S8E12 – Jesus As Friend

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Jesus is our Savior, Healer, and Friend. He alone can restore the access of honor we need to reconnect with Creator God. Let’s follow part of this thread!

“This is My commandment, that you love one another, just as I have loved you. Greater love has no one than this, that one lay down his life for his friends. You are My friends if you do what I command you. No longer do I call you slaves, for the slave does not know what his master is doing; but I have called you friends, for all things that I have heard from My Father I have made known to you. You did not choose Me but I chose you, and appointed you that you would go and bear fruit, and that your fruit would remain, so that whatever you ask of the Father in My name He may give to you. This I command you, that you love one another.” John 15:12-17

I can remember a few songs from my childhood as a little Lutheran (confirmed by the skin of my teeth). This one always stuck. Carrying weights. Bringing hope. Giving peace.

“What a friend we have in Jesus. All our sins and griefs to bear. What a privilege to carry, everything to God in prayer. O what peace we often forfeit. O what needless pain we bear. All because we do not carry. Everything to God in prayer”

“Have we trials and temptations? Is there trouble anywhere? We should never be discouraged – Take it to the Lord in prayer. Can we find a friend so faithful – Who will all our sorrows share? Jesus knows our every weakness – Take it to the Lord in prayer”

“Are we weak and heavy-laden, ‘Cumbered with a load of care? Precious Savior, still our refuge — Take it to the Lord in prayer. Do thy friends despise, forsake thee? Take it to the Lord in prayer. In His arms He’ll take and shield thee, Thou wilt find a solace there”

Despite the thou’s and thee’s I find this song to have spiritual meaning to me. In my life I have learned to talk to God about everything, even though this has been an unfolding learning process. I am so glad He has plenty of time on His hands 🙂 Perhaps one goals of life is cultivating a reflective journey where we have learned to give our “trials, temptations, and troubles” to the One who sees us.

I am counting on my friendship with Jesus. This is why I try to “do what He tells me to do.” It is so cool that I am not on a journey of perfection but one of humility. This is the story process of every character in the Bible, including Jesus:

“In the days of His flesh, He offered up both prayers and supplications with loud crying and tears to the One able to save Him from death, and He was heard because of His reverent submission.” Hebrews 5:7

A crashing note: “You adulteresses, do you not know that friendship with the world is hostility toward God? Therefore whoever wishes to be a friend of the world makes himself an enemy of God.” James 4:4

√ How is your Jesus friendship?
√ In what ways does it eclipse friendship with the world?
√ How have you been able to share your weights with Jesus?
√ In what ways would you say you have an honorable friendship with Him?

A final thought from Matthew 11: “Come to Me, all who are weary and heavy-laden, and I will give you rest. Take My yoke upon you and learn from Me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For My yoke is easy and My burden is light.”

Peace with our Friend, friend!
Dave and Burnadette

More:
Kingdom Friends
A Friendship Heart