I have a confession. I have experienced some sadness lately. For the last nine years my oldest son has enjoyed the company of an amazing German Shepherd named Verona. She was bright, well trained, and great with children. I also noticed that she practically worshiped the ground my son walked on. This became obvious to me several years ago.
Because my son was in the process of moving back to Philly, we let Verona stay with us for a couple of weeks. She was well-behaved and appeared happy during those days, but I’ll never forget how she acted when my son walked through the door after being away for such a long time. She ran to him and just squealed with delight as she nuzzled him over and over. I never saw her happier.
Why have I been sad? You may have already guessed, but Verona suddenly became ill and had to be put to sleep. The vet tried to treat her, but she was beyond help. I have been sad, partly because I’ll miss the dog, and because the hearts of my four small grandchildren were broken. My sadness, though, is largely because my son lost a faithful and loving companion. The greatest joy of have a dog (in my opinion) is that no matter what kind of a day you’ve had, they are always glad to see you.
That must be why we have the saying, “A dog is a man’s best friend.” When we think about it, though, that is not really true. Let me explain.
The fact that dogs die reminds me that all earthly relationships fail. All of them are riddled with disappointments. Even our best friendships fail because life is temporary. When we think about it that way, even a dog is not a man’s BEST friend. There is good news, though.
We can have a friend who will never die or leave us. That friend, of course, is Jesus. Look at what He told His followers: “Greater love has no one than this, that one lay down his life for his friends. You are My friends if you do what I command you. No longer do I call you slaves, for the slave does not know what his master is doing; but I have called you friends, for all things that I have heard from My Father I have made known to you” (John 15:13-15).
What an amazing thing, that the God of the universe wants to be our friend! The Bible calls God “…a friend who sticks closer than a brother” (Proverbs 18:24).
The highest compliment ever paid to Abraham was that: “… he was called the friend of God” (James 2:23). King David’s life included many heartaches and betrayals, but when he looked back on his life, he saw that his broken relationships showed him that all along God was his best friend. At one point David prayed, “Oh, do not hide yourself when I am trying to find you…. You have been my help in all my trials before; don’t leave me now. Don’t forsake me, O God of my salvation. For if my father and mother The only lasting and stable relationship we will ever have is with our Creator through what Jesus Christ has done for us. The Apostle Paul is one man who learned this important truth. He began his adult life opposing Jesus and His followers (see Acts 8:1-3), and then he met Jesus Christ and gave his life to Him. That changed everything. With all his heart he said, “Whatever things were gain to me, those things I have counted as loss for the sake of Christ. More than that, I count all things to be loss in view of the surpassing value of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord, for whom I have suffered the loss of all things, and count them but rubbish so that I may gain Christ” (Philippians 3:7–8). Do you need a friend who really cares about you and will never walk away? If you will respond to this invitation from Jesus, He will be that kind of friend to you: “Come to Me, all who are weary and heavy-laden, and I will give you rest. Take My yoke upon you and learn from Me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls” (Matthew 11:28–29).
Leave A Comment