FIVE ATTRIBUTES OF A FRIENDSHIP WITH GOD
“You will seek me and find me when you seek me with all your heart.” (Jeremiah 29:13)
Throughout history, men and women have tirelessly longed for a deeper connection with God. Those who have experienced an exceptional closeness with God are primarily those who have ardently desired it. Neither success nor busyness could ever quench their thirst for God. David expresses this intense longing for God’s presence in his poignant words:
“O God, you are my God, earnestly I seek you; my soul thirsts for you, my body longs for you, in a dry and weary land where there is no water. I have seen you in the sanctuary and beheld your power and your glory.” (Psalm 63:1-2)
For these people, God’s presence was the hidden treasure in the field they discovered. Upon this discovery, everything else paled in comparison.
“The kingdom of heaven is like treasure hidden in a field. When a man found it, he hid it again, and then in his joy went and sold all he had and bought that field.” (Matthew 13:44)
Obtaining this entire treasure, the presence of God, became their reason for living, the main motivation for their zeal and commitment in serving God. When the apostle Paul reached this point in his walk with Christ, he expressed it thus:
“What is more, I consider everything a loss because of the surpassing worth of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord, for whose sake I have lost all things. I consider them garbage, that I may gain Christ.” (Philippians 3:8)
A Friend Loves at All Times
“A friend loves at all times, and a brother is born for a time of adversity.” (Proverbs 17:17)
It is in love that friendship with God takes root. God’s friends cultivate a constant love, persistent even in the midst of the most tumultuous storms. These devoted friends have learned to cling to God’s presence, even when their surroundings and circumstances urge them to curse God, as was the case for Job in the face of his wife’s words during his trial (Job 2:9).
Paradoxically, it is in adversity that their commitment to God becomes even deeper. Their love is expressed like a hymn, an intoxicating and pleasant fragrance. Trials act as the necessary fuel for the lamp of their faith to shine. As experienced by Paul and Silas in prison (Acts 16:25-26), their songs resonate through the cells where the enemy tries to imprison them until these prisons collapse. Their love transcends circumstances, being enduring, pure, and solid as the rock, Christ, on which they are founded.
A Friend Desires the Presence of the Other
“As the deer pants for streams of water, so my soul pants for you, my God.” (Psalm 42:1)
When one maintains a deep friendship with someone, the ultimate pleasure often lies in simply spending time together. A friend appreciates the presence of the other, and this closeness becomes something natural for them. It is precisely this affinity that distinguishes friendship from a servant’s relationship.
While the servant constantly seeks the master’s presence to receive directives or make requests, the friend comes simply to be in their company. God’s friends long for God’s presence simply for the pleasure of being in communion with Him. The psalmist’s words poignantly reflect this reality in Psalm 84:9-10:
“Look on our shield, O God; look with favor on your anointed one. Better is one day in your courts than a thousand elsewhere; I would rather be a doorkeeper in the house of my God than dwell in the tents of the wicked.“
While servants access God’s presence to intercede, friends come to converse, as seen in Abraham’s prayer life (Genesis 18:22-29). He pleads for the cities of Sodom and Gomorrah. His prayer strikes us by its conversational nature, akin to a dialogue between two friends rather than a conventional act of prayer. Each time the Bible presents Abraham in prayer, he is always engaged in an exchange with God. Without cries or impressive vocabulary, Abraham converses with God as he would with a friend.
The time God’s friends spend in His presence is filled with the sweetness of intimacy. The objective of this time is not so much to express a multitude of requests but to listen and allow God to guide the conversation. Friends love to converse and listen to each other because the purpose of the relationship is not to spend time soliciting but to get to know each other better.
A Friend Has Access to the Heart
“Then the Lord said, ‘Shall I hide from Abraham what I am about to do?‘” (Genesis 18:17)
One of the notable aspects of a true friendship is the access to the heart of the other. Friends hide nothing from each other; they communicate openly and transparently. The deeper the friendship, the more it grants privileged access, revealing the most intimate secrets and future plans. This is the fundamental privilege of friendship, an experience lived by Abraham when he was informed of God’s plan to destroy the cities of Sodom and Gomorrah.
Across the entire earth, only God’s friend held this secret, for God had chosen to share His intentions with him. Exclusive access to information is one of the advantages of friendship. While the inhabitants of the two cities remained unaware of the imminent danger, one man held God’s secret: Abraham, God’s friend. When you maintain a friendship with God, He begins to unveil His heart and plans to you as your relationship evolves.
“He made known his ways to Moses, his deeds to the people of Israel.” (Psalm 103:7)
Imagine the impact of such a friendship on our churches, cities, and countries! God’s children, in this dimension of friendship, would become indispensable instruments for resolving many crises that afflict cities and countries. We would not be caught off guard, unlike the rest of the world, because we would have access to privileged information. It is to the friend that the heart is revealed, and great plans are entrusted to those who are more than servants and children.
Another privilege of friendship lies in the ability to influence the heart of one’s friend and change their mind if necessary. It is thanks to his friendship with God that Abraham was able to plead for the preservation of the cities of Sodom and Gomorrah in the face of divine judgment. This is one of the greatest advantages of friendship with God: being invited to intercede for change when God shares His thoughts on certain situations.
A Friend Loves Selflessly
“Does Job fear God for nothing?” Satan replied“. (Job 1:9)
True friendship is distinguished by its selflessness, devoid of any pursuit of personal gain. The friend is not motivated by what they can obtain from God but is interested in cultivating God’s presence in their life. It is in this friendship that we learn to contemplate the beauty and majesty of God, as well as the work of His creation.
Entering this dimension requires spiritual maturity. It is where we are with God simply because He is God, not for the benefits He might grant us. This lesson is deeply rooted in the book of Job. God’s friends are truly lovers of God, seeking God’s presence to find comfort, complementarity, and joy.
Their true wealth lies in the discovery of the secret of God’s presence. They consider their relationship with God as an invaluable treasure, striving to maintain and perfect it each day. Their priority is to jealously guard this closeness with God, following Paul’s example who proclaims:
“I consider everything a loss because of the surpassing worth of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord, for whose sake I have lost all things. I consider them garbage, that I may gain Christ.” (Philippians 3:8)
The day they discovered the richness of God’s presence is also the day material things of this world lost all value in their eyes.
A Friend Works for the Good of the Other
“Here I am, living in a house of cedar, while the ark of God remains in a tent.” (2 Samuel 7:2)
A true friend is always there to contribute to your well-being, and that is the very essence of friendship. Although many people approach God each day with the intention of asking Him for something, this is not necessarily a bad approach, as the Bible encourages us to present our requests to God.
However, God’s friends understand that there is a higher level of friendship, that of working for God’s good. Their motivation is not seeking recognition or visibility but rather their love for God, driving them to continually seek what may please Him. A true friend does not think of themselves but of their friend, reflecting on ways to do them good.
When was the last time you sought to surprise God? David, once established as king, chose to prioritize God’s well-being rather than focus on defeating his enemies or expanding his kingdom. People motivated by this mindset of doing good for God are rare on earth. Most people in God’s Kingdom are often driven by the mentality of asking and receiving.
David’s intention to seek to do good for God particularly touched God’s heart. This intention brought joy to God, leading Him to promise David that his descendants would occupy the throne forever. David’s intention to seek to do good for God transformed not only his life but also his entire lineage into an extraordinary lineage, that of Jesus…
This text is an excerpt from the book “GIVE YOURSELF FULLY TO GOD!” written by OMER KABUYA.
We invite you to read the following article “JOHN WESLEY THE INDEFATIGABLE.”
FRIENDSHIP WITH GOD.
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