What a Friend we Have in Jesus
What a Friend We Have in Jesus
You were created to have a relationship – a friendship – with God. The gospel calls us to trust Jesus as our Savior, surrender to Him as our King, and to value Him as our treasure. He is the Rock of our Salvation, the King of Kings and as Paul tells us in Philippians, nothing compares to knowing Him. God did not give His only begotten Son so that we could know all about Him. He sent Him so that we could know Him intimately. Jesus can be our Savior, our King and our Friend.
So how do we cultivate a friendship with Jesus?
First, consider who He is. He loved us even when we did not love Him. He became the sacrificial lamb and paid the price for our sins. His blood washes us white as snow. He calls us friend. He draws near in our suffering and remains committed even in our stumbling. He knows all about us and loves us unconditionally. He came so that we could have life and have it more abundantly. He has gone to prepare a place for us. One day, He will return to take us all home.
Secondly, we do our part to develop intimacy with Him. We spend time with Jesus. Do you do this? Do you read your Bible and walk away or do you actually spend time with the Lord? All relationships thrive with communication. As we read God’s word, we receive. We get to know His character and His attributes. We converse with Him as we pray – confessing our sins, talking about our circumstances and sharing our burdens. Prayer includes talking and listening. Remember, God’s word tells us to “Be still and know”. We must intentionally slow down and be still so you can not only talk to Jesus but hear from Him as well.
(Try this… Open your hands when you pray. Ask Jesus to come and be with you. Be still. Declare your love for Him. Tell Him you want to hear from Him. Keep showing up and though you may not hear a booming voice or have a vision, you will sense His presence, receive a word from Him through scripture or a fellow believer, and find rest in His faithfulness.)
Finally, we prove our love for Jesus by becoming obedient to God’s word. We have to know what it says to walk in obedience to it. It is our love for Him that will lead us to walk in obedience to Him, and it is our obedience that allows us to fellowship with Him. (Saved by Grace, Now What?) We cannot declare our love for Jesus and still live like the world. Once we realize that He is with us always, it changes what we do and how we live. Our love for Him compels us to become more and more like Him - transforming from the inside out.
What a friend we have in Jesus. He is everything we need and we all need Him desperately. This is what our life is to be all about… Surrendering all of me to all of Him, living a life that glorifies Him and sharing Him with those around me. Today is a good day to do just that.
Remember this old hymn…
What a friend we have in Jesus
All our sins and griefs to bear
What a privilege to carry
Everything to God in prayer
Oh, what peace we often forfeit
Oh, what needless pain we bear
All because we do not carry
Everything to God in prayer
Have we trials and temptations?
Is there trouble anywhere?
We should never be discouraged
Take it to the Lord in prayer
Can we find a friend so faithful
Who will all our sorrows share?
Jesus knows our every weakness
Take it to the Lord in prayer
Hi Friends!
Thank you for reading this blog post.. We are here to help women stop worrying about all the things that do not matter and instead focus on what matters most - our relationship with Jesus. We need each other. You may also be interested in checking out Engage for More.
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