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You have a Savior, who is your closest friend. Lord Jesus is the Lover of your soul. And His love has lifted you, from the dominion of darkness, into His Kingdom, in whom you have redemption, the forgiveness of sins. Therefore, it is the path of the righteous that lies ahead of you, as you look unto Him to be led forward, even as David did, Teach me to do Your will, for You are my God; May Your good Spirit lead me on level ground. [Psalm 143:10] And it is primarily through His word, that He leads you in the path of progress. For, The law of the Lord is perfect, converting the soul. The testimony of the Lord is sure, making wise the simple. The statutes of the Lord are right, rejoicing the heart; The commandment of the Lord is pure, enlightening the eyes. [Psalm 19:8,9]
The word of God will give you the wisdom, the godly perspective, and the right approach towards Him. You can look at God with a fear that is not fear, but love, trust and dependence that is expressed in worship that is displayed in a reverential fear of Him. And the ultimate fruit of it is an obedient submission to what He calls you to do. It is seen wondrously manifested in the life of Abraham, even as he approached the pinnacle of the testing of his faith, when he was called by God, to offer his only beloved son as a burnt offering unto Him. And painful though it must have been, Abraham was able to submit to the word of God, when God miraculously intervened to be His Jehovah Jireh, and commended his fear that was not a fear, but trust ‘. For now I know that you fear God, since you have not withheld your son, your only son, from Me’. [Genesis 22:12]
And the key ingredient that made Abraham’s life a powerful testimony was his relationship with God, the closeness of it and his sensitivity to hear and immediately respond to the call of God, to say ‘Here I am’. [Genesis 22:1] He listened to what the Lord had to say, to receive it and apply it in his life. To hear from God, and speak it forth in obedience is the attribute of a prophet of God. It is what he was, and you and I are called to be too. You are the prophet of your own life, as you hear from God, and receive from Him a revelation of His thoughts, concerning your own life, that you may apply it, to move forward and not remain stagnant, even in a time such as this that is troubling and worrisome, to all. And another dimension of his relationship with God, is what the apostle James describes in his epistle.
And the Scripture was fulfilled which says ‘Abraham believed God and it was accounted to him for righteousness’. And Abraham was called the friend of God. [James 2:23] The privilege that Abraham enjoyed has been recorded for our instruction, that you and I may also be a friend of God, for He shows no partiality. What was the key, when it came to Abraham’s relationship with God as His friend, was the element of trust, or believing in God that was reckoned to be his righteousness. It was a relationship that was based on trust; a trusting upon the truth of God’s word, that declares, if we are faithless He remains faithful, for He cannot deny Himself. [2 Timothy 2:13] God can never ever be unfaithful. It is an unconditional faithfulness that He extends towards you, in your relationship with Him. It is why you need God, and need to keep Him first in your life. And when you have such a God as your friend, you will find that through it you are led to a godly friendship. But, the world’s pattern, when it influences your relationships could be quite the opposite. Thus worldly relationships can be selfish.
Selfish :
More often than not, you can end up giving or contributing in a demanding relationship all your life, without receiving any appreciation or recognition. And it is another scenario when you are no longer useful or needed. ‘Use and throw’, describes it well; a maxim that has been fine tuned in the world to being ‘crush and throw’! But in a relationship with the faithful God, He has been investing in you from the time you were formed in your mother’s womb. And it was when you were saved, repenting of your sins, and acknowledging Lord Jesus as your personal Savior and Lord, that the truth became a revelation in your heart. Until then it was all about His selfless giving, which from still continues, to result in your fruitful living.
Toxic :
Some worldly relationships can also be abusive, taking on many forms, as one is well aware of. It can be physical, verbal, manipulative, dominating, or controlling to bring you down, even to the depths of despair within you. But you have a solution when you are in relationship with God He can deal with it to change the painful situation. For you have been created by God to walk in companionship and love. And it is how the church or the gathering of saints becomes a wonderful experience for every child of God, in knowing the immeasurable love of God. The greatness of it may be beyond human comprehension, but it can be experienced. You and I need each other in the body of Christ, to be lifted up and encouraged, in His wisdom, strength and love. It is what needs to happen in the church of Christ, through a relationship with a faithful God.
Jonathan loved David, as he loved his own soul. [1 Samuel 20:17] It was a relationship, that a world that is twisted and unclean has often misconstrued, only to reveal the need for a godly perception sanctified by the scriptures, when it comes to studying the narratives in God’s word. For the powerful nature of a godly friendship is what can be observed in all that transpired between David and Jonathan. Bowing down to the divine plan of God, that saw David as the next king, when by worldly line of succession, royalty should have been his, Jonathan was a friend who said to him,’I am there, and God is there with us, and He will supply our needs’. He encouraged David in the Lord. And it is what is the distinguishing feature of a godly friendship.
Even in a time of sickness , you need a friend who can pray with you, standing on the Name of Jesus, the Lord who has suffered and died on the Cross, that you may be healed by His Stripes. For even when you were sinking deep in the miry waters of sin, and no one but Christ could help you, it was His love that lifted you up. But to behave as Jonathan did, would be difficult or maybe even impossible, as it would be going against the grain, when it comes to natural human behavior. And born with a nature that is innately selfish, it is easier to weep with those who weep, than rejoice with those who rejoice! But it is what a godly friendship can do in your life.
For, material possessions, position and worldly power can come and go in your life, but a godly character is what is more valuable and important, a precious possession. And may the Lord bring a godly friendship in your life that will be a blessing, and may you by the work of His grace in you, be a godly friend in a person’s life, even as Jonathan was to David. It was also a covenant friendship that they chose to enter into, acknowledging the presence of the Lord Almighty, as it’s ratifying Head. And though the setting and the nature of it’s partakers maybe very different, friendship and companionship is the enrichment that God has ordained to be a part of the marriage relationship between a man and the wife of his youth.
There was just one witness, God the Father, to the very first marriage, when seeing that it was not good for man to be alone, He fashioned Eve out of Adam’s side to be his suitable help meet, companion, and wife by covenant, to be his friend, partner and joint heir. [Genesis 2:18-25] The garden wedding was the incomparable destination wedding! But, there can always be a flip side to it in a world steeped in sin, Yet you say, ‘For what reason?’ For the Lord has been witness, Between you and the wife of your youth, With whom you have dealt treacherously, Yet she is your companion, And your wife by covenant. [Malachi 2:14]
But when God is not at the head and center of it all, and selfish and ungodly principles reign in it instead, it can become a relationship that is toxic and abusive and riddled with problems. It was not the original purpose of God though. And it is He who can understand, as no one else can, to unravel the wrong, by establishing the truth, the place of godly friendship and companionship in the intimacy of a marriage relationship, that cannot and ought not to be found anywhere else. There can be no dissection between wife and friend, for God brings the right person in your life, to complement you in fulfilling God’s vision for your life in companionship and partnership with you as your wife and friend. And honoring her is the command of God that is not burdensome, as you accord her the position in your life that she rightly deserves, being heirs together of the grace of life, that your prayers may not be hindered. [1 Peter 3:7]
Even though life’s journey could be full of twists and turns that end up surprising and in many cases disappointing you, nothing comes as a surprise to God who knows you and I inside out. The possibility of love growing cold therefore, is the warning that comes from the scriptures, that also gives it’s antidote, for His love lifts you up, to bring restoration. The passage of time, and the varying circumstances of life can all sometimes lead you to a place of coldness and social distancing that is not for your good, and is not from God. And it can hurt most deeply when it happens in the place where it is needed the most, in a marriage relationship where two become one, in an atmosphere of godly friendship and trust.
But, you have a Father, who knows your every need, a God who never gives up on you. The Lord knows and understands your human frailty, to draw you back with bands of love, speaking to you through His word to lead and empower you in the path of restoration.
To remember, repent and do the things that you first took care to do in your family relationship, especially with your spouse, by investing your time and attention as you did in the beginning, is what can refuel the love that could be growing cold. [Revelation 2:4,5] And sometimes in life, the desert place or the times of hardship, could have been where love flourished, at the human level, as well as in your love towards God, to slowly begin to disintegrate in times of plenty, in the land of milk and honey. [Jeremiah 2:2] To return to the place of your first love, is the Lord’s loving call that comes to you this day, so that every broken relationship, may be repaired and restored.
And when only pain or emptiness is the story of your past, and there is nothing to return to, you still have the greatest friend of all, Lord Jesus. In prayer and sweet fellowship with Him you will certainly find restoration that is abundant, in your future. He calls you His friend now, with the accompanying privilege of knowing His thoughts, the outworking of His plans, that He will no longer hide from you. But being a friend of God involves an awesome responsibility.
It is, so that His word to you, will flow through you to your descendants,the generations that come after you. It was the Lord Almighty’s wondrous promise to Abraham, of friendship that involved also a responsibility, of being a channel of His word, to the coming generations. [Genesis 18:17-19] But a labour in the Lord is never in vain. For it continued to bear fruit hundreds of years later, when there was a reciprocation from God. And it is the powerful truth that becomes your portion because a faithful God calls you His friend.
Hundreds of years later God gave through the prophet Isaiah, the assurance of His help to His people, the descendants of Abraham, for it was what He had revealed all those years ago to Abraham, His friend. And it comes to you this day, for you are a descendant of Abraham, by your faith in the God of Abraham through His Son Jesus Christ, Fear not for I am with you; Be not dismayed, for I am your God; Yes, I will strengthen you, I will help you; I will uphold you with My righteous right hand. [Isaiah 41:10]
And as a parent when you receive this promise, and the Savior calls you His friend, you can rest assured that generations down the line, your descendants too will know His help, to be upheld by God’s righteous right hand. Indeed you have a wonderful friend; His Name is Jesus. And in friendship, as you walk closely with Him, may enrichment come in every relationship that is yours in life. And, He is a friend so faithful, that you can take your every need to Him in prayer.
Therefore, as we lift up your hands in grateful thanksgiving, unto the Father, for His faithfulness in our lives, may we be inspired by His goodness, so that it’s overflow will bring the comfort of godly friendship in the relationships ordained by God, that are valuable and precious in our lives. In the Name of Christ Jesus Amen.
