Our God of Comfort and Hope

There is a friend who sticks closer than a brother.
— Proverbs 18:24

Think of it: the infinite, all-powerful, holy God of the universe wants to be your friend! This is a staggering truth. He wants you to know Him personally and to discover what it means to walk with Him every day. He wants you to know He is with you, and He wants to have communication with you through His Word and through prayer. He wants to comfort you when you are upset or anxious and to encourage you when you are dejected or depressed. He wants to guide you when you face difficult decisions, and He even wants to correct you when you are about to do something foolish or wrong.

Human friends may fail us, but God never will.

He wants to be our friend and for us to be His friends as well. Once you understand this, your life will never be the same.

Put Here by God

The Lord will perfect that which concerns me.— Psalm 138:8

God created us to be His friends. This was the divine plan right from the beginning, when Adam and Eve were first created — and it had its origin in the love of God.

It was, however, a friendship with a difference. On a human level we usually choose friends who are similar to us — those with like interests or a kindred personality. But God and Adam were not equals. God was the Creator; Adam was the creature. God was limitless; Adam was limited. God was independent; Adam was dependent. But in spite of the vast difference between them, God still wanted Adam and Eve to be His friends.

God’s plan for Adam and Eve is also true for us. God has not changed — and neither has His purpose. We are not here by accident; we are here because God put us here — and He put us here so we could be His friends forever.

Think of it: God wants you to be His friend!

Excerpted from Our God of Comfort and Hope by Billy Graham.