What Kind of Friend

Daily Reading: Luke 10

Scripture Focus: And he said to them, “I saw Satan fall like lightning from heaven. Behold, I have given you authority to tread on serpents and scorpions, and over all the power of the enemy, and nothing shall hurt you. Nevertheless, do not rejoice in this, that the spirits are subject to you, but rejoice that your names are written in heaven.” (Luke 10.18-20)

Devotional Thought: Jesus sent out seventy-two of his disciples to preach and heal – to bring hope! When they returned, they were so excited that they had the power to change lives. But, Jesus corrected their misguided enthusiasm, telling them not to get too excited about what they could do in the spiritual realm, but rather to rejoice that their names were written in heaven!

Jesus had spiritual power, too. He, himself, was there when Satan was cast out of heaven. But, he didn’t rejoice in that. Instead, he rejoiced that he and the Father were one. Jesus didn’t care about power. Jesus didn’t care about accolades. He cared about pleasing his Father. For Jesus, it really was “all about relationships.”

You know what I mean. You have ‘friends’ and then you have friends. There are some friends who are close to you as long as you have something to offer them. Then there are other friends, friends who stick closer than a brother (Proverbs 18.24).

What about you? Are you ‘into Christ’ for what you can get out of it? Or, are you just thrilled to be in love with Jesus? In short, what kind of friend are you to God?

Prayer: Jesus, in this age of "transactional" religion, help me to love you for who you are, not for what you can do for me. You are the King of kings and the Lord of lords! You are the Creator of all things, and I worship you. Amen.

Psalm of the Day: Psalm 137.1-9

1 By the waters of Babylon, there we sat down and wept, when we remembered Zion. 2 On the willows there we hung up our lyres. 3 For there our captors required of us songs, and our tormentors, mirth, saying, “Sing us one of the songs of Zion!”

4 How shall we sing the Lord's song in a foreign land? 5 If I forget you, O Jerusalem, let my right hand forget its skill! 6 Let my tongue stick to the roof of my mouth, if I do not remember you, if I do not set Jerusalem above my highest joy!

7 Remember, O Lord, against the Edomites the day of Jerusalem, how they said, “Lay it bare, lay it bare, down to its foundations!” 8 O daughter of Babylon, doomed to be destroyed, blessed shall he be who repays you with what you have done to us! 9 Blessed shall he be who takes your little ones and dashes them against the rock!