Crazy Glue
Today’s Verse:
A man that hath friends must shew himself friendly: and there is a friend that sticketh closer than a brother. ~Proverbs 18:24
“Krazy Glue©” is the brand name of an adhesive substance that bonds things together very well. I have used Krazy Glue© to bond broken items. Its very name speaks of how it bonds the most difficult things together well. Our devotion this morning speaks to us about relationships that are like “Crazy Glue” in its results.
We see the camaraderie.
“A man that hath friends.” Friendships are associations with people we enjoy being with. There is a mutual affinity among friends. Good friends rarely tire of each other’s company. They synergize well when it comes to doing projects or solving problems. They spend free time together, talking and laughing. The mutual interests that they share leave them with such a sense of satisfaction that they will repeat doing the same thing again. There is a confiding and loyalty that good friends have with each other.
We see the consummate.
“A man that hath friends must shew himself friendly.” The phrase “must shew himself friendly” is one word in Hebrew. It means to be broken or to perish. In studying the context of this, it literally means that a true friend must be willing to do the ultimate sacrifice for his friend. It is implying that if you have friends, you must be willing to even die for them. Jesus expanded on this when He said, “Greater love hath no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends” (John 15:13). When we think about this description, it changes how we really should think about friendships and who the people are whom we really deem our friends. This description is a mutual commitment between friends. It is not a one-sided philosophy but the defining aspect of a friendship relationship.
We see the closeness.
“A man that hath friends must shew himself friendly: and there is a friend that sticketh closer than a brother.” Solomon is saying that a true friendship is one that is like “Crazy Glue.” A friend that sticketh closer than a brother means you are a friend whose soul is knit with the soul of your friend. It is like the friendship that Jonathan and David had. The love in this friendship was described as, “He loved him as his own soul.” True friends do not take advantage of each other. They are giving, even of their honor. Jonathan gave David his robe, his garments, his sword, his bow, and his girdle. True friends are inseparable in heart and mind. The whole world might walk out on you, but this “Crazy Glue” friend is with you. “Sticketh closer” is the “Crazy Glue" effect in this friendship. When you know that you have a friend who would die for you, that is a friend that sticketh closer than a brother.
We see the connection.
There are two connections from this. The first takes us back to Proverbs 18:22 regarding husbands and wives. Marriage should be a “Crazy Glue” relationship. A man finds his ultimate cause in life when he gets married. His cause is to cleave unto his wife and they shall be one flesh. He must be committed to laying down his life for his best friend. The second connection is to our Lord Jesus Christ. “Henceforth I call you not servants; for the servant knoweth not what his lord doeth: but I have called you friends; for all things that I have heard of my Father I have made known unto you.” (John 15:15). The Lord Jesus is our Friend that sticketh closer than a brother. His love for us is “Crazy Glue” that makes our relationship inseparable.
Think about your relationship to your spouse, our Lord, and the people whom you call your friends. Make a point to put a "Crazy Glue" effect on these relationships and let it stick.
Have a committed God Morning!
Bible Reading Schedule: Exodus 13-15