Boarding Fellow-Ship

~ Barbara ~ 3 Comments

Today we sail into deep waters. Friendship is priceless, but fellowship is richer, venturing into uncharted, sometimes stormy waters that reveal hidden strengths and weaknesses. While friendship reflects mutual interests, fellowship is about growth and encouragement, moving beyond shared laughter and tears to unveil our deepest questions and highest aspirations. The vulnerability is frightening, but the rewards can be immeasurable.

Fellow-ship must be approached carefully and with discernment. Boarding may cause waves and expose us to storms we’ve long avoided, but consider the blessings. Hidden thoughts warp over time and skew our perspective. They fester when kept in the dark, but exposing them to light brings health and freedom.

The first and primary friend we need to fellowship with is God. Honest conversation calms the soul and frees our hearts. His presence counters our fears with truth, spoken by His Spirit and written Word. God is utterly trustworthy, loves completely, and never turns us away.

Human fellowship is also precious. We find freedom and growth when we reveal hidden feelings and fears to people who will share our burdens and accept us. But before we offer our trust, one qualification must be met—they need to have a living, vibrant relationship with God. It is good to be cautious. We should not reveal our hearts to someone who freely offers personal opinions that are not informed by God’s wisdom.

With God, there are no restrictions on sharing. With people, we need discernment and time. Trust needs to be established. Parameters need to be set. We also need to guard those who have caused us pain and not reveal their sin to others.

Fellowship is a good ship to sail. It is strong and holds steady in storms. It will carry us on high waters and set a course to wholeness.

May the grace of the Lord Jesus Christ, and the love of God, 
and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit be with you all.

2 Corinthians 13:14

Image provided by Pixabay

Sailing on the “Friend-Ship”

~ Barbara ~ 3 Comments

Where will we sail in this brand-new year? No, I’m not hinting at a Caribbean cruise. Today, 2026 leaves port, and we’re all aboard. I can guarantee there will be adventures and opportunities, but I’m afraid we’ll likely hit some rough waters as well. Thankfully, we’re not floundering in inflatable lifeboats but floating in ships we deem safe. Over the next few weeks, we’ll look at some of those ships.

Friend-Ship

This is one of the loveliest ships for our travels, and a provision from God to help us navigate life. These are a few things He says about friendship.

The blessings:

  • A friend is always loyal, and a brother is born to help in time of need (Prov. 17:17).
  • Two people are better off than one, for they can help each other succeed. If one person falls, the other can reach out and help. But someone who falls alone is in real trouble (Eccl. 4:9-10).
  • Perfume and incense bring joy to the heart, and the pleasantness of a friend springs from their heartfelt advice (Prov. 27:9).

Friends help when we have need, lift us up when we fall, and advise when we’re unsure.

The benefits:

  • As iron sharpens iron, so a friend sharpens a friend (Prov. 27:17).
  • Carry each other’s burdens, and in this way you will fulfill the law of Christ (Gal. 6:2).
  • Be devoted to one another in love. Honor one another above yourselves (Rom. 12:10).

Friends sharpen us, making us better with them than without them. They share our burdens, lightening our load. They are devoted and honor us.

The banes:

  • Walk with the wise and become wise; associate with fools and get in trouble (Prov. 13:20).
  • A troublemaker plants seeds of strife; gossip separates the best of friends (Prov. 16:28).
  • Do not make friends with a hot-tempered person, do not associate with one easily angered, or you may learn their ways and get yourself ensnared (Prov. 22:24-25).

The writer of Proverbs warns us against fools, troublemakers, gossipers, and hot tempers.

What friendships will you nurture or rekindle in 2026?

What friends are unhealthy and necessitate ending the relationship?

What new friends will God introduce to you?

What kind of friend will you be?

I hope you will be exactly what you’d like to find in a friend—loyal, encouraging, sensitive, serving, and loving.

Photo by Antonino Visalli on Unsplash

Christ’s Decision… and Ours

~ Barbara ~ Leave a comment

Long before the Son of God came to dwell on Earth in sin-ridden Judea, He lived with Adam and Eve in the perfect Garden of Eden. Sin shattered the Garden’s perfect harmony, but a decision had already been made—God’s plan for mankind’s future was activated.

The Creator dealt with Satan first, cursing him and assuring him that he would never win the war he created. He would be defeated by the offspring of a woman. Though the man and woman brought sin’s curse into an unspoiled world, hope was present, biding its time till the Messiah would come.

And at the fullness of time, according to God’s plan, He came. Jesus was born as a human, yet God. He suffered as God and died as man. The only disclosure of the agony of His decision was in Gethsemane when He wrestled with something He had never experienced, estrangement from His Father—the price of our adoption.

The manger and the cross represent Christ’s decision—costly, indescribably painful, and fully effective. His suffering in birth and death bought us eternal joy and a home in Heaven. God’s provision, revealed in the first book of the Bible*, is a gift offered to every person in all time. It brings the final decision to our own doorstep: believe, or disbelieve? It’s our choice to adopt Mary’s humility and Joseph’s surrender, or Herod’s pride.

She will give birth to a Son, and you are to give Him the name Jesus,
because He will save His people from their sins.” Matthew 1:21

The gift, and the decision, is ours.

*Genesis 3:15

Herod’s Decision

~ Barbara ~ 1 Comment

King Herod failed royally when faced with two historic decisions that revealed his pretentious pride and pathetic insecurity.

The Wise Men came to Herod’s palace seeking the newborn king, which was sensible. But when they told Herod a star had led them from the east in search of a new King, they rocked his world. He directed Jewish leaders to research the Magi’s claim and found it to be accurate. Decision one: Protect his kingship. Find this child under the pretense of wanting to honor him.

Aided by the results of the king’s research, the Magi found the Child in Bethlehem, presented their gifts, and worshipped Him. Herod had asked them to come back and tell him where to find this new king, but they were warned in a dream not to return to Herod and took a different route to their home country. They rocked Herod’s world again.

He was furious when he realized he’d been outwitted. Decision two: Double down on protecting his kingship. Find this child-king and make no pretense of worship—kill him. To ensure he destroyed the king-child, he ordered the murder of every boy under two. There was no Mary-like humility, no Joseph-like submission, only militant pride.

A decision is a personal choice, and there is always a choice. Only a humble, submitted heart—one that wants what God wants—will keep pride and resentment from affecting a choice. Obedience can make us uncomfortable and often brings challenges, but God is watching, guiding, and protecting us, as He did for Joseph, Mary, and Jesus.

An angel of the Lord appeared to Joseph in a dream. “Get up! Flee to Egypt with the child and his mother,” the angel said. “Stay there until I tell you to return, because Herod is going to search for the child to kill him.”

Lord, may our hearts seek only you, and nothing of self, pride, or control. You are fully trustworthy.

Quote is from Matthew 2:13.