The following story from Aesop’s Fables reminds me of Proverbs 18:24, “A Man of many companions may come to ruin, but there is a friend who sticks closer than a brother.” The story goes like this: A mouse and a frog fell in love. They foolishly tied their legs together. At the beginning, they were able to live a normal life. They walked, ran and ate meals together. One day they came to a pond. The frog took the mouse into the water. The frog had a great time playing in the water, but the poor mouse could not swim and was drowned. Before long, the dead mouse emerged to the surface of the water, along with the frog, since their legs were still bound together. An eagle flying by saw the dead mouse and picked it up. The frog ended up as part of a delicious meal for the eagle. This story serves as a warning against destructive relationships. It also reminds me of the wonderful friendship between Jonathan and David. The Bible said that they became one in spirit. (1 Samuel 18:1) Their friendship was based on their commitment to God, not just their commitment to each other. That was why Jonathan and David were drawn even closer together when their friendship was being tested. In times of trouble, they helped each other to find strength in God. Just having people hang around as your friends may not be a real blessing. I am sure that the prodigal son in Luke 15 was surrounded by many friends when he was away from his father’s home and squandering his inheritance recklessly. Your life will indeed be blessed if you have a friend who can influence you and help you become more committed to the Lord!

下面的故事是從伊索寓言出來的. 它使我想起了箴言18:24，“濫交朋友的, 自取敗壞；但有一個朋友，比弟兄更親密。
” 故事是這樣的：有一隻老鼠和一隻青蛙墜入愛河。
它們傻傻地把它們的脚綁在一起。
開始的時候，它們也能過正常的生活。它們一起走路, 跑步和吃飯。有一天，
它們來到一個池塘。青蛙帶着老鼠跳進水中。青蛙自己很享受戲水美好的時光， 但是可憐的老鼠却因為不會游泳被淹死了。
不久，死老鼠與青蛙一同浮現在水面上，因為他們的腿仍然是綁在一起的。
一隻老鷹飛過看到了死老鼠，就把它撿了起來。結果，青蛙也成為老鷹的美食。
這個故事可以警惕我們要防備一些對你有破壞性的友情。
它也使我聨想起約拿單和大衛之間美好的友誼。聖經說，他們的心深相契合。
（撒上18:1）約拿單和大衛的友誼是基於對上帝的委身，
不只是基於對彼此的信託。
這就是為什麼當約拿單和大衛的友誼受到考驗的時候, 他們反而更加親密的原因。
他們能够在患難之中互相勉勵，共同靠神，以致從神那裏得着堅固的力量。
如果單單是有很多朋友在你身邊，這不一定是個真正的祝福。
我相信在路加福音十五章提到的浪子，當他遠離父家，浪費自己的財產，
過着任意放蕩生活的時候，
必定也有很多酒肉朋友圍繞在他身旁。
你 真正的祝福是得着一位可以影响你一生，能幫助你越來越忠心於主的朋友！