Being a Friend to God
Gary has been preaching on Friendship. The word friend in the OT and NT is a word that means a covenant relationship.
2 Ch 20:7 Did you not, our God, drive out the inhabitants of this land before your people Israel, and give it forever to the descendants of Abraham your friend?
Jas 2:23 Abraham believed God, and it was counted to him as righteousness”—and he was called a friend of God.
Isaiah 41:8 But you, Israel, my servant,
Jacob, whom I have chosen,
the offspring of Abraham, my friend;
What is a covenant relationship?
Marriage is a good example: you join bank accounts. Your debts become both your debts, your assets also theirs. You live together, you protect each other, and hopefully you would die for each other.
Covenant relationships mean that you share whatever you have if the other person has need of it. If you are good in publicity, but they are good in finance, your promote their business while they finance yours. You would never let your covenant partner starve while you have food. You would die before you let anyone harm them.