Welcome to another day the Lord has made that we should rejoice and be glad in. (Psalms 118:24)

The week has flown by, and I have one more birthday to shout out, today is my lifelong friend from Franklin’s born day.

Today’s scripture, Isaiah 41:8-9 (NLT) says…
[8] “But as for you, Israel my servant, Jacob my chosen one, descended from Abraham my friend, [9] I have called you back from the ends of the earth, saying, ‘You are my servant.’ For I have chosen you and will not throw you away.

Consider…
This seemingly random passage was selected because of the last shout out in verse eight…
descended from Abraham my friend

Let’s start with the fact that the LORD does shout outs. Remember…

• Job 1:8 (NLT)…Then the LORD asked Satan, “Have you noticed my servant Job? He is the finest man in all the earth. He is blameless—a man of complete integrity. He fears God and stays away from evil.”
• And Matthew 3:17 (NLT), after Jesus’ obedient baptism…And a voice from heaven said, “This is my dearly loved Son, who brings me great joy.”
• or Jesus Himself in Matthew 26:12-13 (NLT)…[12] She has poured this perfume on me to prepare my body for burial. [13] I tell you the truth, wherever the Good News is preached throughout the world, this woman’s deed will be remembered and discussed.”

In slang, a “shout-out” (or “shoutout”) means to give public recognition, thanks, or a greeting to someone or something.

Today, I have publicly shouted out one of my oldest and cherished friends, Franklin. We grew up in church together, and lived in the same neighborhood.

He, along with Ken, are the friends that I challenged with the true meaning of friendship after I discovered Jesus’ words in John 15:12-17 (NLT)…
[12] This is my commandment: Love each other in the same way I have loved you. [13] There is no greater love than to lay down one’s life for one’s friends. [14] You are my friends if you do what I command. [15] 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. [16] You didn’t choose me. I chose you. I appointed you to go and produce lasting fruit, so that the Father will give you whatever you ask for, using my name. [17] This is my command: Love each other.

I remember asking the two of them in Franklin’s parents den, if they would die for me?

Jesus’ words rang, and still ring true…
There is no greater love than to lay down one’s life for one’s friends

In lieu of what Jesus said, I thought about James 2:23 (NLT) companion verse to today’s God shout-out…
[23] And so it happened just as the Scriptures say: “Abraham believed God, and God counted him as righteous because of his faith.” He was even called the friend of God.

Ever since the day Fourth Baptist Christian Day School introduced me to my friend Jesus, He’s been my lifelong, bestest friend ever. Indeed Jesus is my BFF!

That day over four and a half decades ago, when we had chapel focused on John 15, I experienced my Revelation 3:20 (NLT) moment…
[20] “Look! I stand at the door and knock. If you hear my voice and open the door, I will come in, and we will share a meal together as friends.

I am grateful to report, Jesus and I have been dining ever since.

Writing this blog often makes me feel like Moses in Exodus 33:11a (NLT)…
[11] Inside the Tent of Meeting, the Lord would speak to Moses face to face, as one speaks to a friend.

That reminds me of the hymn my mother and sang as her memory wained. It was amazing that although she was forgetting more, she always remembered the lyrics…

… I come to the garden alone
While the dew is still on roses
And the voice I hear falling on my ear
The son of God discloses

… And he walks with me and he talks with me
And he tells me I am his own
And the joy we share as we tarry there
None other has ever known

I pray that I too will always remember that God walks and talks with me and affirms His eternal bond with me.

Still, there are moments when a friend can seem distant and unresponsive. Recall John 11:3, 21, 32 (NLT)…
[3] So the two sisters sent a message to Jesus telling him, “Lord, your dear friend is very sick.”
[21] Martha said to Jesus, “Lord, if only you had been here, my brother would not have died.
[32] When Mary arrived and saw Jesus, she fell at his feet and said, “Lord, if only you had been here, my brother would not have died.”

But I have learned that apparent slow responses don’t indicate unfaithful friend’s. Meaning, a friend not responding as fast as you want, doesn’t mean they’re not planning to faithfully respond eventually.

In that same Lazarus story, let’s read between the lines…

John 11:4-7, 11-15 (NLT)…
[4] But when Jesus heard about it he said, “Lazarus’s sickness will not end in death. No, it happened for the glory of God so that the Son of God will receive glory from this.” [5] So although Jesus loved Martha, Mary, and Lazarus, [6] he stayed where he was for the next two days. [7] Finally, he said to his disciples, “Let’s go back to Judea.”
[11] Then he said, “Our friend Lazarus has fallen asleep, but now I will go and wake him up.” [12] The disciples said, “Lord, if he is sleeping, he will soon get better!” [13] They thought Jesus meant Lazarus was simply sleeping, but Jesus meant Lazarus had died. [14] So he told them plainly, “Lazarus is dead. [15] And for your sakes, I’m glad I wasn’t there, for now you will really believe. Come, let’s go see him.”

This shows us that true friendship isn’t about fast responses, but faithful ones.

Speaking of the faithfulness of friendship, the Holy Spirit just reminded me of the admonishment in James 4:4-5 (NLT)…
[4] You adulterers! Don’t you realize that friendship with the world makes you an enemy of God? I say it again: If you want to be a friend of the world, you make yourself an enemy of God. [5] Do you think the Scriptures have no meaning? They say that God is passionate that the spirit he has placed within us should be faithful to him.

God wants loyal faithful friends, not disloyal fair-weather ones.

Proverbs 17:17 (NLT) says…
[17] A friend is always loyal, and a brother is born to help in time of need.

This begs the question, Jesus says He’s our friend, but are we His? Said another way, Jesus is always loyal to us, but are we always loyal to Him?

Unfortunately we know the answer, which Paul confesses in 2 Timothy 2:13 (NLT)…
[13] If we are unfaithful, he remains faithful, for he cannot deny who he is.

Let’s be more intentional about reciprocatint friendship with God, by loyal friends.

We can start by praying Psalms 51:10 (NLT) daily…
[10] Create in me a clean heart, O God. Renew a loyal spirit within me.

Another thought that I just had is that I was given access to Franklin’s parents and their home because of my friendship with him. That triggered new meaning to John 14:6 (NLT)…
[6] Jesus told him, “I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one can come to the Father except through me.

When Jesus is our friend, He says we have access to everything from His Father. Recall He said John 15:16b…
so that the Father will give you whatever you ask for, using my name.

Talking about being friends with benefits.

That reminds me of the last friendship reference for today, Romans 5:10-11 (NLT) says…
[10] 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. [11] So now we can rejoice in our wonderful new relationship with God because our Lord Jesus Christ has made us friends of God.

We read earlier in John 15:15, Jesus said…
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.

And here we just read…
our Lord Jesus Christ has made us friends of God.

Don’t miss that among the many relationships God wants us to have with Him, He includes friends.

That makes hear, and close with Israel Houghton’s lyrics…

Who am I that You are mindful of me
That You hear me when I call
Is it true that You are thinking of me
How You love me it’s amazing

I am a friend of God
I am a friend of God
I am a friend of God
He calls me friend

God Almighty, Lord of Glory
You have called me friend

Let that marinate in your Spirit, like it is in mine on this day I remember another lifelong friend today.

During this Advent as you remember Jesus Christ, include how He demonstrated the greatest love of all by giving His life for us, whom He calls friends. 💕

What a friend we have in Jesus!!! 🤗

Today’s song is…
What A Friend We Have In Jesus

Blessings 4HG (1 Corinthians 10:31)