Circles Surround Us
Circles Surround Us
Psalm 139:1-3 (ESV)
O Lord, you have searched me and known me! You know when I sit down and when I rise up; you discern my thoughts from afar. You search out my path and my lying down and are acquainted with all my ways.
As we have discussed friendship in recent days, I want you to reflect on the greatest friend you could ever have. I want you to spend some time thinking about the friendship that God has offered you.
Jesus said, “This is the very best way to love. Put your life on the line for your friends. You are my friends when you do the things I command you. I’m no longer calling you servants because servants don’t understand what their master is thinking and planning. No, I’ve named you friends because I’ve let you in on everything I’ve heard from the Father. You didn’t choose me, remember; I chose you, and put you in the world to bear fruit, fruit that won’t spoil.” (John 15:15-16 MSG)
Did you catch that? Jesus calls you His friend. And He makes the very clear point that we didn’t choose HIM; He chose US. And He has placed us in the world (as His friends) to bear fruit that will never spoil.
Great circles have a way of utterly surrounding us. And Jesus was the ultimate model of a great circle. You have been surrounded today by the greatest Friend that’s ever walked the planet. You’re surrounded by a Friend that MADE the planet, and He has chosen YOU to be in His circle. WOW! What a revolutionary truth!
Reflect on the comforting certainty that God knows us intimately and has placed us in community to know Him and be known by others. Consider how your community reflects God’s desire for us to live in relationship with Him and with others. In community, we experience the presence of God through the love and care of those around us.
God designed us for fellowship because He knows that in community, we find belonging and connection. And He designed us for connection with Him, and with others. So, let’s embrace the relationships God has placed in our lives, knowing that through them, He provides companionship, encouragement, and support. And as we journey together in faith, rejoice in the assurance that you are never alone. Jesus has called you “friend.”