May 1, 2018
Every human being is created with an innate desire for friendship with others. Having a connection with someone who appreciates us and is glad to see us or hear from us is very important. Lacking that, we may feel alone, abandoned, and even hopeless. Life entirely on our own is very hard.
This need is why wise King Solomon wrote, “A friend loves at all times, and a brother is born for adversity.”1 In Proverbs 18:24 he also wrote that there is a “friend who sticks closer than a brother.”
Human friendships are vital and can be a wonderful part of our lives. But where can we turn when people let us down?
There is a Friend who will never let you down and never betray the secrets of your heart. There is a Friend who will always be there for you tomorrow in spite of your imperfections and who is always willing to help in your times of need.
You can read about this Friend in John 15:13–14: “Greater love has no one than this, than to lay down one’s life for his friends. You are My friends if you do whatever I command you.”
Jesus Christ, the Messiah and soon-to-return King of kings, is the perfect Friend!—Graemme Marshall2
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A rule I have had for years is to treat the Lord Jesus Christ as a personal friend. His is not a creed, a mere doctrine, but it is He Himself we have.—Dwight L. Moody
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[God] has said, “I will never leave you nor forsake you.”—Hebrews 13:5
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It’s great to have really close friends you can trust with just about anything, isn’t it? … But the most amazing “friend” you and I have is God Himself. In John 15:15, Jesus makes an incredible statement when He says, “No longer do I call you servants, for the servant does not know what his master is doing; but I have called you friends, for all that I have heard from my Father I have made known to you.”
Now, one of the best definitions of the word “friend” I’ve ever heard is “a person who comes in when the world goes out.” And that’s a pretty good summary of today’s verse.
God is the truest of all friends … One who is always there and, no matter the circumstance, will NEVER forsake you. He will support you and love you absolutely unconditionally.
Jesus Christ is indeed your greatest and dearest Friend. And like any friend, I trust you speak with Him daily and love Him completely.
Jesus Christ is the truest of all friends!—Jack Graham
Often I find that people being people don’t reach my expectations. They fall short. But the amazing thing is that we have a friend in Jesus, and He will never disappoint.
1. He is there for me when no one else is or when no one else can be. When I am afraid or embarrassed to tell someone about my problems, He already knows. So talking with Him about them is pretty easy, plus He will always know a solution.
2. He loves me unconditionally and eternally. No matter what I do, He loves me because He is the only one who can love perfectly, since He is a perfect God. He will always love me.
3. He will never see me differently. No matter how many times I mess up, He never dwells on my sins that I commit. He sees His holiness within me, because He died to cleanse me. He makes me beautiful.
4. He will always forgive me. He is faithful to forgive if I confess, and He will always try to help me not to make the same mistake again, because His strength is made perfect in my weakness.3
5. He never leaves my side. Even when I abandon Him, He still is [with] me. …
6. He always wants to talk to me or hang out with me. He died on the cross so that He could do this, and He genuinely cherishes all the time that we get to share together.
7. He handles all my problems, and helps me to not get weary of this world. If I come to Him with my problems, He restores me and gives me rest so that I can continue on in freedom.4
8. He gives me endless comfort. He gives me subtle reminders that I am not in control, so I never have to worry about being in control, because He always has me and He always has a plan.5
9. I know that I can trust in Him. He has never failed me. If I need Him, He is there. He has never, and never will, lie to me, and all His promises are true.
10. He is always there to listen when I just need to talk. I can pray to Him and He will listen no matter what the topic is. He just wants to be with me and hear from me.
11. He never changes, and He is perfect. No matter how much time passes, He was, and is still, the same perfect God.—Dani Stafford6
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I came into the world and joined My earthly parents in difficult conditions: I was born in a barn,7 I fled for My life soon afterwards,8 and then finally settled down to a somewhat ordinary life—at least until I was older.
I am the Son of God, but I started out in humble conditions, and experienced many of the things that you experience in the earth life, so that I could understand you as only someone who had “been there and done that” could.
Don’t think of Me as someone who is unreachable, floating high up on a cloud. Think of Me as a friend, one you can call by My name “Jesus.” Then talk to Me as you would talk to one of your friends.
I want to be your best friend. I want to enjoy the good times with you. And when life is difficult, I want to listen to you talk about it and help you find solutions.
I promise that I’ll be a friend you can always count on!—Jesus, speaking in prophecy
Published on Anchor May 2018. Read by Reuben Ruchevsky.
Music by Michael Dooley.
1 Proverbs 17:17.
2 https://lifehopeandtruth.com/relationships/friendship/your-best-friend.
3 1 John 1:9, 2 Corinthians 12:9.
4 Matthew 11:28.
5 Philippians 4:6–7.
6 https://www.theodysseyonline.com/why-jesus-is-my-best-friend.
7 Luke 2:7.
8 Matthew 2:13.
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