Welcome to the daily devotional we have. This is a learning process for me as I go along and I hope you can join me. I will pick a devotional on www.bible.com (feel free to go there and pick the same reading plan) and be posting the verse(s), devotional, and my own personal commentary. Feel free to leave your own commentary in the comments as I would love to read your guys thoughts. Also, I will have a video that relates to the devotional.
This devotional is titled “How To Love A Friend”. It is 4 days long. I use the ESV bible but feel free to use the version of your choosing.
Verses
Ecclesiastes 4:9-10
“Two are better than one, because they have a good reward for their toil. For if they fall, one will lift up his fellow. But woe to him who is alone when he falls and has not another to lift him up!”
Devotional
TALKING TO GOD
Thank God for His constant help and for the people around you (family, friends, teachers, pastors) who help you, too.
DIVING IN
Sit in a circle. One person should stand and say, “I am your friend. I will ___.” In the blank, the person can make up an ending, such as “help you comb your hair” or “take your favorite toy without asking.” The rest of the family should give a thumbs-up if the action is that of a friend and a thumbs-down if the action is not that of a friend. Go around the circle a few times. It’s OK for people to suggest funny ideas that don’t belong in a friendship.
GOING DEEPER
The Gospel of Mark tells about four men who helped their friend find a way to Jesus (2:1-12). Their friend was not able to walk, so they carried him through the crowd, made a hole in the roof above Jesus and lowered him through the hole. Because they loved their friend enough to help him, he was able to meet Jesus, and Jesus healed him so he could walk again.
TALKING TO EACH OTHER
– How have your friends helped you?
– How have you helped your friends?
– Do you have any friends with special needs? How might you help them?
– What other ways can friends help each other?
Commentary
The verses today reminds of this song in school we used to sing about how two heads are better than one. It was silly and yet I remember it almost twenty years later so… I can’t find the exact song online but the Sesame Street version is kind of close. I find friends offering to comb each others hair amusing. Obviously this is aimed at women and rock stars, however no man should be offering me this! A wise person will look to do things with others instead of doing something solo to obtain all the glory. This is a common theme in sports and sports movies as well. Football, basketball, baseball, soccer, and hockey. You can’t win the championship on the back of one player. It takes the entire team.