I'm fascinated by the entangling of lives that happens in friendship. It's easy to see friendship is a true gift of God; however, the grasping of that gift often isn't easy at all. Totally unexpected and unplanned, this week I will be teaching all 3 Bible classes on the same subject: friendship. We are studying the life of David in two classes and the book of Ruth in one. It just so happens that in both studies we'll be digging deep into the rich soil where friendship is planted...commitment in Christ.
In both studies we are examining the two most complex, most wholehearted, most committed declarations of friendship ever made between two people in Scripture. Apart from friendship granted to us by God through salvation in Christ, the covenant made between David and Jonathan and the declaration bond between Naomi and Ruth are the deepest commitment to friendship we will ever see. Covenant friendship, friendship of the heart, is the gift God intended for His Body to exhibit in the world. Yet, I dare to say there are few Christian women who truly grasp the gift. We often have token friends, who share the same hobbies or interests. We can certainly have fun together participating in or talking about those outside shared interests; but when we walk away from our time together we realize we don't know very much about the inside of our friend at all. Then we have location friends, those who are where we are in life, in neighborhoods, at jobs, in schools, in sports activities. We get together around a common purpose, we meet, we talk, we grill out, we cheer on our team, but we never dip below the surface to discover the life journey that brought us to our common place. We also have church friends, the ones we see a few times each week. We go to Bible study together, sing worship songs together, share preschool duty and bring potluck lunches together, but we never share what Jesus means to us, how desperately we need Him. We close our Bibles, pick up our casserole dishes and go home to live out our busy lives apart, until we see each other at church again. All of these types of friendship have one thing in common: they don't have any HEART.
A HEART friendship is one that Honors Jesus at the center, is built by Encouragement in the Word, is an Accountability relationship, not dodging the tough questions. As friends, there is a common desire to Reach the world. A HEART friends consistently Takes the other to the Throne of God in prayer. I am so very thankful for the gift of covenant HEART friendships in my life.
These are the women who, like Ruth, have gone the distance with me when I, like Naomi, didn't make the distance fun. They have run to find me to strengthen me in The Lord when my heart, like David's, has become weary in the battle. They have rejoiced with me like Naomi when God has planted me in just the right field like Ruth. They have cried with me like Jonathan when God said it was time to move away, like David. We have prayed the deep, soul-starving, God-seeking prayers together and for one another. We have laughed and danced like the king in the Presence of our God. These women have confronted me in moments when my heart was confused at the hearing of the Truth my head was screaming. They have given me wisdom greater than their years. They have served me meals when I was sick. They have served with me as His hands and feet and mouthpiece as we have loved, given to and taught women in the Word together. I know and have full confidence that like Ruth's declaration to Naomi and David's covenant to Jonathan, my people are their people and my children will always have a place at their table. I am so very grateful for covenant friendships of the HEART.
My prayer as I stand before the women this week and we walk with these four Biblical friends, is that each of them discover the gift of a covenant friend in our midst with whom they can share their HEART. I pray the same for you today. If you have this gift of friendship, I rejoice with you. If not, look to Jesus and ask Him to show you the gift He has waiting. It may be someone you least expect. After all, a tired, elderly Jewish widow never expected a vibrant young woman from a pagan background to take up so much joy space in her heart.
And the royal heir apparent never expected to pledge his allegiance to a shepherd boy successor. Yet, God orchestrated the exchange of friendship gifts between them and left us beautiful footsteps to follow in our heart journey to and with our friends.
"By this shall all men know that you are my disciples, if you have love one to another." John 13:35
Sweet friendship,
Stephanie
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