When I was 5 years old, my parents placed their trust in Jesus Christ and were born again. We began attending a church in Fort Worth, Texas. At the church I met another boy who was also 5 years old, and we became fast friends. His name was Bryan. Bryan and I grew up together as best friends and were even roommates in college. Today, 45 years later, while Bryan and I live in different parts of the world, we are still the best of friends.I can’t imagine not having friends. Friendships are an incredibly important part of life. Proverbs 18:24 says “there is a friend that sticks closer than a brother.” I believe Jesus is that friend.As Christians, we are blessed to have a relationship with God. It’s really an incredible thought, isn’t it? A relationship with the God of the universe. But what kind of relationship?  We approach God out of humility and with deep reverence. He is our Lord and our master. We respect his sovereignty and we obey his commands.But what’s amazing is that in addition to our reverence and respect for God, he invites us to friendship. The gospel calls us to trust Jesus as our Savior, submit to him as our King, and value him as our treasure. It also calls us to enjoy him as our friend.There are people who view God as untouchable, unreachable and not really interested in their life in particular. They may believe God cares, but he cares about everyone, and isn’t particularly interested in their life apart from everyone else.  But listen to these verses:James 2:23 - “And the Scripture was fulfilled that says, “Abraham believed God, and it was counted to him as righteousness”—and he was called a friend of God.”In Exodus 33 the Bible says, “The Lord would speak to Moses face to face like one would speak to a friend.” The Bible describes Moses’ relationship with God as a friendship in Exodus 33. I often wonder what that was like. Moses would meet God in a tent and they would talk together . What would they talk about? Was it mostly God talking, or would Moses talk also? What questions would Moses ask God? What types of things would God tell Moses?These are the questions that go through my mind when I read this fascinating scripture. The biggest lesson we can learn, however, is that we can actually be friends with God.In John 15:15, Jesus gathered his disciples one last time, on the night before his death, to prepare them for the next day and beyond. In the midst of this sacred evening he said,“I no longer call you servants, because a servant does not know his master’s business. Instead, I have called you friends, for everything that I learned from my Father I have made known to you.”I know there are people who struggle with the idea of friendship with God. I mean, after all, He is God. He is holy. He is righteous. He is powerful. But does relating to Jesus as a friend diminish his authority in our lives? Not at all, because when he calls us friends, he still remains our King. He said, “You are my friends if you do what I command you” (John 15:14). Jesus tells us to obey him; we never tell him to obey us. And our obedience doesn’t earn, but rather, proves, our friendship with him.It’s my prayer that you discover this close friendship and relationship that God desires us to have with himself.  Today’s Challenge: If you are in Christ, God is your friend, and, like any friend, He desires fellowship with you. Reflect on this truth and talk with Him as you go about your day.

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