Friend Of God

Genesis 15:1-21
Pastor Drew Hulse

Have you ever had a conversation with people about God where they start to share their
struggles with the Old Testament? They say, “I could believe in a New Testament God and the
whole love thing, but I don’t think I can believe in an Old Testament God. How come there are
two different gods?” Maybe you’ve wrestled with the same questions. Jesus seems loving and
approachable, but the God of the Old Testament seems withdrawn and hard to relate to. Is it
one and the same God? The story of Abram in Genesis 15 tells us of an intimate relationship
between Abram and the God who has made himself known to him. It is a relationship
of fellowship, of questions and struggles, of promises and answers, and primarily one of
presence and love.

In Genesis 12, God has made an amazing promise to Abram. He is going to be the father of
a great nation; a promise beyond comprehension. Here in Genesis 15 we see Abram, almost
like a son, asking his father for all of the answers to the questions that he can’t figure out.
“Do you realize how old I am God?” “How are you going to do it God?”
“Do you know how this whole childbearing things works, God?” “When will it happen, God?”
“Do you really know what you’re doing, God?” “Don’t worry God; I’ll take care of it since you
don’t really know what you’re doing.”

What an awesome and patient picture of the loving father that God is as He takes Abram for
a walk among the stars and let’s Abram know, “Don’t worry, I’ve got it covered.” And Abram,
as His father would desire, believes, and it is reckoned unto Him righteousness. That’s an
amazing thing! Abram is credited faith in the midst of his doubts. Why? Because he brought
them to the God he loved and walked with. So deep was the Father’s love for him that He
made the covenant with Abram. God is the one who promised to be faithful. God is the one
who gave faith. God is the one who desires intimate relationship with us. When you can’t
see the future, when it is filled with more questions and impossibilities than you could ever
imagine, when the timetable doesn’t make sense; know that the God of the universe is the
one who calls you friend and has you in His hands.

I love the lyrics from the Phillips, Craig and Dean song: “Friend of God.”
“Who am I that You are mindful of me? That You hear me when I call.
Is it true that You are thinking of me? How You Love me. It’s Amazing.
I am a friend of God, I am a friend of God, I am a friend of God,
He calls me friend.”

Old Testament or New, God is the same. He is the One who loves us and desires to be known!
 DAY 7

P r ay e r
Heavenly Father, thank You for inviting me to walk with You and for calling me “friend”. By
Your grace, help me to trust my future into Your hands and grant me the peace that comes in
being loved by You. In Christ’s name, Amen.

Questions

What type of attitude does God have in responding to Abram’s questions?

How do you do in trusting your future to God?

How can having a more intimate relationship with God help you face the unknowns in your life?

MY Reflections
Does any particular verse (SCRIPTURE) in today’s reading speak to you?

OBSERVE what this verse is saying to you:

How can you APPLY this verse to your life today?

My PRAYER for today is: