No Longer A Friend

We used to have close fellowship; we walked with the crowd into the house of God.
--- Psalm 55:14 (CSB)

King Solomon ruled over a nation of peace.  His father, David, was a man of war, even though he loved the Lord dearly.  Keeping watch over his enemies was bad enough.  Even worse was the betrayal of someone close.  David doesn't identify who the "friend" might be, but a close adviser, Ahithophel, switched his alliance from David to David's son, Absalom. (2 Samuel 15:12)

I have a friend.  I wouldn't call him close, but close enough.  Our friendship has changed, and I don't know why.  We apparently aren't close enough to discuss it openly.  When I attempt it, he denies that he has changed.  Maybe I have changed, but I get nothing from him to indicate such.  I truly don't won't to offend or hurt anyone, so it makes it difficult to know what to do.

While David couldn't fix the broken friendship, he could call upon his Maker for comfort and understanding.  We do change over the years, but God never changes.  His faithfulness is not only assurance for our well-being, but a wonderful example of how we should live.  We saw this in his son, Jesus, as he encountered both enemies and friends.

Lord, give me wisdom on how to handle broken or shaky friendships.  Help me to respond, not in the way I want to act, but in the way I should act. Amen