Devotion: A Perfect Friend

Jesus told us, “As the Father hath loved me, so have I loved you: continue ye in my love.  If ye keep my commandments, ye shall abide in my love; even as I have kept my Father's commandments, and abide in his love.  These things have I spoken unto you, that my joy might remain in you, and that your joy might be full.  This is my commandment, That ye love one another, as I have loved you.  Greater love hath no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends.  Ye are my friends, if ye do whatsoever I command you.  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” (John 15:9-15).

Did you notice that Jesus said we are his friends?  That’s right, Jesus called us his friends, but there appears to be a qualifier to us being called his friends.  A“qualifier” is “something that has the ability to restrict, limit, alter, or modify the meaning of something else.”  Imagine that, something in the word of God that actually restricts, limits, alters, or modifies the meaning of those who are called Jesus’ friends.  For us, that qualifier says, “Ye are my friends, if ye do whatsoever I command you” (John 15:14).  To be Jesus’ friend, we must do all that he has commanded of us, that by keeping his commandments, we will continually be in his love just as he was in the Father’s love because he kept the Father’s commandments.

Today’s inspirational message is about having “a perfect friend” and the only one to fit the bill is Jesus.  He wants to be your friend and now you know what you have to do to be his friend.

“There are friends who pretend to be friends, but there is a friend who sticks closer than a brother” (Proverbs 18:24 RSV).

As always, will bless you, inform you, and that you will be the better for having read it.  If blessed by this message please share so that others may be blessed as well.  Amen.

Enjoy your blessings - KW