Connection with GodНамуна

DAILY SCRIPTURE

“I no longer call you servants, because a servant does not know his master’s business. Instead, I have called you friends, for everything that I learned from my Father I have made known to you.” (John 15:15)

GOD CALLS US FRIENDS

The nature of our relationship with God is beautifully interwoven in layer upon layer of multi-faceted connection. He is our Father, God, Lord, Saviour, Redeemer and remarkably, our Friend!

In John 14:16-18 Jesus says,

And I will ask the Father, and he will give you another advocate to help you and be with you forever— the Spirit of truth. The world cannot accept him, because it neither sees him nor knows him. But you know him, for he lives with you and will be in you. I will not leave you as orphans; I will come to you.

After Jesus was glorified and returned to heaven, the Holy Spirit came and filled all the believers of Jesus. He does the same today, living in us and guiding us into all the truth. He is present with us in every moment and every situation.

Depending on your translation, you may see the Holy Spirit described in the John 14:16-18 passage as our Advocate, Comforter, Encourager, Counselor and Friend. How wonderful that this is our God and that he wants to connect with us in these ways!

Of course, we must not forget that friendship with God cannot be separated from the truth that Jesus is our Lord. God is to be obeyed and worshipped.

The remarkable truth is; it is in this place of total surrender to Jesus as our Lord and our God that we also discover the amazing reality that he loves to call us his friends! He loves to be with us and reveal things about himself to us! As we grow deeper in our relationship with the Holy Spirit, let us embrace all the layers of connection we have with God, including the truth that we are God’s friends!

THOUGHTS FOR PRAYER AND REFLECTION

• What are some things you love about your closest friends? With these things in mind, consider how knowing God as your friend could impact your relationship with him.
• Think through each of the words discussed today to describe the Holy Spirit (Advocate, Comforter, Encourager, Counselor and Friend). What do these descriptions mean to you in your relationship with the Holy Spirit?