Critical Responses:  Lessons from the Life of David RESPONDING TO THE GIFT OF FRIENDSHIP - THE TEN COMMANDMENTS OF FRIENDSHIP (1) Thou shalt not limit your friendships to others just like yourself.  Rather, thou shalt seek relationships that overcome differences. (2) Thou shalt not consider a friendship to be a disposable commodity.  Rather, thou shalt treasure it as a gift from God. (3) Thou shalt not value thine own exaltation above all else.  Rather, thou shalt count it all joy to contribute to a friend’s success. (4) Thou shalt not abandon a friend in time of need.  Rather, thou shalt find strength by facing trials together. (5) Thou shalt not allow others to berate your friend in your presence.  Rather, thou shalt exalt their reputation as much as honesty allows. (6) Thou shalt not hide thy affection.  Rather, thou shalt celebrate true friendship with fervor. (7) Thou shalt not speak only the words thy friend wants to hear.  Rather, thou shalt value the honest over the easy. (8) Thou shalt not treasure the company of a friend over their well-being.  Rather, thou shalt be sensitive to allow a new stage of friendship to evolve. (9) Thou shalt not break a promise, spoken or unspoken.  Rather, thou shalt be loyal and true to the end. (10) Thou shalt not expect a friendship to be without pain.  Rather, thou shalt appreciate that it was worth it. BONUS:  Thou shalt grow in understanding the friendship of God toward His children, and thou shalt model thy earthly friendships after the loving-kindness displayed by Jesus Christ. “Greater love has no one than this, that he lay down his life for his friends.”  John 15:13  

David said to the Philistine, “You come against me with sword and spear and javelin, but I come against you in the name of the Lord Almighty!”  — 1 Samuel 17:45      In everyone’s eyes but his own, David the shepherd-boy seemed like the underdog as he approached the giant Goliath.  But David understood something that the others didn’t; God was on his side because he was living for God!     Too often in life we face challenges with a defeatist attitude.  But God has promised to never leave us nor forsake us.  As we live for Christ, He is our strength—always more powerful than the challenges of this world!  So when you face temptation, sickness, opposition or addiction—call upon the Lord!  He can lead you to victory through His wisdom, courage and strength.

“Let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles, and let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us.”  Hebrews 12:1  No serious athlete would run a race wearing work boots, or carrying a bag of groceries, or with pockets full of rocks. All of those things would greatly hinder their performance, and they know it. In the same way, God gives us the wisdom to discern the attitudes and actions that hinder us from living the victorious Christian life. What are the things we need to leave behind here in 2020 so that we can be more like Jesus in 2021?  

“How can this be?” Mary asked the angel.  — Luke 1:34 The first chapter of Luke tells us that Gabriel, the angel of the Lord, came to a young Jewish woman named Mary while she was living in Nazareth.  When he announced she would give birth to a child who would be the Son of God, she asked a logical question:  “How can this be?”  It’s a question we may ask many times in our lives.  We seldom understand the ways of God—His wisdom, His power and His love.  Even when we don’t understand, we need to trust him as Mary did.  Our greatest joy will be found in surrendering our lives to His plan!