“This thou knowest, that all they which are in Asia be turned away from me; of whom are Phygellus and Hermogenes” (2 Timothy 1:15).

Sometimes it seems like some of my friends are drifting away from me.

Then, also like Paul, I remember other friends . . . .

“The Lord give mercy unto the house of Onesiphorus; for he oft refreshed me, and was not ashamed of my chain” (2 Timothy 1:16,17).

I am so thankful for steady, faithful friends like Jake and Joe.

This all reminds me of a verse in Proverbs . . . .

“A man that hath friends must shew himself friendly: and there is a friend that sticketh closer than a brother” (18:24).

Here’s my rough-and-quick translation of how it’s rendered in Spanish: “The man that has friends is to show him a friend . . . .”

Maybe I’m not conducting routine maintenance on my friendships.

Perhaps it isn’t so much that some friends are drifting from me, but more that I’m drifting from them!

Hmmm.

Then I wonder something else: Just what kind of friend am I? Am I a verse 15 friend or a verse 16 friend?

Oh wow!

“For we brought nothing into this world, and it is certain we can carry nothing out” (1 Timothy 6:7).

I am surrounded by things here in my office. Outside this office are myriad more things. Many belong to me, yet they make no perceptible dent in the total supply of things available.

And nothing I own or could own will go with me into eternity.

Nothing.

All of it stays behind, eventually to become consumed by man or God.

May God deliver me from attachments to and yearnings for any thing in this life.

This makes me think of a verse in Isaiah. Maybe I can find it by leafing through my Bible a bit . . . I think it is in Isaiah 53 or 55 . . . let me get my fingers off this keyboard a bit…yeah, here it is — Isaiah 55:2 . . . .

“Wherefore do ye spend money for that which is not bread? and your labour for that which satisfieth not? hearken diligently unto me, and eat ye that which is good, and let your soul delight itself in fatness.”