The Friend of God

His mouth is most sweet: yea, he [is] altogether lovely. This [is] my beloved and this [is] my friend, O daughters of Jerusalem.  Song of Solomon 5:16

Art not thou our God , [who] didst drive out the inhabitants of this land before  thy people Israel, and gavest it to the seed  of Abraham  thy friend for ever ?  II Chronicles 20:7

And  the scripture was fulfilled which says, Abraham  believed  God, and it was imputed unto him for  righteousness: and  he was called the Friend of God.      James 2:23

Thou [art] the LORD the God, who did choose  Abram, and brought him forth out of Ur of the Chaldees, and gave him the name of Abraham; 

And found his heart  faithful  before  thee, and made a covenant  with him to give  the land  of the Canaanites, the Hittites, the Amorites, and the Perizzites, and the Jebusites, and the Girgashites, to give  [it, I say], to his seed, and has performed  thy words; for thou [art] righteous: Nehemiah 9:7, 8

I remember the Scriptures concerning Abraham in the New Testament in Romans 4, Galatians, and in James.  Also, we know of his account in Genesis 12 where he was called by God to go to another country.  He was also given a promise by God that he would be the father of many nations as the father of faith.

But I either did not know or had forgotten I read it, that he is referred to in II Chronicles and in Nehemiah.  In Chronicles and in James it is written of Abraham, that he is called “The Friend of God.”

Nehemiah goes on further to explain that his heart was found faithful by God because he believed the words of God.  Romans 4 tells us Abraham was fully persuaded that what God had promised, He was able to perform – and would perform!

How are we God’s Friends?  Exactly how Abraham was.  He believed God.  Everything God said.

We are found faithful when we continue to believe God.

Believe Him about what?

Let’s not make it too hard.  I John writes that we simply believe the testimony God has given us (in record form) of His Son, Jesus Christ.

But we also have a living faith.  Yes, we believe facts that happened two thousand years ago concerning Jesus Christ coming in the flesh, the Cross, His death and resurrection.  BUT we also believe the present facts – that His Spirit lives in us, His sheep hear His voice, God grants spiritual wisdom and understanding regarding all spiritual realities.

And how about this?  We believe God provides all our needs – that we walk by faith, not by sight.  Circumstances can look WAY UPSIDE DOWN before we see God’s resolve.  He says He gives perfect peace.  We can KNOW this peace.

It is God’s Spirit living in us that shows us HOW to live by faith all the time.

In the meantime, we are not only God’s Friends because of believing God’s Truth, we are sons and daughters of the Living God.

This is why I added the Scripture, Song of Solomon 5:16.  Our beloved is also our Friend.

If you ask me, this is unfathomable.

In Living Hope,

Sue Gaither

P.S.  How did those who wrote of Abraham know he was called God’s Friend except that God’s Spirit told them!