Hi, my name is Lindy-Ann Hopley, founder of Beautiful Witness Ministries and I want to welcome you to God Today. This is just a place where we get to encourage you and build you up in your faith. And today I’m excited to talk about being a friend of God.
I remember one time, a long time ago, I was busy preparing for a worship service. I was a worship leader, I was still very young in the Lord. And I remember Israel Houghton’s song, “Friend Of God”, being on. But I didn’t actually know it. I started reading the lyrics. And many of you probably know it, but it says: “Who am I that you are mindful of me? Who am I that you are thinking of me? Who am I that you hear me when I call?
I will never forget it. I burst into tears as I thought of the idea that God calls me a friend. He calls you a friend. You are a friend of God. And I want to read you this beautiful, beautiful scripture out of John 15:15, this is the Passion Translation. “I have never called you servants.” This is the Lord speaking to you. “I have never called you servants because a master doesn’t confide in his servants. And servants don’t always understand what the master is doing. But I call you most intimate friends. For I reveal to you everything that I have heard from my Father. You didn’t choose me, but I have chosen you and commissioned you to go into the world to bear fruit.”
You know this is so amazing. I love where it says, “You didn’t choose me, I actually chose you first.” This is the love of God that we think we are trying to connect with Him, but actually, He did everything in His ability to connect with us. And scripture says, “Friends, actually lay down their lives for one another.” It is not what we see now on days like “a Facebook friend, a follower”. No. Scripture actually says that a friend is someone who is willing to lay his life down for one another.
I want to tell you that is what Jesus did. “For God so loved the world that He sent down, to earth to lay down His life for you, His Son Jesus Christ.” He wants to call you friend. I don’t know what your relationship is with Him. Whether you know Him as a friend. Maybe you are still in this part of your walk with the Lord where you see yourself as a servant. Or a slave, some other translations would say.
But, I want to pray right now. Father, every person that still has that slave feeling, that inability to relate to you as a friend…I pray right now, in Jesus’ name that you would just touch them with such a revelation. You are not looking for workers, even though the love of God compels us to go out there to do the work. But everything comes out of an intimate relationship with Jesus. I pray right now you would love Him as your friend. [Singing] “Who Am I that you are mine to love me? That you hear me. When I call. Is it true? Is it true that you are thinking of me? How you love me. It’s amazing! It’s amazing! I am a friend of God! I am a friend of God!”
You are a friend of God. “He calls you friend. He calls you a friend. I pray today that He would bless you. And you would know God is not just some god with a stick waiting to punish you or check on the works list. But actually, He calls you “friend”. Spend time with Him and ask Him to reveal Himself to you as a friend. God bless you!