Today’s Devotion
Topic: Friendship With God
Text: Job 29: 4
“Oh, for the days when I was in my prime, when God’s INTIMATE FRIENDSHIP blessed my house.” Amen
We live in a world where everyone is, at one point in time or another, busy doing something. Parents are so busy with their responsibilities than to make time for their households. Young people are seriously chasing after their dreams and aspirations too. Everyone seems to be up and doing; trying to get more than a few of what life offers. NO ONE SEEMS TO HAVE TIME FOR HIM ANY MORE!
For most Christians, ritualising the principles of the Bible; like paying of tithe, seed sowing, giving to the poor and the needy, as well as giving to support church projects, is the sure way of getting blessed! They forget, however, that the greatest blessing of all is to have a relationship with our Lord Jesus, then from that rich-well-of intimate bond, we can apply God’s principles and be blessed beyond measure.
According to Job, there is one peculiar thing that blessed him and his entire household; and that was God’s INTIMATE FRIENDSHIP with him. It is not we who have called Him, it’s He who calls us His own. We did not love Him first either. On the contrary, it is He who loved us and gave Himself a ransom for our sins. We didn’t create Him, it is He who made us; we are the sheep of His pasture. He had a plan of good and not evil, while He made us — a plan that should bring us to an expected end and give us hope.
Due to the above, and more, when we avail ourselves, the Lord develops a wonderful friendship with us that grows much deeper and intimate as the days go by. We become more like Him and desire all of Him and nothing of the world — we become inseparable with God.
Job attested that it was that kind of intimate relationship with God that blessed his household. Wow! Isn’t this amazing? In his prime, he didn’t try to get blessed by dubious means. He also didn’t waste his life on things that do not profit the soul. He rather invested time in an intimate relationship with God, and that, to him, was the reason why His household was blessed.
Again, in his attestation, He didn’t say it was his hard work or toil that was the cause of his blessing. Neither did he credit his education or skills. This is because all of that do not yield ultimate blessings with inner peace and satisfaction unless it’s source, inspiration and aspiration is God. Think about this!
The word “intimate” means: ‘closely acquainted or closely connected’. Hence it was not just any kind of friendship that Job had with God; but a very close one. He loved God and sought to please Him. What about you, dearly beloved? How intimate are you with your God? How much do you desire to get closer to Him and build a relationship that should last forever? It is possible to begin today. It starts with that decision to want to spend time with Him and know Him more.
David knew this, that’s why he said, “One thing I ask from the LORD, this only do I seek: that I may dwell in the house of the LORD all the days of my life, to gaze on the beauty of the LORD and to seek Him in His temple” (Ps 27: 4).
He also said in Psalm 91:1, “he that dwelleth in the secret place of the Most High shall abide under the shadow of the Almighty”. He didn’t say, “he that passes by the secret place…” but rather, “he that dwelleth…”
Get a personal time with God through prayer, fasting, Bible study, meditation, fellowship with the Holy Spirit and Obedience everyday. Do this for yourself and your household, and the Lord will make His dwelling in you and bless you beyond measure. You can begin now!
(www.yonghana.org; Like our Facebook page: Y OUTREACH NETWORK)
