As I write this on the eve of Christmas Eve, I remember my childhood dog. I also had her when I was an adult. One night — on the eve of Christmas Eve — my dog was let outside, as usual, but she never came back. She had always come back before. Why didn’t she come back this time?
Did someone steal her? Did she go into the woods to die? She was getting quite old. No one knows. It’s a mystery to this day. But I’m sure God knows.
It was very difficult to lose my childhood dog, especially without ever knowing what happened to her. I was very sad.
They say that a dog is man’s best friend. Even though having a dog can be wonderful, and losing a dog can be horrible, we need to know who it is that can truly be our best friend.
It’s Jesus! Jesus Christ came into the flesh (born of a virgin) to become our Savior and our best friend.
I’m recalling the lyrics to a Christian song called, “Friend of God” by the artist Israel Houghton. Part of the song goes like this:
“Who I am that you are mindful of me? That you hear me when I call. Is it true that you are thinking of me? How you love me. It’s amazing. I am a friend of God. You call me friend.”
Considering just how much God loves us, His desire is for us to be His friend — His best friend.
We all want to be close to someone. We all want to be loved. We all want a best friend. These are normal human desires.
Yet, “Greater love hath no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends. You are my friends, if you do whatsoever I command you.” (John 15:13-14)
Jesus Christ tells us in this scripture that He died for us and provides us with forgiveness of our sins. He is our friend. He wants us to do His will.
In the Bible it says that: “…there is a real friend who sticks closer than a brother.” (Proverbs 18:24 — NLT)
This is our best friend who is “the way, the truth, and the life” — Jesus Christ, our Savior!
“The Lord is a friend to those who fear him. He teaches them his covenant.” (Psalm 25:14 — NLT)
“… the Scripture was fulfilled which says, ‘Abraham believed God, and it was accounted to him for righteousness.’ And he was called the friend of God.” (James 2:23 — NKJV)
“And the Lord said, ‘Shall I hide from Abraham that thing which I do.’ ” (Genesis 18:17).
Of course not. Instead God made Abraham “the father of many nations.”
A Christian man by the name of Henry Walker states: “Friends confide in one another. Abraham was called God’s ‘friend’.” (See Isaiah 41:8 and James 2:23).
Walker adds, “Now, because of Jesus’ atonement [for our sins], we are called friends of God. Jesus was crucified so that the blessing of Abraham, part of which was friendship with God, would come upon [us]:
So “That we might receive the promise of the Holy Spirit through faith.” (Galatians 3:14).
Another man who was greatly blessed by God, and who was also a close friend was Solomon.
In a commentary by Charles Spurgeon, it is written that when Solomon refers to “his friend” in scripture, he means “the Most High, the secret dwelling-place of God, in the person of Jesus, the Son of God, the Friend of sinners.”
Is Jesus your friend? He can be your best friend. He wants to be your friend and your Savior. I pray you will open your heart to Him today.
Until we virtually meet again, may God call you to Himself.
God’s Word for Today: “I no longer call you servants, because a servant does not know his master’s business. Instead, I have called you friends [Jesus said].” (John 15:15)
Copyright © 2013 by Patricia Shehan
