Proverbs 17:17

"A friend loveth at all times, and a brother is born for adversity." Proverbs 17:17

"A true friend has unquenchable love that is not diminished by adversity." KJV Study Bible Where did we learn such tenacity in loving someone? Where did we learn such loyalty? GOD! He has always been in hot pursuit of us since Adam and Eve. We all bear our crosses. I believe God bears a cross of love. It is a voluntary cross mind you. He could throw it off at anytime if He wanted to! The thing is we are blessed to have such a caring and loving Father. "The LORD hath appeared of old unto me, saying, Yea, I have loved thee with an everlasting love: therefore with loving kindness have I drawn thee." Jeremiah 31:3 Can you believe that? God loves us with an everlasting love. That means that even when we are his enemies, He still loves us. When we live in defiance of his laws, He still wants to woo us back to him. God seeks our affection back. "For if, when we were enemies, we were reconciled to God by the death of his Son, much more, being reconciled, we shall be saved by his life." Romans 5:10 Dauntless is our God in his pursuit.

Now that we know where we got it from, all that is left is the application. Friends and loved ones surround us all. They are at various stages in their life. We must learn to focus our love on the person, and our prayer on the sin. We tend to get bent out of shape with the person. This must not happen. As C.S. Lewis said, "hate the sin but not the sinner." It should not be a personal affront to us should they fall or have never been saved. We cannot hate them in their moments of blindness. The love, that we have for them, has to be displayed in the best way we know how. Down on our hands and knees, praying for them earnestly and relentlessly. We must petition the source of our unquenchable fire to move not only on our behalf and their behalf, but on His behalf. A petition of love must be sent on behalf of our brothers and sisters; His sons and daughters.

This is why we are to love one another unconditionally as we love ourselves. That includes our enemies. "Ye have heard that it hath been said, THOU SHALT LOVE THY NEIGHBOR, and hate thine enemy. But I say unto you, Love your enemies, bless them that curse you, do good to them that hate ou, and pray for them which despitefully use you, and persecute you;" Matthew 5:43-44 We are like their seeing eye dogs. They are led to where they NEED to go by our faithful devotion to them. If they do not have us acting on their behalf, who do they have? We must be their frontline of defense and prayer of salvation! They might be unappreciative and distant, but given time God has the means to wear down even the largest and thickest walls around one's heart! "By faith the walls of Jericho fell down, after they were compassed about seven days." Hebrews 11:30 If we provide the faith, God will provide the strength! The walls will come down, and all glory will be to God.

kenny