A SEPTEMBER CHRISTMAS GIFT FROM MY BEST FRIENDS

by Tammy Phillips
September 3, 2021

“A man [who has] friends must himself be friendly, but there is a friend [who] sticks closer than a brother.” (Proverbs 18:24 NKJV)

I love my friends and I am so very thankful for every one of them. As I said in yesterday’s encouragement, we all need strong, iron friends. (Please read it if you have not, it will enhance this encouragement.) My closest iron friend, although I probably would call Him my diamond friend, is a “friend who sticks closer than a brother” and who loves like no other. He is the one and only, Jesus, my Lord.

He is a friend who…

Has never forsaken me, although I have turned my back on Him. (Hebrews 13:5)
Is always with me. (Matthew 28:20)
Has been with me through every trial and trouble. (Psalm 23:4)
Always answers when I call. (Jeremiah 33:3)
Has always been faithful. (Psalm 119:90)
Has never failed me. (Deuteronomy 31:8)
Walks with me through deep water. (Isaiah 43:2)
Restores my soul. (Psalm 23:3)
Forgives me every time. (1 John 1:9)
Laid down His life for me. (John 15:13)
Died so that I could have a better life. (John 10:10)
Loves at all times. (Proverbs 17:17)
Is always on time and never late.
Calls me friend. (John 15:14)
Sticks closer than a brother. (Proverbs 18:24)
Always amazes me. (Luke 5:26)

My very best Friend, my Lord, my God blew my socks off again. Actually, He sent me a pair of socks.

Follow this crazy, loving, amazing story…

My lifelong best friend and sister in Christ, Pam Verma, who lives in Atlanta, Georgia, sent me a Christmas gift, last year. She sent it to Maryville, Tennessee, where I had not lived in ten years. When we discovered her mistake, I asked our old neighbors, the Winders, to go next door to see if the package had been received; it had. They brought the gift home. My iron friend that I spoke of yesterday lives in Knoxville, Tennessee. She went and picked up the gift to give me the next time that we met. We have seen each other a few times since Christmas, but for different reasons the exchange was not made. In fact, she brought the gift to my son’s wedding in Florida, where all my best friends were all together, including Kristi and Pam! AGAIN, we did not make the exchange. It was not God’s timing yet. I was in Chattanooga this week with my husband for work. Kristi met me for lunch and brought the gift! I took it back to the hotel room and let it sit unopened for a day. As I was packing up and consolidating things, I decided to open the small gift, so the contents could be easily packed away. When I finally opened the package, I was amazed! My BEST FRIEND, my Lord, had used my earthly best friends, Kris, Kristi, and Pam, to deliver me an on-time gift that took eight months to receive. It was a sweet cross ornament and a pair of socks! It was what was on the socks… a verse that I used just the day before and one of my favorites, Joshua 1:9!

What a friend we have in Jesus! He wove and aligned all that craziness, just so that I would receive a blessing from Him in His perfect timing. “To everything [there is] a season, A time for every purpose under heaven:” (Ecclesiastes 3:1 NKJV)

I enCOURAGE you to get to know Jesus as your friend. He wants to be your best Friend and do this crazy, amazing life with you. He is the best and will just blow you away if you give Him the chance. His love and timing are perfect and amazing.

“For I am persuaded that neither death nor life, nor angels nor principalities nor powers, nor things present nor things to come, 39 nor height nor depth, nor any other created thing, shall be able to separate us from the love of God which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.” (Romans 8:38-39 NKJV).

Nothing like the love of my best Friend who “sticks closer than a brother.”