I lift up my eyes to the mountains—
where
does my help come from?
My
help comes from the Lord,
the
Maker of heaven and earth.
He
will not let your foot slip—
he
who watches over you will not slumber;
indeed,
he who watches over Israel
will
neither slumber nor sleep.
The
Lord watches over you—
the
Lord is your shade at your right hand;
the
sun will not harm you by day,
nor
the moon by night.
The
Lord will keep you from all harm—
he
will watch over your life;
the
Lord will watch over your coming and going
both
now and forevermore.
(Psalm
121 (NIV)
It’s
been a “long time, no hear” from your friend. What’s the first
thing you ask your friend? The second? (Serendipity Bible 10th
Anniversary Edition, page 1303).
My
chief concern would be with my friend’s mental, emotional, and
spiritual condition. I might first ask, “How’s your health?” He
would probably assume that I was referring to his physical condition
and would have a comment or two regarding that. So I would drill a
little further and ask “Are you finding daily sources of strength?”
Here I am really searching for his ability to cope with whatever
comes and his arsenal of spiritual resources—is he able to find
sources of courage, joy, and hope, perhaps a good measure of
happiness? Next I would inquire about his special interest—such as
family or creative endeavors. Finally, considering what is
appropriate, I would offer a few words of encouragement based upon
his comments ranging from “Don’t give up” and “Keep strong in
the Lord” to “Knowing you, I knew you would be fine.”
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