DAY 236: A FRIEND OF GOD - Devotional

The Return ^ | June 1, 2021

[metmom]

Consider the way God himself described his relationship with Abraham: “Abraham my friend” (Isaiah 41:8, NKJV). Likewise, the New Testament tells us, “Abraham believed God…and he was called the friend of God” (James 2:23).

What an incredible commendation, to be called the friend of God. Most Christians have sung the well-known hymn, “What a Friend We Have in Jesus.” These biblical passages bring home that truth with power. To have the Creator of the universe call a man his friend seems beyond human comprehension, yet it happened with Abraham. It’s a sign of this man’s great intimacy with God.

The Hebrew word that Isaiah uses for friend here signifies affection and closeness. The closer we grow to Christ, the greater our desire becomes to live wholly in his presence. Moreover, we begin to see more clearly that Jesus is our only true foundation.

The Bible tells us Abraham “waited for the city which has foundations, whose builder and maker is God” (Hebrews 11:10). To Abraham, nothing in this life was permanent. Scripture says the world was “a strange place” to him. It was no place to put down roots. The heavenly country Abraham yearned for isn’t a place on earth. Rather, it is being home with the Father. You see, the Hebrew word for the phrase “heavenly country” is pater. It comes from a root word meaning Father. So, the heavenly country Abraham sought was, literally, a place with the Father.

Yet Abraham was no mystic. He was not an ascetic who put on holy airs and lived in a spiritual haze. This man lived an earthly life, heavily involved in the world’s affairs. After all, he was the owner of thousands of head of livestock, and he had enough servants to form a small militia. Abraham had to be a busy man, directing his servants and buying and selling his cattle, sheep and goats.

Yet somehow, despite his many business affairs and responsibilities, Abraham found time for intimacy with the Lord.

[metmom]

The Return ping

[imardmd1]

JNac says:

.. The Hebrew word that Isaiah uses for friend here signifies affection and closeness. <<

But that is not the kind of commitment that God/Jesus meant and fulfilled, Jesus gave us the principle on which His term "Friend" embodies:

"This is my commandment, That ye love one another, as I have loved you. 
Greater love hath no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends" (Jn 15:12,13 AV).

If you are the kind of Friend Jesus is, you are not someone's friend because of what they say or do to you; you are their friend if you will lay down your life for them in spite of what they say or do to you.

Their affection or your affection has little or nothing to do with that kind of friendship. It involves total commitment despite one's feeling about it.

"Ye are my friends, if ye do whatsoever I command you" (Jn. 15:14 AV).

Reader, are you His friend?

[imardmd1]

And a typical psychologist or SJW will say,"And how did you feel about this?"