Jesus, My Friend

Today I'm joining with The Power of Your Love in the study of "Praying the Names of Jesus".



This week the name we studied was "friend". Of course, the first thing that popped into my mind was the song "What a Friend We Have in Jesus".....remembering singing this when I was a young child.


As I reflected on this song, the verse that stuck in my mind was "what a privilege to carry every thing to God in prayer". And this is truly a privilege that God has given us. We can come to Him with our gladness, our joy and our praises as well as our frustrations, anxieties and worries. He wants to hear from us. He is waiting to hear from us. And when we don't show us to communicate with Him, He is disappointed and misses us tremendously.

I think of Adam and Eve in the Garden of Eden--that perfect place where God formed and blew the breath of life into them. Then, the sin.....doing the one thing that God had told them not to do.

Did God walk away from them? Did He leave them in their fright with them hiding from Him?

No, He came looking for them.....walking through the Garden.....calling for them. He wanted to spend time with them even though He already knew they had not obeyed. I can picture God calling to them:

"WHERE ARE YOU?"

There, at this very moment, the first sacrifice was given. One of the animals that God had created and Adam had named had to be killed so that Adam and Eve could have clothing to hide their nakedness.

The key scripture for this week is John 15:13:

"Greater love has no one then this, than to lay down one's life for his friends."

I have friends.....I have brothers and sisters in Christ....but, would one of them give their life for me? I cannot honestly answer this with a "yes".

But, that is exactly what Jesus did--He came from Heaven as a helpless baby--came from the perfect place to live here with us in this fallen world. Jesus--the ultimate sacrifice--gave up His life so that we could call Him "friend". He bridged the chasm between us and God so that we could have the privilege to go to God with every thing--big or small--God cares and wants us to come to Him.

Through this past week, I've had another song humming through my mind. I could only grasp bits and pieces of this song...a word or line here and there. I've asked people..even sung for them to try to remember the name of this song and the words in their entirety.

This morning it came to me...just like that!! I'm going to share this song with you because Jesus loves us just as we are....He loves us even though we may fail and fall. He doesn't want us to stay the way we are....He wants us to conform ourselves to His likeness....a goal we will never achieve this side of Heaven.

But, we are to try. He is here to help us, and through the power and might and strength and, most of all, love of God, we can achieve what God wants us to do....exactly as He has planned.

Jesus, Lover of My Soul

Worship You, my Lord, until the very end
Worship You, my Lord, until the very end
Worship You, my Lord, until the very end
Worship You, my Lord, until the very end

Jesus, lover of my soul
Jesus, I will never let You go
You've taken me from the miry clay
Set my feet upon the rock and now I know

I love You, I need You
Though my world may fall, I'll never let You go
My Savior, my closest friend
I will worship You until the very end

Jesus, lover of my soul
Jesus, I will never let you go
You've taken me from the miry clay
Set my feet upon the rock and now I know

I love You, I need You
Though my world may fall, I'll never let You go
My Savior, my closest friend
I will worship You until the very end

I love You, I need You
Though my world may fall, I'll never let You go
My Savior, my closest friend
I will worship You until the very end

Worship You, my Lord, until the very end
Worship You, my Lord, until the very end
Worship You, my Lord, until the very end
Worship You, my Lord, until the very end

Beth