Thought for 7 February 2025

John 15:13-15

Greater love has no one than this: to lay down one’s life for one’s friends.  You are my friends if you do what I command.  

I no longer call you servants, because a servant does not know his master’s business. Instead, I have called you friends, for everything that I learned from my Father I have made known to you.

A contest was held in England to find the best definition of a friend. Thousands of answers were received but the one that received the prize was this: “A friend is the one who comes in when the world has gone out.” Can we think of a better definition than this of the kind of friend Jesus is to us?

The small community I live in is like a family of friends. Everyone looking out for one another. If one is having a bad time, we all feel it and we can understand, because we all have those times when something upsets us.

However, we have had two fires in the complex since Christmas. The first one was a tenant dropping a cigarette and getting trapped in his kitchen. He is alright, although he was taken to hospital suffering with smoke inhalation. When he came home, he was told, again, not to smoke in the flat but has caused a bit of unrest because he is still smoking. People saying we could all be affected by it next time. The other smokers go outside to smoke and are complaining about him.

The other fire was contained in the microwave it started in, but it caused more smoke damage. Do NOT put foil in a microwave. The difference is that she is being treated differently because she has a bit of dementia and people are willing to give her the benefit of any doubt, and her oven is not being replaced.

Thanks be to our heavenly Father, who does not pick sides. God does not have favourites; everyone knows that Jews are His chosen people, but we also know they do not get preferential treatment. Every time they turned from Him and sinned, they were punished, just like anyone else. If we keep God’s laws, we know we will have the support of our Father. That was proved when Jesus went to the cross, bearing our sins so that we could share in Jesus’ righteousness.

Of course we have a part to play, by repenting and walking with Jesus as He leads us along the narrow path leading to eternal life. There is no shortcut, the only other path is broad, and it is not one we want to be on, because it leads straight to hell. It is getting ever harder to avoid that road, wickedness is all around us as Satan is affecting so many hearts and minds. The prophecies in the bible are being proved right. As in,

2 Timothy 3:3…. they are without love, unforgiving, slanderous, without self-control, brutal, not lovers of the good…

Do not be caught up in that evil community. Prayer, prayer, prayer, is the only way to be strong in the love of Father, Son and Holy Spirit. We need all the help and strength they offer.

Prayer

Thank You, Father, that You have forewarned us about what is happening in the world now. All the violence and chaos, the immorality all around us, the neglect and abuse of children. All the changes predicted aeons ago are now coming to pass and we look to You as triune God to help us to be strong against the clamour of the followers of this evil. Even the governments of the world are not immune to the temptation play favourites. Help us to lay our fears and worries at Your feet, knowing that You are the one who gives us the peace that passes all understanding. Please bless and protect those who have caught the eye of the evil one, give them strength and courage to fight as the early Christians fought. Lord Jesus, we ask these things in Your great and mighty name, amen.