God as Father and Faithful Friend

“And the scripture was fulfilled which saith, Abraham believed God, and it was imputed unto him for righteousness: and he was called the Friend of God.”

James 2:23

“Doubtless thou art our father, though Abraham be ignorant of us, and Israel acknowledge us not: thou, O LORD, art our father, our redeemer; thy name is from everlasting.”

Isaiah 63:16

The LORD Jehovah God is a dreadful and terrible God (Neh 1:5; Dan 9:4). If you do not know this, then you have been lied to about the God of the Bible.

He condemned mankind to three kinds of death for our first parents eating the forbidden fruit. He destroyed Egypt for the sake of His people. He annihilated seven nations of Canaan by His people. He will send the wicked to hell for eternal torment.

These few examples, and there are many more, are His treatment of enemies! There is no reason for you to be terrified by God. You should rejoice in His greatness, knowing that such vengeance will be used against your enemies, not against you.

This same God Jehovah chose before the foundation of the world to adopt you as His own child, and He put you in His will to inherit the universe with Jesus Christ (Eph 1:3-6; Rom 8:15-19; Rev 21:7). You should rejoice in Him as your Father!

God chose before the world began to adopt you. He gladly paid the price of His Son’s life to get you out of the orphanage of sin or the palace of the devil (Luke 11:20-23). He sent His Spirit to change your nature by regeneration (Titus 3:3-7).

The Almighty God of the Bible is your Father, and He wants you to know He will treat you better than any earthly Father. He will pity your weakness and remember your struggles (Ps 103:13-14), and He will give you what you ask (Luke 11:11-13).

If this is not enough, the same God wants to be your Friend, as He was with Abraham. He protected and blessed Abraham greatly. He told Abraham to forget all the junk that kings delight in, because He Himself would be his reward (Gen 15:1).

If you delight in God, He will delight in you (Ps 37:4; 18:19). He liked David as one of His favorites (I Chr 28:4). Why? Because David loved Him and loved to do anything He could for Him. They were intimate and loving friends (II Sam 7:1-29).

Enoch walked with God, and God took him straight to heaven. What about you?