Friendship With Our Father预览

 Day 1: I've Called You Friends

One of Abraham's attributes worth admiring is that he was called by God as His friend. 

• “Thou, Israel, art my servant, Jacob whom I have chosen, the seed of Abraham my friend.” (Isaiah 41:8 KJV)

One of the greatest privileges our Father can give us, His children, is His friendship. A friendship develops through trust, humility, transparency, loyalty, and common interests. There are many who are called, but few are chosen; there are many people who choose to serve and seek God, but only a few manage to have a friendship with Him.

The Bible shows us there are different levels of relationship we can have with our Father. We can go to church for a lifetime and never know God (Matthew 7:21–23) or, on the other hand, we can develop a relationship with our Father that’s as strong as that of Moses, who spoke to Him face-to-face as one who talks to a friend (Exodus 33:11). When Jesus, Himself, was on earth He had many followers, but there were few Jesus came to call friends.

In John 15:14–15, Jesus mentioned two characteristics of those who are His friends:

1. They hear and know the voice of the Father: When we invest time in someone, over time we will learn to differentiate that person's voice from other voices. I have very good friends who can call me from an unknown phone number and in fewer than one minute, I can recognize their voice. Why does this happen? I've spent enough time with them to recognize their voice. The same goes for God: in order to hear God's voice you have to spend time with Him. When you spend time with Him you are not only able to hear His voice, you also learn to recognize it. If you want to listen to God you must cry out to Him and spend time with Him. One promise God gave us is that He will answer whoever calls Him (Jeremiah 33:3).
2. They do as He commands them: God's friends are known in part for their acts of obedience. Abraham obeyed God by giving up his son; Moses obeyed God and appeared before Pharaoh and took the people of Israel out of slavery, just as God had ordered him. It is important to hear God's voice, but it is just as important to obey it. James 1:22–25 says those who are not only hearers but also doers of the Word are blessed. The Bible is filled with many commands from God: to love, to forgive, to honor, to seek God with all your heart, to love your neighbor, and many more.

Desiring to be a friend to God is something not everyone thinks of. If you want to be friends with God, you must not only want to do it but also act to make that happen.

Meditation

• Is being a friend of God a priority in your life?
• How much time do you spend in your relationship with God (only you and Him)?
• Are you good at hearing and obeying the Father?

Prayer

Father, my yearning is to become Your friend. Help me hear Your voice and obey You. Help me spend more time in Your presence so I can develop a strong friendship with You.