Friends help us find renewed hope

Good morning everyone,

Our theme for this month: “Renewed hope”

Our Bible verse for today: “A friend loves at all times, and a brother is born for a difficult time.” Proverbs 17:17

Our thought for today: “Friends help us find renewed hope”

I had trouble selecting a Bible verse for today’s devotional. There are so many powerful verses that teach about the value of friendship – especially as we go through the valleys in life. Proverbs 17:17 is just one of them. Then there’s Ecclesiastes 4:9-10, “Two are better than one because they have a good reward for their efforts. For if either falls his companion can lift him up; but pity the one who falls without another to lift him up.”

In his great book, “Build the Life You Want: The Art and Science of Getting Happier,” Arthur Brookes outlines what he calls the four pillars upon which a happier life is built. The four pillars are family, friends, work, and faith. Friendship is one of the essential elements of a happy life. People with friends are happier than those without them.

Brookes tells the story of the American writer Edgar Allan Poe. Poe’s writing was a reflection of his own inner self (which was a rather dark world). He was an unhappy person given to bouts of deep depression and severe pessimism. He was also a loner. He did not like people and he avoided them, but he suffered terribly for that choice. He even wrote a poem about his loneliness called “Alone” in which he described the difficulty he had connecting with people emotionally. Poe didn’t like people and therefore, as Brookes noted, “It’s not that no one wanted his company, it’s that he didn’t much want theirs. His loneliness was self-imposed.” How sad and tragic.

In his research Brookes also discovered, “Without friends, no one can thrive … A life with close friends can be happy even when many other things are wrong. A life without close friends is like a house in winter (in Massachusetts) without heat.”

Having friends is a critical element in having a happier life. And when it comes to gaining a sense of renewed hope, especially when we are struggling with life issues, friends are a gift from God.

I’ll leave you this morning with the words of the Apostle Paul, found in 1 Thessalonians 5:11, “Therefore encourage one another and build each other up as you are already doing.” That’s what friends do for each other and we all need those friends. I encourage you to make it a point today to reach out to someone who needs a friend right now. Lift them up. Encourage them.

God bless,
Pastor Jim

(If you like what you’re reading in these daily devotionals, and if you would like more content from Oak Hill Baptist Church, join us on Sundays at 10:00, in-person if you are nearby or, if you are geographically distant or if you just can’t make it, online at www.YouTube.com/@oakhillbaptistcrossville

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