There are “friends” who pretend to be friends, but there is a friend who sticks closer than a brother. … and you are my friends if you obey me.
Dear Ones: There is a Friend! In 1828 Mr. Webster defined a friend this way: One who is attached to another by affection; one who entertains for another sentiments of esteem, respect and affection, which lead him to desire his company, and to seek to promote his happiness and prosperity. The Lord is the friend that sticks closer than a brother in the good times and the bad times. There is no phoniness in the Lord. He is not a liar because that is not in His nature. His nature is to be faithful to His Father and to the Word.
But notice there is a qualification placed on the attainment of the position of “friend of the Lord.” He said, “If you obey me, and live by my commands.” That is why it is so important to not just read the Bible but to live by the Word. James explains it this way in James 1:22-24, NKJV. “But be doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving yourselves. For if anyone is a hearer of the word and not a doer, he is like a man observing his natural face in a mirror; or he observes himself, goes away, and immediately forgets what kind of man he was.”
Pursue a deep and intimate friendship with this Lord. Then you will come to understand the phrase, “there is a Friend who sticks closer than a brother.” He said that He would never leave you nor forsake you. Believe Him because He is faithful. Become a doer of the word and honor Him in all things. You are an overcomer, in Him. I bless you in Jesus’ name.