Friends are important to everyone. Some even treasure them more than family. Indeed, friends can sometimes be better than family. But friends are not always dependable. When friends become untrustworthy and turn against you, the experience can be very painful. Today’s psalm touches on this issue of shaky friends.
Commentary:
Psalm 41:1-3. These verses describe how much God loves a cheerful giver (2Cor 9:7). Nothing will knock him down. Though he may have troubles, enemies, illnesses, God will deliver him from all.
Psalm 41:4. In consideration of the previous verses and the following verses, we can inference that David considered himself a cheerful giver. On that basis, he petitioned God to forgive his sins and rescue him.
Psalm 41:5-9. What is the most painful experience? Perhaps one of the most painful ones is to be sold out by someone that you have trusted. They sold you out when you least expected them to. They sold you out when you needed them the most. This would be breaking your heart, let alone killing you. This is what the psalmist experienced.
Psalm 41:10. When all hopes are lost, where do people turn for help? Others may be discouraged, but the people can count on God to the rescue.
Meditation:
Who is a “real” trusted friend? A trusted friend is someone who will not depart amid our sorrow and pain and who will help when we are down and out. The one true friend, as David found out, is God Himself. God is faithful and does not change his covenantal love. Though we are faithless, the Lord remains faithful.
This character of God is much emphasized today. We have songs like “What a Friend We Have in Jesus” to remind us that Jesus is the true friend. He will lift our load while we have burden to heavy to carry and will care for us when we are sick and hurt. Songs like “Great is Thy Faithfulness” speaks of the unchanging character of God. The Lord is a friend that does not change His love regardless of the circumstance.
Have you come to know Jesus as the trusted friend? He is trustworthy because he came to die for us on the cross. There is no greater love than this.
Prayer:
Dear Heavenly Father, we thank you that you have provided Jesus for us in times of our greatest need. We can never get out of the eternal punishment of sins on our own. Thank you for the blood of Jesus and the salvation freely given to us who received Him. Let’s who know Jesus as our trusted friend and savior tell others of your great love. In Jesus’ name we pray. Amen.