Becoming God's Friend: Understanding Your Growth from Servant to Friend

Is God insecure about His plan? Does God have any doubt about what is coming for Abraham? Then why would God need to be fearful or angry about Abraham's questioning? What does God do? He quietly, in terms and actions Abraham would have understood, says, "Abraham, you need to know this. I will do anything I can to prove it to you. I will promis

Abraham must show that every portion of his life is open to God but not on the promise of blessing and not on the threat of punishment. Both of those are missing in Genesis 22. He must show it simply on the unqualified need of his Friend. God said, "I need Isaac." Abraham said, "He's yours."

Friend says, "If I fail, I will learn my lesson and try again."

He wants you to value for yourself the same things that He values. God wants your thoughts to be like His.

God will use you. There is the key. God will, not God might. Your time of service is coming. Get yourself ready. God knows when you are ready to serve. He knows when there is work to be done. God knows when you are the right man or woman to do the job. Your task is to be ready.

You cannot grow closer to God in a place of comfort. Jesus began the Beatitudes speaking of the "poor in spirit" for this reason. Until we feel helpless and inadequate to the task before us, we will not seek answers in God. The good is comfortable.

God always honors and repays gifts offered in His name.

Still, we want more. We long for Him to show us what to order off of the menu of His blessings. Our hearts want specifics. We want to know where to live and to work and who to love and so on. People look under every rock for a hint from God. God is standing back saying, "I trust you not to waste this life. Go live it in any godly way you wish.

Your impulse to show mercy means you are thinking like God.