[CF Devotionals] 2010-10-29 - Friends

Part 2

If we desire to not just have God as a friend but to be His friend then we can look back to Moses' lead.

Exodus 33:12-14
  1. And Moses said unto the LORD, See, thou sayest unto me, Bring up this people: and thou hast not let me know whom thou wilt send with me. Yet thou hast said, I know thee by name, and thou hast also found grace in my sight.
  2. Now therefore, I pray thee, if I have found grace in thy sight, shew me now thy way, that I may know thee, that I may find grace in thy sight: and consider that this nation is thy people.
  3. And he said, My presence shall go with thee, and I will give thee rest.

He asks "Show me your way so I can do it to please you God" The Amplified Version of verse 13 says, "Now therefore, I pray You, if I have found favor in Your sight, show me now Your way, that I may know You [progressively become more deeply and intimately acquainted with You, perceiving and recognizing and understanding more strongly and clearly] and that I may find favor in Your sight..." Jesus also tells us that this is the way to be God's friend.

John 15:13-15
  1. Greater love hath no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends.
  2. Ye are my friends, if ye do whatsoever I command you.
  3. Henceforth I call you not servants; for the servant knoweth not what his lord doeth: but I have called you friends; for all things that I have heard of my Father I have made known unto you.

A man named "Calgary Bob" Edwards once said it like this, "The difference between a friend and an acquaintance is that a friend helps; an acquaintance merely advises." You have to desire to help God. Or prayers should not be "God you really ought to save that person", "God such-and-such needs done" or even "God be with so and so in this hard time". Rather we need to earnestly pray "God guide me to speak with that person about you" and "God guide me in doing this thing for you" as well as "God be with so and so thru me in this hard time"

There are three things to being God's friend. First we must obey just like Jesus said in the verses we just read. Second we shouldn't just talk to him all but invest the time to listen. one way to listen is to just read the words he inspired, study, and reflect upon them. It has been said, "The best way to form a friendship is to become interested in other people, not by trying to interest people in you." Lastly, show the same loyalty to God that Thomas showed to Jesus. John 11:16 records Thomas saying, "OK Jesus I'll go with you and we'll all die together!" He pledged to stick by Jesus no matter what might happen. Thomas gets a bad rap for being a doubter but he was never a fair-weather friend; he was loyal.

One great thing about being friends is that we often become like them. Years ago I was really into heavy metal but as I became better friends with a guy named Stan I grew to like country music more and more until that was all I listened to. Wouldn't it be great if we were so close to God that people began to see Him in us – to see His characteristics in us?

We all should seek to not just be content being obedient Christians, complacent in coming to Church week after week but truly strive to be a friend of God. I want to be a friend of God so He'll come down to meet me when we talk together. Isn't that awesome?

IHFHBOH

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All verses are from the King James Version unless otherwise specified.