- Dec 1, 2022
- 3 min read
“As the father hath loued me, so haue I loued you: continue in that my loue. If ye shall keepe my commandements, ye shall abide in my loue, as I haue kept my Fathers commandements, and abide in his loue. These things haue I spoken vnto you, that my ioy might remaine in you, and that your ioy might be full. This is my commandement, that ye loue one another, as I haue loued you. Greater loue then this hath no man, when any man bestoweth his life for his friendes. Ye are my friendes, if ye doe whatsoeuer I commaund you. Henceforth call I you not seruants: for the seruant knoweth not what his master doeth: but I haue called you friends: for all things that I haue heard of my Father, haue I made knowen to you. Ye haue not chosen me, but I haue chosen you, and ordeined you, that ye goe and bring foorth fruite, and that your fruite remaine, that whatsoeuer ye shall aske of the Father in my Name, he may giue it you. These things commaund I you, that ye loue one another.”
John 15:9-17 GNV
There is never enough love. Never. We can never have too much love for God or our neighbor or our enemy. The world is running on a love deficit. And that is the greatest deficit on which to focus. It is the one deficiency that we each can strive to fill even though we will still never be able to give enough love.
It is impossible to show true love without God. A lot of our earthly love is situational and circumstantial. Our love relies on conditions and presuppositions. BUT God’s love is there unconditionally. Whether we love Him back or not, whether we follow His commandments or not, whether we show love to our neighbor or not, His love is still there. And His love is so patient and everlasting that He can wait on us for as long as it takes to make the right choice.
BUT He doesn’t tarry forever. Because my life is uncertain. My tomorrow here is not a guarantee. The only guarantee I have is from Him through His love. Through His love He died for all of us. He wants us to show that specific kind of love as well. He wants us to die to ourselves.
"The golden sun, the silver moon, and all the stars that shine, are His alone, yes, every one, and He’s a Friend of mine."
John Sammis
To be a friend of Adonai is to kill that part of me that wants to be in authority. To be a friend of Adonai is to be His servant. To be a friend of Adonai is to stop serving myself. And I think that is probably the stumbling block that used to get me the most. And at times that self righteousness still creeps up into my heart.
To be His friend is to be His obedient servant. To be His friend is to know Him and keep His commandments. I can’t be His friend if I’m constantly doing the wrong thing. I can’t be His friend if I listen to part of what He says. I can’t be His friend if I am in charge of the relationship. I can only be His friend when I reflect His image, when I act as He did, when I act as He does, and when I act as He will. His terms of the relationship have never changed. His covenant is still the same. If I obey, then I get to walk with Him in the Garden. If I choose to exercise my own authority, I get to walk alone.
“Let euery man abide in the same vocation wherein he was called.Art thou called being a seruant? care not for it: but if yet thou maiest be free, vse it rather. For he that is called in the Lord, being. a seruant, is the Lords freeman: likewise also he that is called being free, is Christes seruant. Yee are bought with a price: be not the seruants of men. Brethren, let euery man, wherein hee was called, therein abide with God.”
1 Corinthians 7:20-24 GNV
Shavua tov. Shalom to your home. Bless your being. The reign of YHWH is now. Be a blessing to YHWH and others.