Friends

I greet you in Jesus’ precious name! It is Wednesday morning, the 13th of March, 2024, and this is your friend, Angus Buchan, with a thought for today. 

We go to the Book of Proverbs 18:24: 

“A man who has friends must himself be friendly,
But there is a friend who sticks closer than a brother.”

Yes, His name is Jesus Christ, our best Friend! I want to speak to you about friends. If you want to have friends, you must be friendly. You must help one another, you must be kind. I want to read a little story sent to me by a precious sister in the Lord the other day. You might have heard it before but it is worth listening to again. It is a true story. 

His name was Fleming, a poor Scottish farmer. One day, while trying to make a living for his family, he heard a cry for help coming from a nearby swamp. He dropped his tools and ran to the swamp, and there, mired up to his waist in black mud, was a terrified little boy, screaming and struggling to free himself. Farmer Fleming saved the lad from what could have been a slow and terrifying death. The next day, a fancy carriage pulled up at the Scotsman’s sparse surroundings. An elegantly dressed nobleman stepped out and introduced himself as the father of the boy he had saved. “I want to repay you,” said the nobleman. “You saved my son’s life.”

“No, I can’t accept payment for what I did”, the Scottish farmer replied, waving off the offer. 

At that moment, the farmer’s son came to the door of the family hovel. “Is that your son?” the nobleman asked. “Yes," the farmer replied proudly. I will make you a deal. Let me provide him with a level of education my own son will enjoy. If the lad is anything like his father, he will no doubt grow to be a man we will both be proud of.”

And that he did. Farmer Fleming’s son attended the very best schools, and in time graduated from St Mary’s Hospital Medical School in London, and went on to become known throughout the whole world as the noted Sir Alexander Fleming, the discoverer of Penicillin - Antibiotics. Years afterwards, the same nobleman’s son who was saved from the swamp was stricken with pneumonia. What saved his life this time? Penicillin, antibiotics! The nobleman's name was Lord Randolph Churchill, and his son’s name was Sir Winston Churchill. Isn’t that amazing? Just the act of love, of kindness. That old farmer pulled that little boy out of the swamp, and look what happened from there. 

Today, remember, there is a friend who sticks closer than a brother! Introduce Him to somebody else.

Jesus bless you and goodbye.