Have you ever heard of fair weather friends? You know the kind; these are people who are your friends when all is right with the world, but when something bad happens in your world, they’re suddenly nowhere to be found. Unfortunately, we’ve all probably experienced one or two people like this in our lives. They are with us if we’re doing something for them or they’re gaining something from us, but when we need a friend they’re gone. The relationship is very one sided.
So are you a fair weather friend of the Lord’s? Do you sing His praises and tell others about how wonderful He is when life is going well only to blame Him when things go bad? Before you answer, think. Many do this without even realizing it. Something awful happens and they say “Why would God do this to me?” They assign the horrors of this world to God as if He was the mastermind behind them all.
God knows everything that has happened, that is happening and that will happen, but it doesn’t mean He causes all things to happen. We live in a “present evil age” as stated in Galatians 1:4. 1 Peter 5:8 tells us the enemy is on the prowl looking for someone to devour. His three point action plan is clearly stated in John 10:10, but so is the purpose of Jesus. Before we cast blame for the horrible things in our life to God, we need to step back and ask ourselves if that would line up with the character of God. God is love [1 John 4:8, 16]. He gives good gifts to His children [Matthew 7:11]. This doesn’t sound like a Father who would bring calamity upon His children.
Instead, He walks through difficulty with us [Psalm 23:4]. He reminds us His grace is sufficient for whatever we face [2 Corinthians 12:9]. So isn’t it time we start living like Habakkuk and praise God and remain close to Him even in our hardship? Habakkuk 3:17 is a list of things that aren’t going right for the prophet, yet in verse 18 he demonstrates he is more than a fair weathered friend of the Lord’s: “Yet I will rejoice in the Lord, I will be joyful in God my Savior.”
No matter what your circumstances, are you rejoicing in Him? Are you praising Him? Or have you walked away because trouble came lurking? Proverbs 17:17 says “A friend loves at all times.” (Emphasis mine) What kind of friend are you to Jesus?