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JESUS IS MY BFF (BEST FRIEND FOREVER)
By Pastor Mark Taylor
“And the Lord had replied to Moses, “Yes, I will do what you have asked, for you have certainly found favor with me, and you are my friend.” (Exodus 33:17- Living Bible)
You would think everyone would want to get to know the one their going to spend forever with, before it's time to go there, wouldn't you? There is a big difference from knowing about Him, to actually knowing Him. He wants to be your best friend and give you His friendship and bless your life.
It is only when we know God personally that we can expect to be called His own and receive what He has in store for us. “Let me live in your favor” was a request from Moses to God. Once we know God’s ways and know God personally, than the favor of God can and will rest, in and on our lives. Gods goodness and mercy will follow you, Psalms 23 says "surely goodness and mercy shall follow you all the days of your life!”
While Moses was spending time with God getting the Ten Commandments and getting instructions on how to worship God. the children of Israel were at the bottom of the mountain worshiping idols. God told Moses that He would destroy all of them because of their rebellion and sin and give him a new group of people to lead into the promised land. But Moses asked God to have mercy and He did. Our Lord Jesus has asked our Heavenly Father to have mercy on us and continue to lead us into our promised land called Heaven. “My little children, these things I write to you, so that you may not sin. And if anyone sins, we have an Advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous.” (I John 2:1 - NKJV).
In Exodus 33 verses 1 to 6 we learn that God will send the Israelites off to the Promised Land with an angel instead of going with them. We find that the Lord says that He wouldn’t be with them because of the hardness of their heart. But again Moses prays to God and asks Him to go with them. “For Moses had said, “If you aren’t going with us, don’t let us move a step from this place. If you don’t go with us, who will ever know that I and my people have found favor with you, and that we are different from any other people upon the face of the earth?” And the Lord had replied to Moses, “Yes, I will do what you have asked, for you have certainly found favor with me, and you are my friend.” (v. 15-17 - Living Bible).
God’s presence is connected to our seriousness in our relationship with Him. If we want anything less than a “Friendship” with Him, He will not be present in our lives. God makes a distinction between His people and the rest of the world by showing His pleasure through His divine presence.
What does it takes to be a BFF with our Heavenly Father?
We are created for relationship. God reaches down to us and looks for us. He came eventually, revealing Himself in Jesus. He moves in our direction, and speaks our language. Before we even took a step towards Him, God takes a giant step and moves towards us. He took our form and became a man, so that He can relate to us.
God wants us to be His friend. Not just an acquaintance. Not just one of our fans. Not just part of the crowd, but our friend. If you want to be a friend of God, you need to be a friend to God and get to know Him, up close and personnel.
Friends talk with each other and spend time with each other. “My sheep (Friends) hear My voice, and I know them, and they follow Me. And I give them eternal life, and they shall never perish; neither shall anyone snatch them out of My hand.” (John 10:27-28). We must both speak to God in prayer and listen to Him through His precious Word - The Bible.
Friends do things for each other and with each other. We must open up to Him, learn to tell him everything, be willing to do what He asks, be concerned about the things He is concerned about, and make friendship with Him our top priority. "You are My friends if you do whatever I command you. No longer do I call you servants, for a servant does not know what his master is doing; but I have called you friends, for all things that I heard from My Father I have made known to you.” (John 15:14-15). Obedience is not normally equated with friendship, but with God it is a requirement. Jesus made it clear that obedience is a condition of intimacy. We obey because we love Him and know He has our best interests at heart. The closer we follow Him the stronger our friendship becomes. Non-Christians think we obey because we have to, or because we are overcome with guilt if we don’t, or because we are afraid of some celestial punishment. We know, however, we obey because of love.
We are asked to love others, help the needy, live a Godly life, forgive when we don’t want to or feel like it, and lead others to Him. The closer we get to God, the more we will Care about what He cares about; Grieve over what he grieves over; Rejoice over what brings Him pleasure. To be a friend of God, we must care about all the people around us God cares about. “Great opportunities may come once in a lifetime, but small opportunities surround us every day.”
Friends are proud of each other and their friendship. Friends of God tell their friends about God. “For whoever is ashamed of Me and My words in this adulterous and sinful generation, of him the Son of Man also will be ashamed when He comes in the glory of His Father with the holy angels.” (Mark 8:38). Let us share with each other and with others “What a Friend We Have In Jesus”.
Jesus is my BFF - Best Friend Forever. He is inviting you to share that same relationship with Him. Jesus is a Friend who “ sticks closer than a brother."
