Our Daily Bread Devotional 10 NOVEMBER 2022
OUR DAILY BREAD DEVOTIONAL
Topic: LEGACY OF FRIENDS
ODB (OUR DAILY BREAD DEVOTIONAL) KEY SCRIPTURE:
Bible in a Year: Jeremiah 48–49; Hebrews 7
Memory Verse: Proverbs 17:17
A friend loves at all times.
Today’s Scripture & Insight: Proverbs 27:6–10
The word friend occurs several times in the Bible. In many of the occurrences in the book of Job, Job grieves the behavior of those he once called friends (Job 12:4; 19:14). In the Psalms, David struggles over friends who’ve betrayed him (Psalms 31:11; 38:11; 41:9; 55:12–14; 109:4–5). Proverbs provides helpful words about what friendship is and isn’t. We see two of those references in today’s text (Proverbs 27:6, 10).
Further sage advice from Proverbs includes: “the righteous choose their friends carefully” (12:26); “a gossip separates close friends” (16:28); and “do not make friends with a hot-tempered person, do not associate with one easily angered” (22:24). Perhaps the best insight is that “a friend loves at all times” (17:17). As Abraham and Moses discovered, our truest and greatest friend is God (Exodus 33:11; James 2:23).
Also Read…
ODB MESSAGE FOR TODAY
Hence, gossip, slander, or jumping to conclusions about a person you knew well and who faced legal proceedings could be a very real temptation. This naturally leads in to verse 17, in which the people are exhorted not to harbor grudges against a “fellow Israelite” but rather to take disputes to them openly, even before such a conflict requires legal intervention. And this, in turn, leads to the well-known command to “love your neighbor as yourself” (v. 18).
Also Read, Open Heavens For 10 November 2022
Many centuries ago, God instructed His people how to show concern for others. Through Moses, He gave the Israelites the law to guide them and help them live together. He told them to “not do anything that endangers your neighbor’s life” (Leviticus 19:16); and to not seek revenge or bear a grudge against others, but to “love your neighbor as yourself” (v. 18). God knew that communities would start to unravel if people didn’t look out for others, valuing their lives as much as they did their own.
We too can embrace the wisdom of God’s instructions. As we go about our daily activities, we can remember how interconnected we are with others as we ask Him how to love and serve them well.
Reflect & Pray
Why do you think Jesus echoed God’s law when He told the religious leaders to love their neighbors as themselves? How could you put this instruction into action today?
Loving Creator, help me to share Your love and grace today.
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