The older I get the more I appreciate true friendship. You know the life-long kind. Those are the ones that are like pure gold.
A few days back I asked you to tell me how you define friendship. Here are some of the answers I received:
“I was just going to say Trust, Support (or in today’s vernacular – someone who “gets me”), it’s the personal connection that happens naturally but requires thoughtful effort to reinforce and maintain.“
“ being able to share my heart without being judged, someone who can laugh with me and not at me, someone who is not quick to give advice but instead steers me back to the Lord for guidance, someone I can be myself with – loves me unconditionally, someone who holds me accountable when necessary, and last but probably most important is someone who prays God’s best for me.“
“To me it’s someone who knows everything about you and accepts you in spite of it, or maybe because of it. They don’t use things against you. Someone you can feel 100% safe with, they never judge or look down on you. Someone who you may talk to everyday and share everything with, but can also be someone you only talk to a few times a year, but know, they are there when/if you need them and they know you are there for them. A true friend is ok with you having other people in your life, because they know your relationship is real. I heard the song How Jesus Does by Eric Church and thought of my best friend right away. Because to me that’s friendship, true, pure, honest love.”
If you’re like me, you found yourself nodding your head as you were reading those and saying “that’s it, that’s what I feel about friendship”.
I’m not sure how long it’s going to take but for the next week or so we will be going through the Bible looking at examples of those who were friends with God.
We’ve already seen that God is willfully shameless in expressing His love for us. This was His plan from the very beginning.
“God said, “Now we will make humans, and they will be like us. We will let them rule the fish, the birds, and all other living creatures.” 27 So God created humans to be like himself; he made men and women. 28 God gave them his blessing and said: Have a lot of children! Fill the earth with people and bring it under your control. Rule over the fish in the ocean, the birds in the sky, and every animal on the earth.” Genesis 1:26-28 CEV
God had created all the animals, fish, birds, plants and trees but something was missing. He wanted someone like Him so he created mankind.
Was God’s purpose in creating man to have a gardener or grounds keeper for Eden? No. God wanted man created in His image so He would have someone to have communication with. He wanted someone to talk to and to share with.
After Adam and Eve sinned God came to walk with them in the cool of the evening. It is implied that He had been coming each day about that time. They knew it was God. This was not the first time it had happened.
In fact, Adam and Eve had received instruction from God on naming the animals and even that there was one tree in the garden that they shouldn’t eat from.
“During the cool part of the day, the Lord God was walking in the garden. The man and the woman heard him, and they hid among the trees in the garden. 9 The Lord God called to the man and said, “Where are you?”
10 The man said, “I heard you walking in the garden, and I was afraid. I was naked, so I hid.”
11 God said to the man, “Who told you that you were naked? Did you eat fruit from that special tree? I told you not to eat from that tree!” Genesis 3:8-11 ERV
Even after they were removed from the garden the Lord still came to talk with them and with their children.
“Then the Lord said to Cain, “Why are you angry? And why are you looking down? 7 Will not your face be happy if you do well? If you do not do well, sin is waiting to destroy you. Its desire is to rule over you, but you must rule over it.” Genesis 4:7 NLV
Do you see what the Lord said to Cain? Why are you looking down? Remember our teaching on being ashamed. Cain was ashamed of his offering. God told Cain that he had the ability to rule over sin. God was trying to get him to look up and ask for help.
“God created men and women to be like himself. He gave them his blessing and called them human beings. ” Genesis 5:1-2 CEV
Isn’t that just like a Father? He wants His children (us) to be like Him and He wants our lives to be filled with blessings.
From the very beginning God’s plan was a plan of blessing!
