Day 93 – One Friend Sharpens Another

‘As iron sharpens iron, so a man sharpens the countenance of his friend.’ Proverbs 27:17 (NKJV)

Talking about friendship, there are lots of benefits to being in a good friendship relationship. Today’s scripture in the Common English Bible version says: ‘…friends sharpen each other’s faces’. Proverbs 17:17 again says: ‘Friends love through all kinds of weather, and families stick together in all kinds of trouble’. This is refreshing to know.

Today, I still have my best friend from high school, who invited me to the church where I got born again. Despite geographical distance between us today, Richard and I still resonate at the same level as it has been for over 35 years. I remember approaching a brother in 1987; we had just finished serving on our campus fellowship executive for 3 consecutive years, and we were getting ready for the ‘real world’. I asked him, “Israel, would you please be my friend?” He laughed! His question was, what have we been all these years serving together in the executive? My point was, now that we were not obligated to be with each other we needed to become real friends by choice. Gladly, he agreed, till this day we are very good friends. God has used him to help me in various ways, and I am sure I too have, in some way, been a blessing to him. The same goes for my other friends.

I have come to find solace in the good friendship relationships that I keep – there were times I needed to bounce ideas off them and was spared of disastrous repercussion that would have resulted had I made decisions without that consultation. I remember one meeting with another of my friends, Segun, in his vehicle. I needed his counsel with regards to some critical decision I needed to make. It was a critical time in my life and many things were not very clear. Just one statement out of our discussion that day gave me the light I needed to make the right decision.

When my friend, Yinka, invited me to visit him in Brits, South Africa in 1999, and later to minister in his church in Canada seven years later; I did not know that these steps were critical to my journey through life today. He was just insistent on being a blessing, and God has used his friendship to bless me indeed. I am sure I am a blessing to him in some ways too. I need to tell you; God has a portion of light for your next flight in a friend; it will shine out clear to you as you discover and cultivate right and God-ordained friendships. You have to be a faithful friend to enjoy this.

I could write volume bout Charles, Wale, and about many of my other friends but I don’t have enough space in this devotional for that. This is what I would say to you today though, look out for good friends and be committed to them. In fact, I particularly like the message version of today’s scripture; ‘You use steel to sharpen steel, and one friend sharpens another’. The best of friendship relationship is when both parties have something to offer. Be strong in your spirit man, and be sure your friends are too. May you find good friends and may you be the good friend someone needs.

I have deliberately written today’s devotional in two pages – I just felt I should. I am sure it has benefited you somehow. Have a glorious destiny, in Jesus name. Amen.