Friend

John 15:15 (NKJV)

"No longer do I call you servants, for a servant does not know what his master is doing; but I have called you friends, for all things that I heard from my Father I have made known to you."

Amen, thank you LORD.

Friend is not a word I use lightly. I take this word seriously so when Jesus says, I call you 'friend' what an honor and privilege for God, the Creator of heaven and earth to call man, friend! The primary benefit about this relationship is that God is eternal, so your friendship with Him lasts forever. When you have worries, Jesus says, cast your cares on Him (1 Peter 5:7) and God in His powerful and loving nature, will take care of your needs.

In the book of Genesis, we see examples of men whose ways pleased God and God in turn was a Friend to them. Enoch was a man who walked with God, and He was directly taken up to heaven without death (Genesis 5:24). Noah was a man who found grace in the eyes of the LORD (Genesis 6:8) and his ways pleased God. In 2 Peter 2:19, we see that the LORD delivered this godly man, Noah, out of temptations and the perversity that surrounded him. Abraham is known as a friend of God as well who believed God and considered God to be righteous that is, Abraham understood that God is good and He will do what He says. Before the destruction of Sodom and Gomorrah, the LORD God told His friend Abraham about it (Genesis 18:17) and Abraham went ahead to intercede on behalf of the two cities.

Proverbs 18:24 (NLT) says, "There are "friends" who destroy each other, but a real friend sticks closer than a brother." Child of God, Jesus can be trusted to be a real friend who sticks closer than a brother. He is not simply a "friend" who plots evil, mocks you or says mean things about you behind your back, never. John 10:11 (NLT) shows us the nature of Jesus' friendship towards us and He says, "I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd sacrifices his life for the sheep." Jesus is that Friend who puts your needs before His needs to the point of death because your life matters and is very important to Him. In this friendship, there is no need to be someone you are not. Jesus values you and in His eyes you are known, accepted and approved. Ephesians 1:6 (NKJV) puts it best and says, "to the praise of the glory of His grace by which He made us accepted in the Beloved."

A close reading of John 15:15 also shows that true friendship is found in the revelation of Jesus and the person who reveals Jesus to you, is your friend as well.

Let's pray: Father God, thank you for Your love that is expressed through Jesus. Thank you that because of Jesus, I have a forever Friend. Thank you Jesus because You sacrificed Your life for me because that is how much I mean to you. Thank you LORD that You know my needs before I ever knew them and the greatest of these needs is salvation. Thank you LORD for sacrificing your life for me. Thank you LORD for eternal life and taking away my sin, iniquities and healing me by Your stripes. May my heart always remember to meditate on Your righteousness that is found in Your love and goodness towards me as I draw closer to Your heart LORD. Thank you Father for You have delivered me from every friendship and association that is contrary to the plans and purposes You have for my life as You introduce me to the understanding and revelation of the width, length, depth and height of Your love for me and what it means to be a friend of God in the name of Jesus, Amen. Thank you LORD.

I'll end with Jesus' Word found in Mark 12:30 (NKJV)

"And you shall love the LORD your God with all your heart, with all your soul, with all your mind, and with all your strength. This is the first commandment."

Amen, thank you LORD.

Invitation to salvation: If you would like to know God as Your Father where you become His child and receive Jesus as a forever Friend through a personal relationship with Him - I invite you to say this confession:

"I believe with my heart and confess with my mouth that; Jesus Christ, the Son of God came in a human body to die for my sins so that I could have a new life where I am dead to sin and alive to God. I repent of my past sins and enter the Kingdom of light where I choose relationship with Jesus Christ as my Lord and Saviour and with God as my loving Father today and forever." AMEN.

Congratulations, YOU'VE BEEN REDEEMED by the precious blood of Jesus. To the glory of the Almighty God. Amen. In case you do not already, please join a church community and get water baptized!