The Upper Room Daily Devotional from The United Methodist Church in Nashville, Tennessee, United States for Saturday, 28 July 2018 "The Gift of Friendship" by Mike Medeiros (California) 1 SAMUEL 18:1-4

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The Upper Room Daily Devotional from The United Methodist Church in Nashville, Tennessee, United States for Saturday, 28 July 2018 "The Gift of Friendship" by Mike Medeiros (California) 1 SAMUEL 18:1-4
Some friends play at friendship but a true friend sticks closer than one’s nearest kin. (Proverbs 18:24 (NRSV))
As 8-year-olds, a neighbor and I made a friendship pact and solidified it with a special handshake and a wink. We promised to be there for each other and have fun together. Two years later, I was devastated when he and his family moved far away. As my grandmother consoled me, she encouraged me with words that still carry importance today: “You have honored your promise of friendship, and if your friend returns, I am sure you will remain friends.” This was my first lesson in covenant friendship.
I still grieve the loss of friends — whether due to distance or death — but I am grateful to God for whatever time I have with them. To me, friendship is a gift from God for our enjoyment as well as for our spiritual growth. God has a way of developing people to become relationally and spiritually committed friends who sharpen one another (Prov. 27:17) and stick closer than family. This was evident with the friendship between Jonathan and David. God’s way of bringing people into our lives and allowing us to become close friends is a precious gift indeed.
TODAY'S PRAYER: Heavenly Father, we praise you for the friendships you have given us. Help each of us to be a committed friend who shows the love of Christ to others. Amen.
TODAY'S READING:1 Samuel 18:1 By the time David had finished speaking to Sha’ul, Y’honatan found himself inwardly drawn by David’s character, so that Y’honatan loved him as he did himself. 2 That day, Sha’ul took David into his service and would not let him go home to his father’s house any more. 3 Y’honatan made a covenant with David, because he loved him as he did himself. 4 Y’honatan removed the cloak he was wearing and gave it to David, his armor too, including his sword, bow and belt. (Complete Jewish Bible).
THOUGHT FOR THE DAY: My friends are beautiful gifts from God.
PRAYER FOCUS: Those seeking Christian friendship
READ MORE: Distracted with Serving
Distracted with Serving
JULY 28, 2018 BY MIKE MEDEIROS (CALIFORNIA)
RELATED DEVOTIONALS: THE GIFT OF FRIENDSHIP
Serving in ministry is praiseworthy, and those who serve take pleasure in doing work for the Lord. Sometimes we can get distracted from serving and venture off in a different direction. It might be misplaced focus, lack of passion, or unclear purpose that draws our attention elsewhere. Surprisingly, we can actually be distracted with serving — we serve so much that we miss whom and why we are serving. Case in point: Martha. She showed hospitality to Jesus and did everything she thought best to serve him. The logistics were covered, but she felt the burden fell upon her. Luke 10:40 reveals her predicament: “But Martha was distracted with much serving.” This single-minded distractedness led to her complaining about other people — namely, her sister — rather than serving. The interesting thing about Martha’s lament is her accusatory question, “Lord, do you not care?” Jesus responded with pinpoint accuracy as he addressed her anxiety and burden about ministry. He went on to state that her sister, Mary, “has chosen the good portion” (v. 42).
Like Martha, we can be so distracted with doing something for Jesus that we forget to spend time with Jesus. Though Martha questioned the motives of her sister, it is evident that Mary was drawn to be with Jesus as he taught. With all the things we think we need to get done, what is missed is Jesus in our midst. Spending time with Jesus inevitably leads us to serve him joyfully, but the converse is also true: serving Jesus does not always lead us to spend time with him. We can move around the room or the church with purposeful activity and miss Jesus at the center, rarely giving him a glance or a moment of time as we serve in his name. The balance comes in savoring and serving Jesus, and being attentive to him and his will. May we be with Jesus in such a way that informs what we do for Jesus.
How about you? Do you ever get so caught up with doing ministry for Jesus that you are actually distracted from spending time with Jesus?
You can read more from Mike Medeiros on his blog, Musings in the Middle, here: https://mikemedeirosblog.wordpress.com/.
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