For the last almost two weeks I have been down with the flu. It’s been rough, still have this horrible cough, but I feel better. It’s put me out of commission, and I haven’t been able to get to church or be on the Worship Team because of it. What has been nice is hearing from church friends who have inquired on how I was doing, saying they missed me and were hoping to see me soon. I have been one who hasn’t had a lot of close friends, in fact, I have only one best friend besides my sister, and she’s been a friend since we were kids. I have never seemed to be able to be the popular one who had a lot of friends gathered around. In today’s Bible Journaling, we find out that we have One who is our Friend, and He never leaves us. In John 15:15 we read, “I do not call you servants anymore, because a servant doesn’t know what his master is doing. I have called you friends, because I have made known to you everything I have heard from my Father.” (CSB)
As I was working on my Bible Journaling page, I thought back over the friendship I have with my best friend. We have done some neat and some silly things in the past. Once we both got married, we kind of lost touch with each other, but every time we got together, it was like we had never been apart. We just picked up where we left off. When she came to visit me when I lived in Montana, I remember being so excited that she was coming, and when she showed up at my work, I jumped up from my desk and threw my arms around her and gave her a big hug, and tears came to her eyes. I was a little surprised I guess, but I felt the same way. It had been so long since I had seen her, I was just over the top with excitement. Last year we went to Wisconsin and visited her and her hubby, and we had a blast! That friendship has lasted for 60 years and is still so special.
It is so awesome having a close friend like that. They know you inside and out and accept you with all your frailty, bumps, bruises, and missteps. Did you know, Jesus is just like that? Proverbs 18:24 tells us that God is a friend who sticks closer than a brother. He never leaves or forsakes, (Hebrews 13:5), He puts us in His inner circle! We matter to Him! Isaiah 43:1 says, “But now, this is what the Lord says – he who created you, Jacob, he who formed you, Israel: ‘Do not fear, for I have redeemed you; I have summoned you by name; you are mine.’” (NIV)
I love how He listens to me, no matter if I’m complaining about circumstances, or if I’m singing to the top of my lungs! He cries over my hurts, He rejoices over my victories, He guides me when I go astray, He holds me accountable when I mess up, He doesn’t judge, and still, through it all, He loves me and calls me “Friend.” He never fails, He doesn’t desert me when I’m going through a rough road, He wraps me up in His arms and comforts me when life is just too much. These are the marks of a true friend.
For those who don’t know what it is like to have Jesus as their friend, it’s very simple. Jesus is calling us to friendship. Revelation 3:20 says, “Behold, I stand at the door, and knock: if any man hear my voice, and open the door, I will come in to him, and will sup with him, and he with me.” (KJV) When we ask Jesus to come into our hearts, forgive us of our sins, and accept His free gift of salvation, we become a friend of His. He comes to live inside of us to be our Lord, Master, Savior, and Friend! We then begin a life journey with our Best Friend. I often have said that since becoming a Believer, life has been an adventure! Jesus has taken me places I never dreamed I would be. He always has the best in mind for me, and if you ask Him to, He will forgive you of your sins, make you one of His, be your Best Friend, and show you His best for you.
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