True Friendship

Life can be lonely and discouraging without a trusted friend and confidant. I spent a lengthy portion of my adult existence sabotaging friendships because of the cold-heartedness, deep anger and trust issues within me as part of my non-believing life.

It wasn’t until the lover of my soul, Jesus Christ, saved me, that I experienced true friendship. I could tell my Savior anything. Even though he knew every dark secret, the depth of my shame and each despicable act I had committed, he never cast me from his presence.

Instead, he drew me closer and, in his perfect timing, brought a group of loving, praying and correcting sisters who never showed disgust as I revealed my dirty laundry. Their grace and mercy demonstrated an outward Christ-likeness that began filling my inward need.

Over time through ladies retreats, outings and Bible studies, the weaving of myself to these godly women grew tighter as we journeyed through life’s troubles together. God knew I required strength behind my growing faith, even more than I realized and had prayed for.

Now I pray, fiercely, for protection over the precious friendships I’ve been blessed with. I fight to keep our gatherings sacred by petitioning the Lord, beforehand, to keep the enemy from penetrating the knot that God so lovingly tied together.

From the youngest to the oldest, my heavenly Father has given me an assembly of women to whom I can go for deep heart sharing in every season and situation of my life. In turn, we hold each other up in prayer and stand in the gap for those who "may be overpowered" by trials, living out today’s verse (Ecclesiastes 4:12).

True friendships are a nourishing brook from which we can drink deeply when it comes from God in response to prayer. The Lord perfectly filled my craving for sisters in Christ with whom I could be accountable, show vulnerability to and build strong nurturing relationships with, all to the glory of God.

As believers in Christ, godly friends are an essential part of a successful faith life. Pray that God will bring you the blessing of true friendship.

Heavenly Father, thank you for the extraordinary blessing of the true friendships I have with my godly girlfriends. Even in my initial hesitation of forging these friendships, your loving guidance brought me to the right group at the right time. I lift up those who fear being in a gathering of godly friends and ask that you, too, would bring the right person(s) in your perfect timing, in order to further mature them in their faith. In Jesus’ precious name I pray. Amen.

Throughout This Day: If you’ve been blessed with a cord of godly friends who have helped you in your faith journey, take some time to thank God for each of them. Then, reach out to each friend, expressing your gratitude for having them in your life.