Pray that God will give you these Kinds of Friends
A few days later, when Jesus again entered Capernaum, the people heard that He had come home. They gathered in such large numbers that there was no room left, not even outside the door, and He preached the word to them. Some men came, bringing to Him a paralyzed man, carried by four of them. Since they could not get Him to Jesus because of the crowd, they made an opening in the roof above Jesus by digging through it and then lowered the mat the man was lying on. When Jesus saw their faith, He said to the paralyzed man, “Son, your sins are forgiven.”
Mark 2: 1-5, NIV
God will send people in our lives that will lead us closer to Him, just like what Jesus saw when He came to His hometown. He noticed a group of people who carried a paralyzed man. And that time, Jesus was surrounded by the crowd, but despite the situation, the four men looked for ways just for them to help their friends. They made an opening in the roof, and with all their strength and might, they slowly brought the paralyzed man to Jesus. And because of what they did, Jesus saw not just the faith of the sick man, but He also saw the hearts of his dear friends. That’s why it’s written that “Jesus saw THEIR faith,” and because of it, his sins are forgiven.
This is a great reminder for us to choose the right people that will bring us back in the arms of God. At some point, we need friends who will remind us who God is, especially when we feel so weary and down. In the scripture above, the paralyzed man can’t do something for himself because of his sickness. He can’t even walk or ask Jesus to heal him. And maybe in our lives, we can also relate to what this sick man felt. There are just days when we can’t manage to get up, and we feel helpless. Not because we are physically sick, but because deep within, we are facing so much pain. It could be about the past that we want to forget or the people who hurt us. No matter what the reasons are, we just can’t help but feel so weak in certain moments of our lives. And in those seasons, we need friends who are willing to spend time and walk with us towards the journey of healing. We are not meant to live this life alone.
Pray that God will bless you with good friends. The kind of friends who are willing to exercise their faith and never give up on you. The kind of friends who will carry you in moments when you want to quit. Those friends will help you see a better perspective in life. They will make you realize that life is still beautiful despite the circumstances you’ve been through.
If by the grace of God, you already have these types of friends, then please treasure them with all your heart. Thank God for allowing you to meet them. Know that they are rare jewels that you must keep. The wealth of this world will just fade, but your true friends will always stay and walk with you along the journey.
Above all else, may you also become the kind of friend who will lead others to God. When the people around you feel weary and tired, may you learn to serve them without asking anything in return. May you never give up on someone and always choose to remind him about the promises of God. Let your faith help someone today. Be the kind of friend that you prayed for. And God will lead you to the right people who will also treat you like how you treated them. Just choose to share His love with others, and you will see them prosper in God’s presence.
