He is my friend

 Do you have a friend?  Do you know the friend Jesus? Every person tends to have a friend in life and those who lack friends in their lives are considered to be less fortunate in the society or even in the assembly of brethren because the friendship is tagged to a given value or price in life. When people come together to make friends they are aiming at a given objective or goal to achieve.

I want us to look unto Jesus Christ as a friend but before that let us learn some types of friends/friendship. We have different kinds or types of friendships in our daily encounters in life as we interact with people. The following are some of just example that we find in the bible: -

1.      Covenantal friends or friendship

This is the type where the two or more come together and binds themselves in a covenant of friendship. The aim here is to protect one another from the danger of life and to grant everyone safety.

A good example of this from the bible is David and Jonathan and we shall read from the book of 1 Samuel 18:1-5.

1Sa 18:1 And it came to pass, when he had made an end of speaking unto Saul, that the soul of Jonathan was knit with the soul of David, and Jonathan loved him as his own soul. 

1Sa 18:2 And Saul took him that day, and would let him go no more home to his father's house. 

1Sa 18:3 Then Jonathan and David made a covenant, because he loved him as his own soul. 

1Sa 18:4 And Jonathan stripped himself of the robe that was upon him, and gave it to David, and his garments, even to his sword, and to his bow, and to his girdle. 

1Sa 18:5 And David went out whithersoever Saul sent him, and behaved himself wisely: and Saul set him over the men of war, and he was accepted in the sight of all the people, and also in the sight of Saul's servants. (Kjv)

The bible states that after David had made the end of talking with Saul that David’s soul was knit to that of Jonathan and in verse 3 we find the three making a covenant to love and protect each other. This friendship takes a lot of sacrifices that one can even become disloyal to the parents to just protect a friend.

2.      Seasoned friend or friendship

This is specifically for a short time between the two people. It is developed when one is in an urgent need. Once the need is satisfied it does not last any longer. These kinds of friends are brought by God in our lives for a season and God gives them a burden to help just in that season of need and thereafter they vanish from you even when you do not wrong them.

3.      Jesus’ friendship

This the best friendship and the is no other friendship than this. Jesus tells us that he does not consider us to be his servants but we are his friends. He says that the servant does not know what the master is doing but what he got from the Father he has made known unto us through his love for us. He offers his life to die for us because only a loving friend like him can be doing for a friend whom he/she loves.

(Joh 15:12) This is my commandment, That ye love one another, as I have loved you.

(Joh 15:13) Greater love hath no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends.

(Joh 15:14) Ye are my friends, if ye do whatsoever I command you.

(Joh 15:15) Henceforth I call you not servants; for the servant knoweth not what his lord doeth: but I have called you friends; for all things that I have heard of my Father I have made known unto you.

 

The list of friendship is so long as God gives you revelation from His word but I want you to consider the friendship of Jesus Christ in your life. Ask yourself the following questions in your life: -

·         Do you have Jesus as your friend?

·         Has he saved you or is Jesus your Lord and savior?

·         How do you grow in His love and friendship?

If you cannot answer any of the questions above, then you need to build your friendship in him and allow him to rule your life.

I know that friends at times do wrong their friends and destroy the friendship and there we need to pray and ask God to help us from any faults we have done to our friends.

 

Prayer:

Lord have mercy on me and forgive me for doing wrong to my friends and help me to dwell in your friendship in Jesus name. Amen