Our Favorite Proverbs: Proverbs 17:17

by David Chadwick

“A friend loves at all times, and a brother is born for adversity.”

Proverbs 17:17

God has a high value for strong, biblical, refining relationships all throughout Scripture. Look at the many times God commands what has been referred to by many pastors as “the one anothers.”

James 5:16 says to confess to and pray for one another. John 13:34 says to love one another. Galatians 5:13 says to serve one another. Galatians 6:2 said we should carry one another’s burdens. Ephesians 4:32 says to be kind and compassionate with another.

The list goes on and on and on.

The heart’s cry of every person is to have good, loyal, and true friends. People with whom we can live out “the one anothers.” In a world full of selfish ambition, personal agendas, and performance-based love, friendships that carry this depth of loyalty are so rare.

More than loyalty, what is even rarer is a friend born for adversity. A true friend will walk with you through both joys AND trials. He or she is not just there for the good times, the chuckles, and the fun moments. While it is wonderful to share great memories, the mark of real relational depth and strength is found when life is not perfect. When sins are revealed. When you step on each other’s toes. When you let each other down. When you’re broken and have nothing to give.

A true friend is always there, in both the good times and the bad, but especially during the fires. That friend is a forever kind of friend. It’s the most wonderful gift when this person is your spouse, the one to whom you have a covenant for all your life! Also, when they are your kids who have moved from children to close friends through the years.

Do you have any friends like this in your life? Those who will stand by you no matter what?

Those who are there for you no matter what? If so, count your blessings and take a moment today to reach out to them and thank them for being a true friend and brother or sister. You truly have one of life’s greatest joys!

Our Favorite Proverbs: Proverbs 17:15

by David Chadwick

“Those who justify the wicked and condemn the righteous are an abomination of the Lord.”

Proverbs 17:15

The standard of truth and righteousness are obvious in God’s eyes. The lines are not blurred. And his ways must always be kept apart from the ways of the world.

People and cultures, over time, have moved away more and more from God and his truth. This has happened throughout the ages, since the beginning of time. It will continue to happen with greater frequency and intensity until Jesus returns.

Go back to the Old Testament and read what the prophets constantly warned against. Isaiah 5:20, for instance, shows us some of what was going on in those times. Isaiah said, “Woe to those who call evil good and good evil, who put darkness for light and light for darkness, who put bitter for sweet and sweet for bitter!”

Do you see the parallels from back then to today? The sin patterns in the Old Testament are the same sin patterns we are facing now. The condition of the human heart has not changed. And you can see them everywhere you turn, right before your eyes. It’s an all-out war against truth, justice, and righteousness.

The laws of God that he reveals in nature and the foundational truths of his Word are being jettisoned, discarded, and abandoned frivolously! We are watching wickedness be justified and righteousness be condemned. No nation can stand when it goes down this path.

We must be people of prayer. We must be discerning so that we, too, don’t call evil good and good evil. So that we don’t mix up wickedness and righteousness.

Until Jesus returns for his bride, our job is to pray earnestly and to call people to return to the Lord. 2 Chronicles 7:14 says, “If my people who are called by my name humble themselves, and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven and will forgive their sin and heal their land.”

One day, the healing that Jesus brings will be eternal. Until that day, may we all seek to contend for glimpses of healing and righteousness as we wait for the soon and coming victory of King Jesus!

Our Favorite Proverbs: Proverbs 17:14

by David Chadwick

“The beginning of strife is like letting out water, so quit before the quarrel breaks out.”

Proverbs 17:14

Strife is powerfully destructive and like a forceful burst of water, able to bust through the strongest of dams. Like water building up behind a barrier, when strife is set free, it’s awfully hard to stop it. And it’s terribly destructive.

Today, we will address the problem of strife that is frequently addressed in the Bible. Solomon repeatedly addresses strife throughout the Proverbs. Strife apparently comes on the scene when jealousy, selfish ambition, and other sin patterns abound! James 3:16 says, “For where jealousy and selfish ambition exist, there will be disorder and every vile practice.”

Strife invites things like division, resentment, retaliation, and so many other evil actions. As born-again, Bible-believing Christians, we must stop strife, and, in turn, we will stop further evil from happening.

Let’s take a look at James 3:13 for a New Testament perspective on this topic. “Who is wise and understanding among you? By his good conduct let him show his works in the meekness of wisdom.”

Do you see the correlation? A person of wisdom has good conduct. He or she behaves appropriately and displays meekness, which in so many ways is the opposite of strife. A gentle spirit. A calm demeanor. A resolved purity.

Therefore, when it comes to strife, as my mom used to say, “Nip it in the bud.” Stop it before it starts. Seek to never be a source of strife in your relationships. If it comes your way, walk the other way. Quit before the quarrel breaks out. The best way to handle strife is to never allow it in the first place!

Live out Psalm 34:14 and 1 Peter 3:11. Turn from evil. Seek peace. And pursue it!