is really nothing like a good friend is there?  I mean truly, when you have special friends to laugh, cry, work, play, study, and pray with you should consider yourself very blessed indeed!!  This past week in my time with the Lord, I came across this scripture from

2 Corinthians 1:3~All praise to the God and Father of our Master, Jesus the Messiah!  Father of all mercy!  God of all healing counsel!  He comes alongside us when we go through hard times, and before you know it, he brings us alongside someone else who is going through hard times so that we can be there for that person just as God was there or us.  (Italics mine.)

This has been lived out countless times in my life.  When I face certain struggles, I find that the next thing I know, someone around me is candid about a difficulty they are having and it turns out to be a similar situation to the trial I am walking through, or have just walked through.  The Lord allows me to come alongside them and encourage them in His name.  I have had so many wonderful friends do the exact same for me during my trials.  What a gift friends are!

I am thanking God tonight for the people that He has put in my life to minister His love to me!  I pray that I can also return this love to others in their times of trial.