Devotional Song: … GO TO THIS LINK … Please take the time to take in a YouTube video of images and lyrics from Alan Jackson singing … What A Friend We Have In Jesus … singing of our God and Lord, Whom we can approach as our Friend.
Highlight Verse[s]: John 15:15 [NKJV] …
15 No longer do I call you servants, for a servant does not know what his master is doing; but I have called you friends, for all things that I heard from My Father I have made known to you.
… Seeing Jesus clearly … as our Friend as well as our Lord and Messiah.
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Highlight Context: John 15:12-17 [NKJV] … USE THIS LINK …
… Jesus is not only Messiah and Lord; … He is our friend.
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Reference Passage #1 … Matthew 19:13-15 [NKJV] …
13 Then little children were brought to Him that He might put His hands on them and pray, but the disciples rebuked them. 14 But Jesus said, “Let the little children come to Me, and do not forbid them; for of such is the kingdom of heaven.” 15 And He laid His hands on them and departed from there.
… Jesus, our Messiah and LORD, was gentle with little children.
Reference Passage #2 … Mark 4:34-41 [NKJV] … USE THIS LINK
… Jesus, being God in the flesh, was so powerful He could command nature to obey Him.
Reference Passage #3 … Mark 6:34 [NKJV] …
34 And Jesus, when He came out, saw a great multitude and was moved with compassion for them, because they were like sheep not having a shepherd. So He began to teach them many things.
… Yet, … Jesus was compassionate on all He contacted and taught.
My Journal for Today: … Our Daily Bread author, Jennifer, teaches how we must see Jesus clearly for Whom He really is by using a story about a friend’s dog as an illustration. She wrote: Raleigh looks like a powerful dog—he is large and muscular and has a thick coat of fur. And he weighs over 100 pounds! Despite his appearance, Raleigh connects well with people. His owner takes him to nursing homes and hospitals to bring people a smile.
Once, a four-year-old girl spotted Raleigh across a room. She wanted to pet him, but was afraid to get close. Eventually, her curiosity overcame her sense of caution and she spent several minutes talking to him and petting him [see attached photo]. She discovered that he is a gentle creature, even though he is powerful.
In much the same way, Jesus’ first 12 disciples had trouble getting a clear picture of Whom they were following. They wanted Him to be a powerful King to overthrow Rome’s dominance; but then they would see Him treat little children so very gently (see Matt. 19 passage). They saw Him calm nature with the wave of a hand (Mark 4:34-41; yet they saw Him compassionately teach masses of people about His love and treat them as dear friends (Mark 6 and John 15 passages above).
So, how do we see Jesus? Do we see Him as our friend, … our Messiah, … our Good Shepherd, … our Lord and God?
To all of these I would say clearly and confidently … ”YES!!”
My Prayer Today: Heavenly Father, … Your Son, Jesus, is my Savior and My Lord; … yet He is my Friend! … Amen
Blogger Note: Everyday during this year, my daily devotional blogs are influenced by the reading and study of the online devotional blog entitled Our Daily Bread, distributed online via email by RBC Ministries. If you GO TO THIS LINK on the date of my blog, you can read/study the ODB blogs; or you can subscribe to the blog via email at that site.
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