Friend Jesus

Wednesday, April 20, 2011 (4:01 a.m.)

Blessed Lord,

You DO have a way about You! I wasn’t planning to be up right now. When I first looked at the clock, I read it as being much later than what it really was. But here we are.

(9:58 a.m.)

And there we were. For about an hour. Until I went back to sleep and had some pretty strange dreams.

Lord. While I was here earlier, and the thought that had brought me here in the first place, was that of You as my Friend. Having heard the song ♫But I’d like to get to know you♫ just last night, I am keenly aware of how very much I WOULD like to get to know You! I want to know You as Lord. Master. Friend!

Once again I find myself reading the fifteenth chapter of John. Verse thirteen, “Greater love has no one than this: to lay down one’s life for one’s friends” is what brought me here. You did this for me Lord. Willingly. Sacrificially. It’s what we mourn tomorrow through Saturday and sing Hallelujahs about this coming Easter Sunday morning.

Friend Jesus, I can’t even begin to thank and praise You enough for Your obedience to the Father on behalf of all fallen mankind. Our earthly existence is under a death sentence and because of Your willingness to sacrifice Your will for the Father’s (Luke 22:42) we are invited into Love and Joy Perfected (subheading for verses 9-17).

The Message presents the truth of these verses thus “I’ve loved you the way my Father has loved me. Make yourselves at home in my love. If you keep my commands, you’ll remain intimately at home in my love. That’s what I’ve done – kept my Father’s commands and made myself at home in His love” (9-10).

The verses preceding these deal with You as the true vine, Your Father as the gardener (1) and the need for us to live in You, to make our home in You just as You do in us (4). Other translations use the words “remain”, “abide” or “stay joined”. They talk about the need of being connected to You as a prerequisite to our “bearing” or “producing” fruit.

Blessed, Beloved Lord, how I thank You for shedding new light on these verses for me today.

Yesterday I asked You to again show me more about joy and right here in verse eleven You are doing exactly that. “I have told you this so that you will be filled with my joy. Yes, your cup of joy will overflow!” (TLB)

The Message goes on, telling us to love one another (12), calling us Your friends (14), no longer servants (15) as well as fruit bearers (16). Friend Jesus, I truly want nothing more than to be Your friend. To live with You. Make my home in You. Make it so Dearest Lord. Empower me to fully obey verse seventeen. “But remember the root command: Love one another.”

Yes Friend Jesus. Make it so! I love You. Thank You. Amen.

(514 words ~ 12:49 p.m.)