FRIEND OF GOD!

Israel and New Breed gave us a worship song that was quite popular some years ago:

Who am I that You are mindful of me
That You hear me, when I call
Is it true that you are thinking of me
How You love me
It's amazing

I am a friend of God
I am a friend of God
I am a friend of God
He calls me friend

It was a great song and I always noticed that we sang it with great fervor!

Part of me almost hates bursting this bubble, but only one person in history was called the "friend of God", and that was Abraham.  

James 2:23 (RSV)

"Abraham believed God, and it was reckoned to him as righteousness"; and he was called the friend of God. 

Isaiah 41:8 (RSV)

But you, Israel, my servant, Jacob, whom I have chosen, the offspring of Abraham, my friend;

Abraham seems to have earned this special relationship with God through obedience:

1. When God told him to go to Canaan, he immediately left Ur and headed for Canaan.
2. When God told him he would be the father of a great nation, he believed God and waited twenty-five years for the birth of Isaac.
3. When God instructed him about circumcision, Abraham and all his house and servants were circumcised.
4. Later, when God asked him to sacrifice his only son, Isaac, Abraham raised the knife and was ready to obey.
5. The only time we see Abraham take advantage of this close relationship was when he bargained with the Lord over Sodom and Gomorrah (Genesis 18) - an act of compassion!

This should tell us that - if being a friend of God is possible - it will only come as a result of OBEDIENCE!  

Not OBSTINANCE!  

God seems drawn to a soft, directable heart!  Quick obedience!  

This truth implies something VERY IMPORTANT!

It implies that we have cultivated a life that hears and responds to God.  

Abraham was a sojourner.  He lived in tents and was on the move as a result of his flocks.  He lived in a simpler time with fewer distractions.  

The challenge for us - in the twenty-first century - is much greater!  Our distractions are many and significant!  Hearing God will take patience and determination!  Most of us believe that we would obey God - IF WE COULD HEAR HIM!  

Hearing Him seems to be the difficulty!  

I recently reflected on my own father in something I was writing.  He was not a paragon of perfection, but I observed three facts that I had personally observed:

1. He always read his Bible in the evenings.
2. He always knelt at his bed to pray before crawling into it.
3. He always prayed over his family when we got together!

He set a good example for us!

What are your non-negotiables when it comes to your relationship with God?  

What time have you set apart that is reserved for God to speak to you?

Have you determined to obey regardless of what He says to you?

Being a friend of God is a desirable prospect.  According to scripture, there's only one route that will get you there - and it's OBEDIENCE!