2010 – September 12 – Our Advocate and Friend

Study from God’s Word… Job, Chapters 15 – 17 … Passage for Reflection: Job 16: 19 – 21 … NIV 19 Even now my witness is in heaven; my advocate is on high. 20 My intercessor is my friend as my eyes pour out tears to God; 21 on behalf of a man he pleads with God as a man pleads for his friend.

My Journal for Today: Job was in a pickle, for sure. He needed help; … an advocate, … a witness, … a friend. But all he found were accusers who railed against his plight, giving him ill-begotten advice and half truths. And so in his incredible pain and confusion, our ailing believer turned to the only source of truth and friendship he could, … his God. And though Job was not privy to the truth about his Savior, as are we Christians today, his faith cried out to a Messiah whom he sought to be his intercessor, his witness of truth to the Father in heaven, and his glorious Friend, the Son of God.

And my devotional shepherd, Dr. Smith, poses an interesting question. Given the truth (i.e., the fact) that we born-again Christians now have the One, True Advocate in Heaven, our Intercessor, sitting at the right hand of God, and the Friend who was willing to shed His blood so that our sin debt would be paid forever, we have to ask ourselves, ”Are we, as the friend of The Christ, Who pleads our innocence before the Father, doing all we can to make our Advocate’s job easier?” In other words, do we, by the way we worship our Savior in the way we live 24/7, make it difficult (or much easier) for Him to be our Advocate or our Friend.

When I became a Christian, I must say that it was probably a pretty tough job for my Savior to plead my case to the Father and to stand by me as my Friend. But as I’ve matured in my faith, I would hope that He doesn’t have to work quite as hard and He can be more of a friend than having to be my witness and ultimately my advocate. Oh, I know that I can still be a tough case at times, especially when I get selfish or into self pity. But my Intercessor, God’s Spirit, is always there, praying for me, standing with me, and interceding on my behalf; and my Lord and Savior is ALWAYS my Friend.

That my dear one, is what Job had going for him; and it’s what you and I have going for us in the courts of Heaven.

My Prayer for Today: Praise Your Holy Name, Lord, as my Advocate and Friend in Heaven. Amen