God Desires to Be Your Friend

In several places in the Bible Abraham is called a friend of God.  Why is this so?  What did Abraham do that caused God to call him friend?  Is it possible for us to have that intimate relationship with God – so close that He calls us friends.

First, let’s define what a friend is.  The Oxford Dictionary and Thesaurus defines a friend as: “a person with whom one enjoys mutual affection and regard.”  Now let’s look back at Abraham and his relationship with God.  Specifically, look at Hebrews 11:17:

By faith Abraham, when God tested him, offered Isaac as a sacrifice.  He who had received the promises was about to sacrifice his one and only son, . . ..  This verse starts out “By faith.”  What is faith?  Faith has been defined as an unquestioning belief or trust.  So fitting this definition into the verse, Abraham had an unquestioning belief or trust in God.

Don’t we all consider friends those whom we can trust and who have a trust in us?  Yes, of course.  Indeed, it cannot be disputed that one of the first requirements of any friendship is trust.  Thus we see God was able to call Abraham His friend because Abraham trusted God.

Look at the next verse:

. . . even though God had said to him, “it is through Isaac that your offspring will be reckoned.”  Hebrews 11:18.

We see from this verse that Abraham and God were in communication with each other.  Friends communicate.  There is no other way to foster a friendship but through mutual communication.

Have you ever moved from one place to another and stopped communicating with friends?  What happened over time?  You grew apart, didn’t you?  To maintain a friendship, there must be communication.  Where God is concerned, we call this prayer.  But prayer is nothing more than simply communicating with God, that is, talking and listening.

Look now to the next verse:


Abraham reasoned that God could raise the dead, and figuratively speaking, he did receive Isaac back from death.  Hebrews 11:19.

We see from this verse that even though God had promised Abraham one thing, and the facts looked like God was going to go back on His Word, Abraham thought the best of God.  Friends think the best of friends.  Friends always look for the positive in a friend.  A friend will try to find some way to reconcile the circumstances with their friendship.

It seems that our natural minds always want to gravitate toward the negative.  How many of us will admit that we have walked into a room where people are talking and smiling and when they stop, we assume that they are talking badly about us.  As humans, we all struggle with this.  Well, this should not be so with friends.  Friends should know that each other has their best interest at heart.  Friends should think the best of friends.

Would you be considered a friend of God?  Do you trust God and lean not on your own understanding?  Do you regularly pray to God, that is, communicate with Him?  Finally, do you believe God has your best interest at heart?  Do you think the best of God and His plan for you?

If you are lacking in any of these areas, I encourage you today to commit yourself to be considered a friend of God.  Trust Him, communicate with Him, think the best of Him.  You are blessed our friends!