Daily Devotionals

Ghost: Week 2 - Wednesday

I no longer call you slaves, because a master doesn't confide in his slaves. Now you are my friends, since I have told you everything the Father told Me. 

John 15:15

Did you notice right there what Jesus calls you? He doesn't see us as enemies, servants, or slaves, but instead, He sees us as friends. I don't know if you have many friends, but they are often hard to find. People are often passing through from one destination to another without really leaning into true friendship. We often settle for passing moments on Facebook or Instagram over having a deep, intentional relationship. Jesus wanted more with us than a shallow relationship. He wants to be our friend.

Take that in for a moment. The God of the Universe wants to be your friend. He wants to guide you, provide comfort when you need it, and to stand by your side even when no one else will. Through every storm that life throws at us, He wants to walk right beside us. He carries us through great difficulty and, even in the time of heartbreak, brings a peace that passes all understanding. Jesus is the best friend you could ever have.

It may be that you are reading this Daily Devotional today and you have a deep sense of loneliness on the inside. You might feel stuck in a season where you don't feel like anyone really cares or understands what you're going through. If that is the case, know that you have a friend in Jesus. He knows your hurts and pain. He knows what it is like to be lonely. If you have put your faith and trust in Jesus, He sees you as His friend, and He sends the Holy Spirit to live inside of you. Sometimes just reminding yourself that He is with you, that He loves you, and that He walks with you as a friend is enough to break through. At times if you are stuck deeper in the blues, you need to ask God to give you the courage to reach out for help. God sends other people into our lives who can help us to work through the hard spots of feeling alone. Ask Him to be that friend who leads you on a path where you can get healthy.

 

Moving Toward Action

Take some time today to write a thank you note to Jesus for being your friend. Write out what you appreciate about the friendship that He offers each one of us. Then in the same way that Jesus offered you true friendship, be a good friend to others.

Going Deeper

Read Romans 5:1-11 (NLT)

Therefore, since we have been made right in God’s sight by faith, we have peace with God because of what Jesus Christ our Lord has done for us. Because of our faith, Christ has brought us into this place of undeserved privilege where we now stand, and we confidently and joyfully look forward to sharing God’s glory.

We can rejoice, too, when we run into problems and trials, for we know that they help us develop endurance. And endurance develops strength of character, and character strengthens our confident hope of salvation. And this hope will not lead to disappointment. For we know how dearly God loves us, because he has given us the Holy Spirit to fill our hearts with his love.

When we were utterly helpless, Christ came at just the right time and died for us sinners. Now, most people would not be willing to die for an upright person, though someone might perhaps be willing to die for a person who is especially good. But God showed his great love for us by sending Christ to die for us while we were still sinners. And since we have been made right in God’s sight by the blood of Christ, he will certainly save us from God’s condemnation. For since our friendship with God was restored by the death of his Son while we were still his enemies, we will certainly be saved through the life of his Son. So now we can rejoice in our wonderful new relationship with God because our Lord Jesus Christ has made us friends of God.