The Grands Letter

Dear Grands,

Proverbs 17:13-17, “He who returns evil for good, evil will not depart from his house.
14 The beginning of strife is like letting out water, so abandon the quarrel before it breaks out.
15 He who justifies the wicked and he who condemns the righteous, both of them alike are an abomination to the LORD.
16 Why is there a price in the hand of a fool to buy wisdom, when he has no sense?
17 A friend loves at all times, and a brother is born for adversity.”

If you find yourself seeking for some terse and true statements with which to reply to a friend, look no further than the Proverbs of Solomon.

I’ve often wondered what it would have been like to have walked with Solomon through the delightful gardens of his dwelling, grasping all the while the glorious surroundings with my eyes and reaping the wonder of his conversation with my mind.

“A friend loves at all times, and a brother is born for adversity.” What is the secret of such a brief statement? Yes, a true friend does love at all times. That’s the measure of true friendship. But,
what is the meaning of “a brother is born for adversity”?

Is Solomon saying that we are to always be ready to assist a
friend who suffers from a need? Or could he simply mean that close friends will always be in need of something we can provide? Surely, both are true.

In any event, we ought never to avoid demonstrating true friendship. Occasionally, words of advice might even “hurt” a close friend; yet, if our words are cushioned in the soft sweetness of spiritual love, they will have achieved their objective.

So, let’s look for opportunities to show love to someone in need. Whatever Solomon might have thought, we’re doing this for Jesus! “We love Him because He first loved us” (1 Jn. 4:19).

Heartily in Christ Jesus,

(Dado III)

Gene L. Jeffries, Th.D.
Springdale, Arkansas 72764
United States of America

“We never know that Christ is all we need until He becomes all that we have.” – Corrie ten Boom