Tuesday, 23^rd May 2023

Bible Reading: Proverbs 18: 24

Memory Verse: One who has unreliable friends soon comes to ruin, but there is a friend who sticks closer than a brother. Proverbs 18:24 (NIV)

A dear friend of mine happened to not show up for me when I was down. Not that he did too little, he did nothing at all. In the heat of the moment, I apparently didn’t notice but you see as soon as the whole buzz of initial grief was over and his name came up while my brain took inventory, I became very mad. I was mad that he called himself my friend yet couldn’t be there for me when I needed him the most. I was so mad, i swore never to. Reach out again. Many months later, behold his call. I took the position of the accuser and was very ready to lash out on him when I picked up. But his voice took me aback. His voice melted me. “Why are you sounding like you’re rehearsing how to be a ghost in a few days?” It was his health. His health was failing. Delicate organ issues.

Sipping a part of life away from him by each passing day. He managed to confront me first about not looking out for him all these times. He’d lost his phone and couldn’t contact anyone for months as there was no money to buy another internet-enabled phone due to his failing health. He got a torchlight phone to manage a month earlier and hoped I would call so he could save my number .but I didn’t call.

Then he spilt the word, “what kind of friend are you?” My countenance fell as his voice broke. He sounded hurt and disappointed that I wasn’t there for him in his hardest moments. “I am sorry. I lost my dad so so months ago,” I said. I could hear the shock jerk him off the sick bed. “And my boy too…” I added. At that point he began to cry. “Jesus! I did not know about all these. Jesus! I am very sorry.” He began to cry. I began to cry.

We spent a good time crying and apologizing to each other. Apparently, he lived with anger in his heart for my not checking up on him in his downtimes whilst I too lived with anger that he did not check on me in my lowest time. And the elephant in the room, our big ego, stood in the way of either of us reaching out to each other to know why. If he hadn’t taken that bold step to call in, neither of us could have known that we were both dealing with “life” at our different ends. Never let grief snatch covenant relationships from your life. You may be saving a friendship, a relationship, a family bond, a life, a destiny. Please reach out. You will never know what is going on with the person next door if you don’t ask. Reach out!

Quote:  Don’t ever blame a friend you haven’t heard his own side of the story.

Prophetic Decree: May the Lord conquer your ego, in Jesus name.

Prayer Focus

1. Lord, I am sorry for making my ego come in-between my destiny relationship.

2. I receive the humility to reach out to my friends at all times, in Jesus name.

3. Holy Spirit, please help me to value destiny relationship, in Jesus name.

4. Opportunity wasters, be wasted, in Jesus name.

5. Help me Lord, despite the biting economic hardship, in Jesus name.

BIBLE IN ONE YEAR: 2 Samuel 24; 1 Chronicles 21-22; Psalm 30