You Are My Friends . . . | Carolyn E. Jacobs

This week’s name, Friend, is a 180-degree turn from last week–Lord. He is – Lord of All. ALL. Every knee WILL bow, and every tongue WILL confess it. But the Lord of All Creation is not some overbearing tyrant.

He calls us “Friend.”

Isaiah tells us Abraham was God’s friend.

But you, Israel, My servant,

Jacob whom I have chosen,

Descendant of Abraham My friend – Isaiah 41:8

That’s not all.

God visited Abraham and Sarah, sharing a meal with them. I think we can infer from Genesis 18 that it happened more than once.
He wrestled with Jacob.
He sought out Adam and Eve in the garden in the cool of the day.
He startled Joshua when he appeared as the Captain of the Lord’s Army.

God enjoys His creation. I think He gets a kick out of surprising us.

In the New Testament, we see that Jesus loved fellowship.

In John 11:11, Jesus refers to “our friend Lazarus.”
In Luke 7:34, we see that the Pharisees called Him a friend of sinners. He was known to eat with tax collectors and other “undesirables.”

He didn’t just love those He hung out with; He liked them.

In John 15:14, Jesus says this to His disciples:

You are My friends

Now there’s more to that verse. More to that passage. And we’ll look at that in the next blog post. And in December we’ll look at a name that will help tie Lord and Friend together. But today, meditate on Elohim, Yahweh, Adonai, Jesus, Kyrios calling you Friend. Amazing.

Jesus is Lord and Friend.

He’s not a harsh master. He’s kind and good and loving. He understands us and sympathizes with our weaknesses. (See Hebrews 4:15) But how cool is it that He enjoys spending time with us? For today, thank Him for His friendship.

The picture above depicts Jesus sharing a meal with Mary, Martha, and Lazarus. Imagine yourself at the table with them. Wouldn’t that have been amazing?

While you won’t share your fries with Him today, you can have fellowship with Him 24/7.

This blog series is inspired by Ann Spangler’s Praying the Names of God for 52 Weeks.