A man who has friends must himself be friendly,
But there is a friend who sticks closer than a brother.—Proverbs 18:24
I don’t know about you, but one of the things this pandemic has shown me is that my mind likes to race and go on trips without my consent. The older I get, it seems, the more likely it is to race past the moment and into the future. Maybe it’s because I feel less capable of handling a crisis in my age weakened state and am attempting to compensate by thinking on all the combinations and permutations of what might occur in a given situation so I can be ready for anything.
Now in my heart of hearts, I know that my God is in control, and that all of this is just useless wrangling on my part to “feel” like I have got “this”...whatever “this” may be. The truth is, I don’t have this. The truth is that this kind of “thinking” is wearying, tiring and absolutely useless. The past is gone and the future is not mine...the moment is. How much better to use my mind to think on things that are eternal...to set my mind, as the Scriptures tell me, on things above.
Today, by His Spirit, I will do this. I will think on what it means to have Jesus as my friend....the Friend who sticks closer than a brother and loves me at ALL times. The LORD is my Shepherd and my Friend. I have everything I need. No matter what I might face here, He will be with me and He will never change. My God is the same yesterday, today and forever. The Creator and Sustainer of the Universe hears my voice and desires to have fellowship with ME! He wants me to pour out my heart to Him. My God is my refuge...my strong tower...my “go-to”....MY FRIEND!! Scripture tells me that my Jesus loves me to the end of perfection and that I am His friend because I do whatever He commands.
Oh, Father help me to do Your will here on this earth. For Your sake, help me to be the kind of friend to others that You are to me.
I CAN rejoice always, pray without ceasing and give thanks in everything BECAUSE the God who made the heavens, the earth and all that is in them is my friend. He is for me and on my side. He will NEVER forsake those who love Him and place their trust in Him.
Now before the Feast of the Passover, when Jesus knew that His hour had come that He should depart from this world to the Father, having loved His own who were in the world, He loved them to the end.—John 13:1
You are My friends if you do whatever I command you. 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.—John 15:14-15
