WHEN YOUR FRIEND IS IN PAIN
Friendfluence #5
Pastor Dennis Clanton
Woodland Church
Sunday, October 29, 2023
(Proverbs 17:17, NASB) “A friend loves at all times, And a brother is born for adversity.”
Who is your friend that loves at all times?
(Romans 12:15, Message) “Laugh with your happy friends when they’re happy; share tears when they’re down.”
(Psalm 13, NLT) “O Lord, how long will you forget me? Forever? How long will you look the other way? How long must I struggle with anguish in my soul, with sorrow in my heart every day? How long will my enemy have the upper hand? Turn and answer me, O Lord my God! Restore the sparkle to my eyes, or I will die. Don’t let my enemies gloat, saying, “We have defeated him!” Don’t let them rejoice at my downfall. But I trust in your unfailing love. I will rejoice because you have rescued me. I will sing to the Lord because he is good to me.”
1. RECOGNIZE MY FRIEND’S GRIEF.
(Psalm 13:2, NLT) “How long must I struggle with anguish in my soul, with sorrow in my heart every day? How long will my enemy have the upper hand?”
2. WEEP WITH MY FRIEND.
(Ecclesiastes 3:4, NLT) “A time to cry and a time to laugh. A time to grieve and a time to dance.”
a. Tears are God’s gift to us.
(Job 2:12, CEV) “… in their great sorrow, they tore their clothes, then sprinkled dust on their heads and cried bitterly.”
b. Tears are a sign of love, not weakness.
(John 11:32–36, NLT) “When Mary arrived and saw Jesus, she fell at his feet and said, “Lord, if only you had been here, my brother would not have died.” When Jesus saw her weeping and saw the other people wailing with her, a deep anger welled up within him, and he was deeply troubled. “Where have you put him?” he asked them. They told him, “Lord, come and see.” Then Jesus wept. The people who were standing nearby said, “See how much he loved him!”
c. Tears are collected by God.
(Psalm 56:8, NLT) “You keep track of all my sorrows. You have collected all my tears in your bottle. You have recorded each one in your book.”
After the tears comes the strength.
3. REACH OUT
(Job 2:11, NLT) “When three of Job’s friends heard of the tragedy he had suffered, they got together and traveled from their homes to comfort and console him.”
4. BE QUIET.
(Job 2:13, CEV) “For seven days and nights, they sat silently on the ground beside him, because they realized what terrible pain he was in.”
5. REMEMBER ONE DAY GOD WILL WIPE AWAY ALL TEARS.
(Isaiah 25:8, CEV) “The Lord All-Powerful will destroy the power of death and wipe away all tears. No longer will his people be insulted everywhere. The Lord has spoken!”
(Revelation 21:4–7, CEV) “He will wipe all tears from their eyes, and there will be no more death, suffering, crying, or pain. These things of the past are gone forever. Then the one sitting on the throne said: I am making everything new. Write down what I have said. My words are true and can be trusted. Everything is finished! I am Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the end. I will freely give water from the life-giving fountain to everyone who is thirsty. All who win the victory will be given these blessings. I will be their God, and they will be my people.”