“Greater love has no one than this, that he lay down his life for his friends. You are my friends....” (John 15:13)
How amazing that the Lord of Lords and King of Kings, the very Son of God, is willing to be our friend.
Our Savior and Redeemer wants to be our friend. Our friend, who loved us so much that He died for us. Our friend who wants us to live in a personal love relationship with Him today, a relationship that His sacrifice made possible. Jesus described that relationship when He pictured Himself as a vine and Hs disciples as branches—it is to be an abiding intimacy.
Jesus lives with us today, willing to be our friend, but we must do our part. We can't be a friend to anyone we don’t know. Nor can we maintain a friendship without effort—spending time and energy. To be His friend, to know Him, we must invest time in His Word and in prayer. Think what we're missing if we don’t.
Lord Jesus, You are our Friend, our high and holy Friend. Help us to never take You for granted, for we ask in Your name. Amen.
The holidays are nearly here. For many people, perhaps the thought of gathering with family isn’t filled with anticipation but hesitance. Maybe there is a feeling of anxiety or sadness. The truth is that not all families have holidays gatherings that are perfect and filled with joy. We have a few suggestions that we believe will help because we believe that nothing is impossible with God!
When I put myself – my worries, my troubles, my identity, my this and my that – at the forefront of my mind, I was met with more confusion, more frustration, more torment. I was in my own mind’s maze, encaged and lost. Instead, when I set my mind on Jesus – the Way, the Truth and the Life – I was met with “the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding.”