There are “friends” who pretend to be friends but there is a friend who sticks closer than a brother. Prov 18:24
Closer than a Friend
Cockleburrs are flowering plants that produce hundreds of football shaped burrs. On average, each plant produces 150 burs. These burrs are covered with stiff hooked spines. It is a real pain to pick them off from the clothes. But these burrs help the plants to disperse the seeds by the hitchhiking on animal fur or human clothing. Believe it or not, burrs have served a useful purpose.
In 1948, George de Mestral, a Swiss alpinist, returned from a mountain climb. He noticed that his clothes were stuck with burrs. Examining them carefully, he noticed that the burs had little projections, each of which has a tiny barb at the end. It was by these that the burs clung to his clothes.
From this observation, Mestral and French textile weaver invented Velcro, a very useful material. It consists of two strips of nylon, one with little hooks, the other with a wool-like surface to which the little hooks cling.
The Holy Spirit is like Velcro or Burrs. He is a friend who sticks closer than a brother. David knew this fact, and He says in Ps 139:7-10
Where could I go to get away from your spirit?
Where could I go to escape your presence?
If I went up to heaven, you would be there.
If I went down to the grave, you would be there too!
If I could fly on the wings of dawn,
Stopping to rest only on the far side of the ocean—
Even there your hand would guide me;
even there your strong hand would hold me tight!
Just Imagine what would have happened to David if the Holy Spirit had let him go after he sinned with Bathsheba. How thankful we can be that this Friend loves us to persistently. He never leaves us – unless, of course, we leave Him.