August 25: The Fruitfulness of Friendship

I recently spoke to a brilliant young man who thinks there is no God. He has given this matter much thought and can speak quite logically on the subject. Later I reflected on our conversation, and realized why I can be so convinced of the reality of the Living Son of God....it is because of the friendship that Chambers speaks about in today's lesson. However, I wish that I had read this before we had our conversation because it brings up a point that I didn't think about then. The palpable joy and the initimate friendship with Christ came AFTER I chose to abandon everything else and trust Jesus. I had questioned everything and knew that for me it would have to be all or nothing. It felt as if I stood on the solid rock of science and my intellect, and that following God would be like leaping off the cliff into the abyss. Yet my life was so empty, I deliberately chose to leave everything else behind and jump. Either He would catch me or or I would fall. All I could do then was hope, because I had no idea just how safe those divine arms would be. Thirty-three years later I have a joy that I would not have dreamed possible at that time.

The scripture that Chambers quotes is from Psalm 40, a messianic psalm which speaks of the LORD's Servant being obedient unto death. It begins with an underriding current of joy that seems to continue to flow even in the last verses which beg for help and protection. All those verses also apply to us.

Jesus, I don't suppose I will ever understand how You condescend to have such intimate relationships with Your children, but I thank You with all my heart. May we continue in Your strength and with our eyes on You, so that our chosen paths are acts of love, not the self-sacrifice that those who watch us might think they would be.