Post 23 in Lifting up the Soul
The friendship of the Lord is for those who fear him,
and he makes known to them his covenant. Psalm 25:14
David describes what friendship with God looks like. The word translated “friendship” here is sode. It is also translated as “secret,” and it is described as bringing someone close to confide in. We can see a glimpse of this in Genesis 18, when God considers what He’s going to do with Sodom and Gomorrah and the cities of the plains. In verse 17, God asks Himself a question regarding Abraham. He thinks, “Shall I hide from Abraham what I am about to do?” He goes on to express His future relationship with Abraham as the reason He’s going to reveal His plans for those evil cities. Then He tells this plan to Abraham. Genesis says that Abraham drew near to the Lord and said, “Will you indeed sweep away the righteous with the wicked?” (Genesis 18:23). Abraham steps close to the Lord and asks Him a question to persuade Him not to destroy the cities. In this passage God indicates to us how the relationship He had with Abraham was one in which friends draw close and tell each other what they’re thinking. This closeness that Abraham enjoyed was not based on his understanding of God at that moment, but how his relationship with God would be in the future. God tells Abraham what He’s thinking, then gives Abraham multiple opportunities to talk Him out of it. This is what friends do. Finally, they come to the agreement that if there are just ten righteous souls found in the area, then God won’t destroy Sodom and Gomorrah.
Because of this discussion between friends, Abraham (and the reader) comes away with heavenly wisdom. God reveals solid principles of His character. First, our God doesn’t want to destroy the people He creates. Second, He wants to find the righteous people in every place and draw them close. Third, He wants to reveal His plans. The secret God reveals to Abraham—that He is going to destroy Sodom and Gomorrah because there aren’t even ten righteous souls in the place—tells of how long God has suffered with the depraved lifestyles of these people.
A Christian receives these glimpses of God’s character through His word. She sees how He suffers with the evil in humankind and His desire to draw near to His friends who love and obey Him. Seeing these beautiful attributes of God, she gains wisdom. That wisdom increases the sense of awe that comes by knowing the beautiful and powerful God Who is drawing near to show her these things about Himself. The verse states that friendship with God is for the people who fear Him. That is, a Christian who experiences the awe and regard for who He is will take His warnings and His promises seriously. She will tremble at the power He wields over all His creation, even while she enjoys His gracious favor and overflowing love for her.
A friend will reveal the secret details about her life and her thoughts when she knows that the person she’s talking to respects her. When one confides in us, we consider it an honor. We step close, and we listen with care. When we respond, we do so gently with consideration for their feelings and their position in the situation. This is the relationship God offers and asks for in return. God teaches us that friendships are complicated. Friends don’t always agree, but they respect and consider each other.
Satan has learned to infiltrate the friendship relationship in terrible ways. I remember the horror I felt when I first read the assassination scene in Julius Caesar. Brutus plunges his knife into Caesar, and Julius looks at him and says, “Eh tu, Brute?” Brutus was his trusted friend, and he helped to murder him. Satan infiltrates Jesus’ disciples, planting the seeds of deceit and betrayal in Judas (Psalm 41:9). Judas walks up to Jesus and kisses him on the cheek as the sign for the soldiers to seize him. Jesus says, “Friend, do what you came to do.” Jesus knew false friendship, yet He remained a friend.
There are false friendships, wherein the person pretending to be a friend is merely using you. Have you experienced a false friendship? Have you confided in someone, only to have your secrets spread abroad? Have you drawn close to someone, but they used that closeness to manipulate you for their own purposes? When you’ve given someone your treasured thoughts, have they laughed and derided you? These are not the actions of true friendship. All of us make mistakes in our friendships, but our friendship with God can teach us the importance of valuing those who are our friends and honoring them the way God honors us. God teaches us the example of a friendship that soothes the spirit and grants solace and joy.
Loving sister, you are a friend to many. Your identity as a Christian brings you into fellowship with Christian brothers and sisters. Your behavior as a Christian affords you friendships with people in the world who come to trust you. Some of your friendships remain superficial, and some of them are deep and abiding relationships. You are not God, and it is not your place to be close friends with everyone you meet. While He loved everyone, Jesus had His special friends when He lived on this earth. You, too, can pick your friends carefully and treat them with great regard and affection. When friends treat you falsely, you will be aware of it because you have the ultimate, lasting friendship with God. He shows you the true closeness of a friend. Learn to be a friend by paying close attention to your Heavenly Friend.
Here are some verses that express how God sees His friends:
And if one asks him, ‘What are these wounds on your back?’he will say, ‘The wounds I received in the house of my friends.’ Zechariah 13:6
And the scripture was fulfilled which saith, Abraham believed God, and it was imputed unto him for righteousness: and he was called the Friend of God. James 2:23
Greater love has no one than this, that someone lay down his life for his friends. John 15:13
This is the twenty-third post in the Lifting Up the Soul study from Psalm 25. Subscribe to WomEnCourage to be notified as this study continues.