James 2:23 And the scripture was fulfilled that says, “Abraham believed God, and it was credited to him as righteousness,” and he was called God’s friend.

This morning I woke up with a thought running through my mind and it was also an experience while it was happening.  The thought was, ‘How wonderful it is to be loved by God!’  I was experiencing pleasure and joy while I was thinking it.  While it is a fact that God loves us all, it is a particular delight to experience His affection; to experience the wonder of relationship with Him.

Think of the joy we have with those who love us and those we love.  Our lives are richer because of them.  I remember the week one of our dearest friends from Seattle was with us.  Paulette and her husband Jon have been dear friends since we met in Chicago in 1978.  When they moved back to Seattle, the miles could never diminish the relationship.  We are so grateful for all the times we have been together over the years.  A highlight was when we went to Romania for the wedding of their daughter in 2003.

We joke that when Paulette and Donna get together it borders on illegal – they have such fun and enjoyment.  They are kindred spirits.  When they are together, they do everything together – work, play, shop, cook, dance, clean, read and laugh.  They have a riot watching a movie together!  The relationship is rich and filled with special and precious memories. What a joy it is to see the joy they share.

Part of the wonder of our relationship with Jesus is that He wants us to become His friends – to experience all the wonder of what that means.  Donna and Paulette enjoy each other.  It is a deep, vibrant living relationship.  They have been through good times and hard times together.  The friendship deepens because they pursue it.  That is what God offers us with Him.  His mercy and grace are doorways into His presence.  There are so many things that He does, while they are blessings in themselves, they are invitations to a deeper relationship with Him.  Let us pursue our friendship with Him.  He even tells us how to do that!