Psalm 12:1: “Help, LORD, for the godly man ceases! / For the faithful disappear from among the sons of men.”

January 18th, 2024 by Pastor Ed in devotional

The prayer, “Help, LORD!” may just be the most honest prayer possible. David was looking but there was a shortage of people around him who were faithful to God. It seemed he was thinking here about the problem of choosing friends and the need to make sure they are godly ones. Friends can influence us in positive ways, helping shape our character and world view. Through mutual encouragement we can strengthen each other. God says it’s important to choose the right friends because in some ways who we hang out with is who we might become. “He who walks with wise men will be wise, but the companion of fools will be destroyed” (Prov. 13:20).

Friends are those I trust enough to dare to be myself around and who I believe will warn me of danger. There is an old joke that describes this problem well. Two men were out hunting in the northern U.S. One of them suddenly yelled. The other looked up to see a grizzly charging them. The first started to frantically put on his tennis shoes. His friend anxiously asked, “What are you doing? Don’t you know you can’t outrun a grizzly bear?” “I don’t have to outrun a grizzly. I just have to outrun you!” Benjamin Franklin wisely said, “Be slow in choosing a friend, slower in changing.” But perhaps the best advice is found in that old hymn that says, “What a friend we have in Jesus . . .”

“LORD, we want to be a good friend to You this day and walk in Your ways. Help LORD!”