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 

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“Crazy Glue” is the brand name of an adhesive substance that bonds things together very well. I have used Crazy Glue to bond broken items. Its very name speaks of how well it bonds the most difficult things together. Our devotion this morning speaks to us about relationships that are to be like “Crazy Glue.” 

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. Their mutual interests give them such a sense of satisfaction that they will repeat doing the same thing. There is a confidence 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 show himself friendly” is one word in the Hebrew. It means to be “broken” or “perish.” In studying the context of this, it literally means that a true friend must be willing to make 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 should think about friendships and the people we really deem as our friends. This description reflects a mutual commitment between friends. It is not a one-sided philosophy, but the defining aspect of a friendship. 

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 sticks like “Crazy Glue.” A friend that sticketh closer than a brother is one whose soul is knit with the soul of his 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. They are inseparable in heart and mind. The whole world might walk out on you, but this “Crazy Glue” friend remains with you. “Sticketh closer” describes the “Crazy Glue” effect in this friendship. When you know you have a friend who would die for you, that is a friend that you know sticketh closer than a brother. 

We see the connection. 

There are two connections in 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 that of 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 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! 

 Reading Schedule: 2 Kings 12-14

#Proverbs #Christ #Friends #Sacrifice