A Friend in God

Sometimes (ok, more often than sometimes) I believe, in the depths of my soul, to the very marrow of my being, that I am an unlovable person. This morning as I was pondering this and wondering why I feel this way, I wondered how I might, perhaps, change my way of thinking. This would probably be a good thing to change.

People, I can understand not loving me. They are people. People have to be taught how to love and still it seems hard for some. We give love conditionally and that makes it not safe. God, however, must be different. His very nature, according to John, is love: (1 John 4:8). I understood this growing up as a child. I knew God is love. But God loved cities and nations. He loved the Israelites. Jesus loved Jerusalem. He so loved the world. Somewhere in there, I missed the individual people part. Yes, I sang "Jesus loves me this I know, for the Bible tells me so" but there was something in my little one heart that didn't really believe it. So I decided to look in the Bible and see where it tells me so.

Although 1 John seemed like a good place to start, I wanted to start closer to the beginning. Proverbs 17:17 tells me that a friend loves at all times. So a true friend is what I need. In Psalm 34:15, I am told that God keeps an eye on his friends, that his ears pick up at every moan and groan of his friends. In Psalm 37:28 I am assured that God never turns from His friends. So if I could have a friend who loved at all times, God would be a good one; I would be listened to, watched over and never left alone. This would be exactly where I would want to be. But does God still have human friends? I know, He used to.

Jehosphat called Abraham God's friend in 2 Chronicles 20:7 and I can believe this is true when reading God's covenant blessing on Abram:

I will make you into a great nation and I will bless you; I will make your name great and you will be a blessing. I will bless those who bless you and whoever curses you I will curse; and all peoples on earth will be blessed through you (Genesis 12:2-3)

Yes, these sound like the words of a true friend. God has another friend in the Old Testement. He says it with His own mouth so I definitely believe it is true. He says, "have you noticed my friend, Job?" (Job 2:3 the Message). Job recognizes that God is his friend in Job 29:4 when he says that God's friendship blessed his house. Ok. So people can be God's friend- you don't have to be a whole nation or a world to be loved by God.

But somehow I have problems putting myself in the same category as people as wonderful and well known as Job and Abraham! Lord, help my unbelief! So on to the new testament. Jesus had friends. We know he hand picked 12 very good friends. He loved his friends. It says so in John 11:5 "Jesus loved Martha and her sister and Lazarus". So you didn't have to be one of the disciples for him to love you. And it wasn't based on their behavior either. Jesus even loved people who had a hard time doing what He asked. In Mark 10:20-22, Jesus loved the man who couldn't sell all he had and follow him. So Jesus can love people, even when their behavior doesn't demonstrate that He is first in their lives! Job had a wise young friend named Elihu who reminded Job that God is not dependent on our behavior. Our behavior does not change who God is or his affections (Job 35:7-8). Could this mean that God could still love us, despite our unlovableness?

I want to be God's friend. I want to be certain of His love for me. Jesus said in John 15:13 that "greater love has no one than this, that he lay down his life for his friends". I don't believe that Jesus laid down his life for only Peter, John, Andrew and the rest of the 12. Even if you add in Martha, Mary and Lazarus, I think he died for more. He says in John 15:15 "I no longer call you servants, because a servant does not know his master's business. Instead, I have called you friends, for everything that I learned from my Father I have made known to you." I have His word. I know His business. I am called His friend. "As the Father has loved me, so have I loved you. Now remain in my love." (John 15:9).

To be Jesus' intimate friend. The thought stirs my soul and quickens my heart. Something inside of me knows this is true. God is my friend. And a friend loves at all times. And there is no greater love demonstrated than when a friend dies for His friend...and that's just what my friend did...He died for me...(and Peter, and Andrew, and John, Lazarus, Martha, Mary....and you).

1 John 4:10
This is love: not that we loved God, but that he loved us and sent his Son as an atoning sacrifice for our sins