A Real Friend with Benefits

Scripture:  Psalm 103:1-2 NKJV - Bless the LORD, O my soul; And all that is within me, bless His holy name! Bless the LORD, O my soul, and forget not all His benefits:

Some of us don’t know the real meaning of friend. We use the term so loosely. We selfishly use our so-called friends for personal gain, we mistreat them, we see them as someone we can take from … never pouring back into them and their lives. Their lives matter too!  

When a ‘friend’ betrays us (or vice versa), we quickly ‘unfriend’ them. Hmm … what if God treated us like that every time we betrayed (disobeyed) Him? What if He didn’t wanna be our Friend anymore?? Think about all the benefits we would lose, His benefits. Can we do life without Him? What would we be missing out on??

Psalm 103 tells us some of the benefits we have in the Lord. He forgives ALL our iniquities (immoral or grossly unfair behavior, definition from search.yahoo.com). In other words, wickedness, sinfulness. He heals ALL our diseases – physical, mental, spiritual, emotional, financial, etc. He redeems our lives from destruction – seen and unseen. He crowns us with (His) lovingkindness and tender mercies – He covers us! He satisfies our mouths with good things, so that our youth is renewed like the eagle’s. He executes righteousness and justice for ALL who are oppressed. The list goes on and on, His Holy Word is full of His benefits. His Word through song shares His benefits too – think of the lyrics to What A Friend We Have In Jesus.

Ask yourself one question – could I make it without God and His benefits? My friend, the answer is no! There is no way, left to ourselves, that we could make it without God working in us and through us. Even in these uncertain times we live in, we have a choice to trust God! We have a choice to let go and surrender total control to Him (we never had control of anything anyway). We have a choice in whom we call ‘friend’.

Some friends we can do without … God is not one of them!

Prayer: Father, thank You for being my Friend! You are the Best Friend I can have. Forgive me for not taking advantage of Your benefits that came as a ‘package deal’ when I accepted Your Son Jesus Christ as my personal Savior. Oh how I have missed out on so many opportunities to walk through Your handpicked trials with Your confidence, grace and obedience … all because I wanted to do things my way. Forgive me, Father! I thank You that Your Love never fails, It never gives us, It never runs out on me! And I am grateful for the privilege to call You Friend! In Jesus’ Name we always pray … AMEN!

(by Cassaundra Turner)