the friendship test

We generally carry a lofty..exalted..view of the Lord.  Of course this is appropriate.  He is the one true God who has made all that we see, including our own lives.  He is great and He is all powerful and He is present everywhere.  Sometimes I think that it is easier to see this side of God than the more personal side.  Most of us have, or have had, close friendships with different ones throughout our lives.  There were a few friends to play with in the early years and a few friends to have adventures with in the adolescent years and a few friends to enjoy adult activities with later on.  Many of us have been blessed with a special kind of friend, called a spouse, to walk through the greatest of joys and challenges together.  We have especially appreciated those rare friends we feel free to come to in the dark times of despair, discouragement, and defeat.

But it occurs to me that, until our Lord has become this kind of friend, we have not found the kind of relationship He wants to have with us.  And so I thought of "the friendship test".  We can test the nature of our relationship to the Lord by asking ourselves if we have a friendship with Him that is as close as our human friendships.  Do we include Him like we include our friends?  Do we talk to Him as often, or as deeply, as we do with our best friends?  Do we laugh with Him and smile with Him to share the humor of life?

If we don't have a friendship with God that is as personal and real as our human friendships...what kind of relationship with God do we have?  I believe that we have been redeemed and restored so that we can enjoy and experience a friendship with the King that we adore.  He is the Great One and yet He longs to be our friend.

Exodus 33:¹⁰ Whenever the people saw the pillar of cloud standing at the entrance to the tent, they all stood and worshiped, each at the entrance to their tent. ¹¹ The LORD would speak to Moses face to face, as one speaks to a friend.

blessings to other friends,

Rob Smith