Psalm 25 v14

“The Lord is a friend to those who fear Him“

When Scripture says we should “Fear the Lord” it does not mean that we should run and hide because God is going to punish us, but rather that we should receive the gift of the Holy Spirit wherein we won’t want to offend God or be separated from him because we love him.

God longs to have a friendship with us, but He cannot compromise on holiness and obedience. These two things are very important to Him, and they can only be in your life when you have the “fear of God”. He is a holy God and deserves our full respect.

We can enjoy a very close and intimate relationship with Him when we follow His ways, when we please God in our daily lives. He will teach us about His covenant relationship with you so that you can honour it.

The word says we are friends of God – John 15:13-15

“Greater love has no-one than this, to lay down his life for his friends. You are my friends if you do what I command. 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”.

In Genesis 18 we read that as a friend of God Abraham was allowed to know the intimate plans of God and in James 2:21-24 it says,

“Was not our ancestor Abraham considered righteous for what he did when he offered his son Isaac on the altar? You see that his faith and his actions were working together, and his faith was made complete by what he did. And the scripture was fulfilled that says, “Abraham believed God, and it was credited to him as righteousness,” and he was called God’s friend. You see that a person is justified by what he does and not by faith alone.

So the word says we ARE friends of God and that means that God desires to have a deep relationship with each one of us – not a daily grind of servitude, but a relationship. Jesus has such a deep lo=ve for us that He laid down His life for us…His friends.

So hopefully now we are sure and confident that GOD IS OUR FRIEND!

BUT what kind of friend am I to God?

1.      Is God a mere acquaintance to us? I know lots of people that I call friends, but the truth is they are acquaintances, I don’t really KNOW them. I don’t spend time with them, I may not see them often. They’re out there on the fringe of my life. Is God an acquaintance to us?

2.      Am I just a friend in need? I’ve had people in my life who I thought were friends but they never contacted me unless they needed or wanted something from me. After that I wouldn’t hear from them again until the next time. Do I talk to God only when I’m in need?

3.      Am I a friend who says, “Ok I’ve got a few minutes spare, oh yeah I’ll give God a call”. Now there’s nothing wrong with 5 minutes with God….but is that all He ever gets?

4.      Am I a friend who regularly makes times to spend with God? Am I intentional about talking with Him, listening to Him, learning about Him? Do I have a relationship with Him?

So how do I get to know God and really be His friend?

Pray…talk to God!

1 Thessalonians 5:16 – 18

“Be joyful always; pray continually; give thanks in all circumstances, for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus.

We can be talking to God anytime, anywhere. But it also says in Matthew 6:6, “But when you pray, go into your room, close the door and pray to your Father, who is unseen. Then your Father, who sees what is done in secret, will reward you.” There is a time when we should stop everything and come to God. And the reason for praying is so you may get to know God better. Psalm 37:4 “Delight yourself also in the Lord, and He shall give you the desires of your heart” We should keep praying to get a perfect understanding of God Himself.

Read the Bible….get to know Him!

Psalm 119:105 says, “Your word is a lamp to my feet and a light for my path.”

Be obedient to God’s word. James 1:22 says, “Do not merely listen to the word, and so deceive yourselves. Do what it says.”

I don’t want us to beat ourselves up and feel overcome with guilt. Our God loves us and only wants the best for us, and He understands our struggles. We live in a very busy world today; I know how difficult it can be to find another piece of time for something else. It’s all about priorities.

One area I would just like to mention is this. I know how busy all you Mum’s out there are. I remember those times and I used to find it really difficult to get time for myself when I had children who depended on me. Remember you are doing probably the most important job in the world; you are raising your children! But as busy as you are you can still talk to God…over the washing up, doing the hovering, making the lunch boxes for next day….dare I say even in the loo! Sometimes it’s the only place you’re alone! And if you can’t sit down to read your Bible why not get the Bible on CD or on your iPod and have the Bible speak to you that way. You may not always be consciously listening to it, but it’s still going into your ears and down to your heart, you’d be surprised! God is our friend – are we being God’s friend?