Where Do I Find Help This Coming Year? – A Look At Friendship
We all face hard times. We all face things we struggle with alone. The questions are, where do we look? Where do we turn? Who do we trust? Who can help us? That is what I want to consider today…Where Do I Find Help This Coming Year?
Proverbs 17:17 KJV A friend loveth at all times, and a brother is born for adversity.
First let us understand…
How important is help?
We can know…
The best help comes from God
Psalms
28:7 KJV The LORD is my strength and my shield; my heart
trusted in him, and I am helped: therefore my heart greatly rejoiceth; and with
my song will I praise him.
Psalms 40:17 KJV But I am poor and needy; yet
the Lord thinketh upon me: thou art my help and my deliverer; make no
tarrying, O my God.
Isaiah 41:10 KJV Fear thou not; for I am with thee: be not
dismayed; for I am thy God: I will strengthen thee; yea, I will help
thee; yea, I will uphold thee with the right hand of my righteousness.
Hebrews 13:6 KJV So that we may boldly say, The Lord is my
helper, and I will not fear what man shall do unto me.
Let us consider Moses in his early life
Pharaoh was out to kill him when he did not even know him
Yet Moses had some friends…
Shiphrah and Puah (midwives) were his friends when they did not know him, as they feared God – Ex. 1:15
We need friends that honor and fear God above all
Moses’ parents were his friends when they hid him for three months, they feared God more than Pharaoh– Ex. 2:2
Parents more than any other ting need to fear and trust God to help them help their children
Moses’ mother was his friend when she showed faith and made him a little boat (ark) and placed him on the waters to float - Ex. 2:3
We need mothers that will find a way to help their children in this day and age
Moses’ sister was his friend when she looked out for him when he was helpless in the ark among the bulrushes - Ex. 2:4, 7
We need siblings that will stand by us and do their best to help us in life’s difficult times
Moses’ adoptive mother was his friend when she looked upon him with compassion - Ex. 2:6
Love is deeper than “blood” and sometimes better able to help us
God had befriended Moses and had used His means to help him in life
He has chosen to help us if we but allow
His Son gave His life for each of us
Let us consider Moses in his middle life
Pharaoh was out to kill him when Moses turned to his own people – Ex. 2:15
A friend when we are in trouble is a friend worth having
Zipporah became his wife and thus his friend
Do not overlook the value of a family friend
God called Moses to be His servant and a friend to the Children of Israel – Ex. 3:10
God wants us to be true friends to those who need the Lord in their lives
Aaron, Moses’ brother was glad to be Moses’ friend and helper as servants of God – Ex. 4:14
God wants us to be helpers and friends to His work
The best friends are those who worship the Lord together – Ex. 4:31
Not those who party and play
But those who worship and pray
Exodus 4:31 KJV 31And the people believed: and when they heard that the LORD had visited the children of Israel, and that he had looked upon their affliction, then they bowed their heads and worshipped.
There are no better friends than those who are friends with the Lord – mention the former Hamas – Muslim young man who has met Jesus and become His friend
The children of Israel thought only of themselves at the moment of time in their struggle of life – Ex. 5:21
There are times when our true friends go unrecognized and unappreciated (by us)
Let us consider Moses in his latter life
Moses remained a friend with God and His people
A faithful friend is an important friend
Deuteronomy 34:10 KJV And there arose not a prophet since in Israel like unto Moses, whom the LORD knew face to face,
Proverbs 27:10 KJV Thine own friend, and thy father’s friend, forsake not; neither go into thy brother’s house in the day of thy calamity: for better is a neighbour that is near than a brother far off.
Moses made a difference in people’s lives
Friends help friends even in hard decisions
Proverbs 27:17 KJV Iron sharpeneth iron; so a man sharpeneth the countenance of his friend.
Moses made mistakes
We are not perfect – but we can serve one who is
Let us consider the Friend of Moses today
John 3:14-21 KJV 14And as
Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, even so must the Son of man be
lifted up:
15That whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have
eternal life.
16For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son,
that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.
17For God sent not his Son into the world to condemn the world; but
that the world through him might be saved.
18He that believeth on him is not condemned: but he that believeth
not is condemned already, because he hath not believed in the name of the only
begotten Son of God.
19And this is the condemnation, that light is come into the world,
and men loved darkness rather than light, because their deeds were evil.
20For every one that doeth evil hateth the light, neither cometh to
the light, lest his deeds should be reproved.
21But he that doeth truth cometh to the light, that his deeds may be
made manifest, that they are wrought in God.
God truly is our friend
He wants us to be His friend too
God gave Jesus for our benefit, salvation, rescue, and eternity
We can choose Him or we can walk away from Him – our choice
Are you God’s friend?
Gary Marcum – New beginnings Church – 010409am