Speak Lord; I’m Listening – Daily Bite-Size Encouragement – Day 15
Treasure friendship, for it is like a rare and valuable gemstone. “True friendship is a noble attachment, springing from a pure source, respect for worth or [good-natured and warmhearted] qualities. There can be no friendship without confidence and no confidence without integrity. The first law of friendship is sincerity.”1
Treasures from the Word
Here are insights from the Word of God in how we can value our friends:
Oil and perfume rejoice the heart; so does the sweetness of a friend’s counsel that comes from the heart. ~Proverbs 27:9 AMPC
A friend loves at all times. ~Proverbs 17:17a WEB
Therefore encourage (admonish, exhort) one another and edify (strengthen and build up) one another, just as you are doing. ~1 Thessalonians 5:11 AMPC
Be devoted to one another in brotherly love; give preference to one another in honor. ~Romans 12:10 NASB
Be gentle and forbearing with one another and, if one has a difference (a grievance or complaint) against another, readily pardoning each other; even as the Lord has [freely] forgiven you, so must you also [forgive]. ~Colossians 3:13 AMPC
How good and pleasant it is when God’s people live together in unity! ~Psalm 133:1 NIV
Iron sharpens iron, so one man sharpens another. ~Proverbs 27:17 NASB
How to Trash a Friendship
Just as there are ways to cherish our friends, there are ways that devalue and harm our friendships:
A slanderer [gossip, whisperer] separates intimate friends. ~Proverbs 16:28 NASB
He who covers and forgives an offense seeks love, but he who repeats or harps on a matter separates even close friends. ~Proverbs 17:9 AMPC
Anyone who withholds kindness from a friend forsakes the fear of the Almighty. ~Job 6:14 NIV
Inspirational Friendship Quotes
A real friend is one who walks in when the rest of the world walks out. ~Walter Winchell
Wishing to be friends is quick work, but friendship is a slow ripening fruit. ~Aristotle
A friend is one who knows you and loves you just the same. ~Elbert Hubbard
As iron sharpens iron, so a friend sharpens a friend. ~King Solomon
The strong bond of friendship is not always a balanced equation; friendship is not always about giving and taking in equal shares. Instead, friendship is grounded in a feeling that you know exactly who will be there for you when you need something, no matter what or when. ~Simon Sinek
No distance of place or lapse of time can lessen the friendship of those who are thoroughly persuaded of each other’s worth. ~Robert Southey
Love is friendship that has caught fire. It is quiet understanding, mutual confidence, sharing and forgiving. It is loyalty through good and bad times. It settles for less than perfection and makes allowances for human weaknesses. ~Ann Landers
The language of friendship is not words but meaning. ~Henry David Thoreau
A tree is known by its fruit; a man by his deeds. A good deed is never lost; he who sows courtesy reaps friendship, and he who plants kindness gathers love. ~St. Basil
For prayer is nothing else than being on terms of friendship with God. ~St. Teresa of Avila
You can always tell a real friend: when you’ve made a fool of yourself, he doesn’t feel you’ve done a permanent job. ~Laurence J. Peter
Friends, they cherish one another’s hopes. They are kind to one another’s dreams. ~Henry David Thoreau
You find out who your real friends are when you’re involved in a scandal. ~Elizabeth Taylor
Be slow in choosing a friend, slower in changing. ~Benjamin Franklin
I never considered a difference of opinion in politics, religion, and philosophy, as a cause for withdrawing from a friend. ~Thomas Jefferson
Be courteous to all, but intimate with few. And let those few be well tried before you give them your confidence. ~George Washington
Laughter is not at all a bad beginning for a friendship, and it is far the best ending for one. ~Oscar Wilde
Lasting Treasure
Through wisdom a house is built; by understanding it is established; by knowledge the rooms are filled with all rare and beautiful treasure. ~Proverbs 24:3-4 WEB
How can you show a friend that you value and treasure them today?
Recommendations:
Whole-Hearted Living Whole-Hearted – Living in Freedom – Strength with Dignity
Receiving Comfort How to Find Comfort in a World of Chaos – Strength with Dignity
References:
1 Webster’s 1828 Dictionary. Retrieved October 11, 2021, from http://www.webstersdictionary1828.com/Dictionary/
Amplified Bible, Classis Edition (AMPC) Copyright 1954, 1958, 1962, 1964, 1965, 1987 by The Lockman Foundation.
Friendship Quotes. Retrieved on October 13, 2021, from https://www.brainyquote.com/topics/friendship-quotes
New American Standard Bible (NASB) Copyright 1960, 1971, 1977, 1995 by The Lockman Foundation.
New International Version (NIV) Copyright 1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.® Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.
Palmer, Jan. 20 Wise & Warm Bible Verses about Friendship. Published April 3, 2020. Retrieved October 13, 2021, from https://www.countryliving.com/life/inspirational-stories/g32019340/bible-verses-about-friendship/
Bible Scriptures were retrieved October 13, 2021, from https://www.biblegateway.com #bgbg2 #BibleGateway
12 thoughts on “Treasure Friends”
Great scriptures! I love your heading How to Trash a Friendship. pinned.
Yes, we can treasure or trash our friends.
My friends did largely fall away, and first, I thought the blame was theirs,
that in my current cancer’d day my trials had overmatched their cares, but in error did I steep;
their offer stayed both bright and true, and it was I who could not keep the faith of friendship follow-through.
I kept myself unto myself, and played the role that I thought apt,
with ‘vulnerable’ placed on the shelf I shortly found that I was trapped
and thus hoist on the petard of my needing to be hard.
Friends are a true treasure. I hope your tender-heart returns towards your true friends.
I love the friendship quotes! I recently stumbled on a small book gifted to me years ago – Your Friendship is a Gift from God. It is filled with inspiration, verses, and friendship quotes. Two more to add to your list: “If we would build on a sure foundation in friendship, we must love friends for their sake rather than for our own.” ~Charlotte Bronte
And even this cute one from an A.A. Milne book: “At first as they stumped along the path which edged the Hundred Acre Wood, they didn’t say much to each other; but when they came to the stream, and had helped each other across the stepping stones, and were able to walk side by side again over the heather, they began to talk in a friendly way about this and that.” (so sweet)!!
Very sweet! Thanks for sharing these quotes and the book titles, Jennifer, I’ll look and see if I can find them. Your second quote makes me think of the ‘Anne of Green Gables’ movie with Megan Follows.
Good thoughts here on treasuring friendships. Some of mine have taken a beating during the past year and a half due to all the craziness in the world. But I’m grateful for the strength of so many friendships. They truly are treasures!
I’m thankful for the strengthening of some of your friendships, and pray those that have taken a beating are healed and restored.
What beautiful words on friendship!
Thanks for the encouragement, Juliana!
A true friend is more valuable than most blood relatives, at least I’ve found this to be true. Thanks so much for linking up at the Unlimited Link Party 36. Pinned!
Dee, a true friend is a gem to be treasured for sure!