S65P6 – The godly friend: a faithful bride

Psa. 25:14

The friendship of the Lord is for those who fear him, and he makes known to them his covenant.

It had been years since we left high school, and I had a ton of questions for her.  Firstly, I wanted to know what had become of her best friend, the one who seemed to be attached at her hip for those four years.  She explained how they had fallen out of friendship over time because they no longer had much in common.  The truth, however, was much different than that.  During our adolescent years their friendship was built not on mutual support but on individual gain.  That was a relationship based on what they could get from each other to thrive in that environment where popularity was king.  In the real adult world, that dynamic no longer existed.  They had vastly different goals, and neither could help the other in a way that interested her.  That is why they ceased to have anything in common.

This scripture tells us that God reveals his covenants to those who respect him, those He calls friends.  It is not only a revelation but also an invitation.  If we look at the legal distinction between a contract and a covenant, we see how respect relates to the latter.  The contract is an agreement upon which separate parties bargain for each one’s interest. They are not working together because each has his or her own goal and wants the better deal in the bargain.  A covenant, however, is when two parties come together to work in unity for a shared purpose.  That moves the pendulum from self-interest to joint interest.  Each party works for the mutual prosperity of the unit.  That is why marriage is a covenant instead of a contract, and that is the kind of commitment, respect and intimacy God requires of his friends.

The godly friend is one who continually works at maintaining a healthy, loving and respectful relationship with the Lord.  This person behaves and speaks in a way that clearly shows respect for our heavenly Father. God’s friends live like faithful brides.  They walk in covenant with him not for what they can get but for how that union can further the kingdom and the Church.  They are grounded in the Lord, wise and loving. They pursue righteousness for the sake of purifying and advancing the body in preparation for the return of the groom.  Father, give us a proper fear of You that we would walk in faithful friendship and covenant with You for the sake of your kingdom’s purposes.