A little over 2 years ago I remember having a time of prayer asking God to send me someone to just, “tell me the truth”. To speak truth to me even if it is something I didn’t want to hear. Someone who wanted to sharpen me, and in turn be sharpened back! No one sided relationship. I tell you now, if your prayers align to God’s will, align to His plan and purpose to your life, and aligns with scripture, He will answer. His word says:

Then you will call upon Me and go and pray to Me, and I will listen to you.

And you will seek Me and find Me, when you search for Me with all your heart. -Jeremiah 29:12-13

 “Ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you. For everyone who asks receives, and he who seeks finds, and to him who knocks it will be opened. -Matthew 7:7-8

Before I tell you about my answered prayer, let me describe more of what my heart and soul was longing for. So many of us who follow the Lord, and even the ones who do not, know well this scripture:

As iron sharpens iron, so a man sharpens the countenance of his friend.

-Proverbs 27:17

But how many of us have taken time to understand and live this out? I am just like all the other sinners in this world. I like to be justified. My flesh wants to be told what I want to hear. But the Lord knows and says over and over again that flesh has to die. The word in Hebrew for sharpen in this verse means to be fierce. Fierce means intense, heartfelt, powerful, and eager to fight! I was ready for a friend like that! An iron friend who wouldn’t allow me to get dull when it came to following the Lord. To get dull when it came to praying for my husband and children, to seeking His face, to being in the Word and abiding with Jesus Christ. Who wouldn’t allow the enemy to get an edgewise on me, but sharpen me so I would be ready to fight!

You see “iron sharpen iron “looks like going back and forth with another about the Word! As we speak the Word over each another, it sharpens us.

For the Word of God is quick, and powerful, and sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing even to the dividing asunder of soul and spirit, and of the joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart.

-Hebrew 4:12

Matthew Henry gives a great perspective on the truth about Proverbs 27:17:

“This intimates both the pleasure and the advantage of conversation. One man is nobody; nor will poring upon a book in a corner accomplish a man as the reading and studying of men will. Wise and profitable discourse sharpens men’s wits; and those that have ever so much knowledge may by conference have something added to them. It sharpens men’s looks, and, by cheering the spirits, puts a briskness and liveliness into the countenance, and gives a man such an air as shows he is pleased himself and makes him pleasing to those about him. Good men’s graces are sharpened by converse with those that are good, and bad men’s lusts and passions are sharpened by converse with those that are bad, as iron is sharpened by its like, especially by the file. Men are filed, made smooth, and bright, and fit for business (who were rough, and dull, and inactive), by conversation. This is designed, 1. To recommend to us this expedient for sharpening ourselves, but with a caution to take heed whom we choose to converse with, because the influence upon us is so great either for the better or for the worse. 2. To direct us what we must have in our eye in conversation, namely to improve both others and ourselves, not to pass away time or banter one another, but to provoke one another to love and to good works and so to make one another wiser and better. “

As I read back on this understanding of the verse the more I praise God for His faithfulness and answered prayers! In July 2021, I was prompted by the Holy Spirit to give up my vacation with my mother and brother to go be with my husband. Dane was on a job in Kentucky at the time, and although he would be working, I just wanted our family to be together. One evening while Eden and I were doing laundry at the RV park, we decided to go to the playground to wait for it to get done. When we arrived I looked around the car and realized I left my phone and left my Bible! I spotted Eli’s kid Bible and grabbed it. There was a mama there with 3 little girls playing. I told Eden to go ahead and play and I would get in the Word to seek guidance on an upcoming Bible study.

I couldn’t help but notice the mama glance over a couple times. Then I heard her littlest one say, “Mommy, I have to go potty!” She got up and started to go to her bike and get her child to go to the restroom. She came behind me and had stopped. She said, “Excuse me is that the Word you are reading?”, and I said, “Yes, it is my son’s, I forgot mine at the motel. I was wanting to read more as I am preparing for a Bible study.” She smiled and said, “That is cool, that is cool”, pause, “I’ll be right back!”

That is the beginning! She returned and set right next to me and we began to go back and forth about the Word, our testimonies, and exchanged numbers. I remember telling her what I had been praying for. She returned with this, “I was praying yesterday that God would allow me to have a divine appointment, and I think that is you.” What I thought was a short time, ended up being 3 hours!

Needless to say, I had one concerned husband when I returned back to the motel. I ran in to tell him what God had done, and all I could see was “the look”! I realized I had had no phone and was gone so long. I was instantly so sorry for worrying him. I explained and apologized. He calmed down and said, “I love that you met someone like that, but please do not do that ever again!” I smiled and nodded as we planned to met with the whole family in a couple days. I spent those last few days in Kentucky with Kim as we dug more into the Word together, and the kids got to play as well! We had dinner one evening where Dane got to met Kim’s husband, Tim, and they hit it off quickly!

There is so much more to testify to this amazing iron friend, but all I have room for is the beginning. Her and her husband are devout followers of the Lord and are always looking for ways to encourage and stir fellow believers. I would share their whole testimony, but I honestly encourage you to go read it for yourself!! You will be blessed to learn more about their journey! (Click the link to see their webpage)

We have literally done life (like RV parked right by our house) with this couple and their kiddos for 6 months! It was the best experience ever! I could say it was close to being like how all the disciples lived together in community, and this was closest I have experienced it like the scriptures describe! We also never cease to keep in contact to encourage, and pray for one another. Since meeting Kim the Lord has abundantly supplied more iron friends in my life. As the Lord leads, I would love to share on that as well! He has also reminded me and renewed a new gratefulness within me, for the few iron friends I had already had!

I pray for anyone who has taken the time to read this to start praying now! Pray for that iron friend. Pray for God to bring people in your life that will “tell you the truth”! Be ready for the answer!

https://shiftyourgears.com/