(Prov 25:25 NIrV) Hearing good news from a land far away is like drinking cold water when you are tired.
This morning we get back to our series entitled, “Unlocking the Power of Proverbs – Walking in the Wisdom of God.” Smith Wigglesworth said the Bible is “Supernatural in origin, eternal in duration, inexpressible in valor, infinite in scope, regenerative in power, infallible in authority, universal in interest, personal in application, and inspired in totality.” The Bible is awesome. It never ceases to amaze me how something that was written thousands of years ago can continue to be so applicable today, even with all the technological advances. What Solomon talks to us about this morning takes me back to a time that seemed much simpler. Even though I love technology and am an early adopter of it, I sometimes covet the being disconnected as much as I enjoy being connected.
The Message Bible paraphrase of this verse reads: “Like a cool drink of water when you’re worn out and weary is a letter from a long-lost friend.” To appreciate what Solomon is saying you must think back to a time when you actually received letters in the mail from loved ones. Do you remember hand written letters and how much they meant? Do you remember hearing from someone you had not heard from in a long time and how great that made you feel? I know, it’s different today. Actually, that is a grave understatement. The way we interact with each other today, around the world, is completely different than in Solomon’s day. Here are a few stats about life online:
- 1 in 5 couples meet online.
- Kindergartners are learning on iPads (not chalkboards).
- If Facebook were a country it would be the 3rd third largest in the world.
- This year, for the first time, eBooks have surpassed traditional book sales.
- If Wikipedia were made into a book it would be 2.25 million pages long.
- In April 2011 (just one month) Facebook had 880 million [unique] visitors with 910 billion page views.
- 200 million people access Facebook via a mobile device each day.
Don’t take me wrong, I am not complaining. I actually enjoy technology and I see it as a powerful tool that can and should be used to propagate the gospel message of Jesus the Christ. However, to appreciate what Solomon is saying we have to think back to a time when we could not simply pick up the phone and call anyone in the world we wanted to talk to, or even see them while we are talking to them from the other side of the planet. In Bible times news traveled slowly. Long periods of anxious waiting usually followed the departure of a loved one or friend to a distant land. It was not until the letter arrived that your heart was at ease about their arrival.
So what does this mean to you today? A few things:
1. Don’t allow the unlimited access you have to people to devalue your relationship with them.
2. Appreciate the access technology gives you to others without allowing overexposure to lessen the actual appreciation you have for the person.
3. Hearing from a friend can be refreshing and very rewarding.
4. Reach out to someone today that you have not reached out to in a long time and be that refreshment for them!
Closing Confession: Father, I thank You for the friends You have blessed me with. I don’t have to life my life alone. You have blessed me to BE a blessing to others and You have blessed others to BE a blessing to me. While technology is good and it enables us to remain in contact, I will not allow technology to cause me to appreciate or value my friends any less than I should. I reach out to them and I become the refreshment Solomon talks about; providing a kind word, a heartfelt smile, a warm embrace, and a listening ear. I sow friendship and I reap great friends! In Jesus’ name. Amen!
This is Today’s Word! Apply it and Prosper!
