The response we received back from the last newsletter was encouraging.  Many of you replied and let us know that God had ministered to you through the article, and that you too were now willing to step from your cave. However, as I sought the Lord about this month’s article, I felt drawn to a message I preached several months ago.

So many have stepped from the cave this month, but as we stand at the exit, the questions arise, “Where do I go from here?  And, “What do I do now?”

My prayer is that this article will remind you, refresh you, and once again bring your relationship with Christ back to the simple intimacy that it is meant to be.
 

Why are you here?

Today was the day. The Lord seemed to hesitate, a delay from His normal schedule. The angels in heaven wondered why God would delay. “Isn’t this the time when He would normally walk with Adam in the cool of the day?” “Is that a tear in the corner of His eye?”

Yes, today was the day. He knew it would come. He had known before He had spoken, and created light from darkness. He had known before He blew the breath of life into Adam’s nostrils. Today would come. Today, the day Adam would be like Him. Today, the day Adam would know hurt. Today, the day Adam would discover sadness. Today, the day Adam would discover loss. Today, the day Adam would discover betrayal.

He stepped into the garden, the coolness of the day not bringing the joy that it had on so many other days. He stepped into the clearing, knowing that Adam was hiding just a short distance to his left. “Adam, where are you?” He called again.

His head bowed, shame upon his face, Adam stepped from his hiding and answered, “I heard Your voice in the garden, and I was afraid because I was naked; and I hid myself.”

The words pierced the heart of God, the ache of yet another creation betraying Him, piercing the very depth of His love. Today was the day.

Why would God have done this? Why did He create Adam KNOWING that mankind would betray Him? Why would He intentionally create something that would ultimately hurt Him more deeply than anyone else could?

The answer defines and boldly declares the reason we were created. It defines our purpose in life, and gives us the vision for our future. The answer? God wanted a friend.

You see, true friendship is not without risk. It is not without heartache, and it is not without pain. True friendship is built through trials and strengthened through the heartache we share.

Who better to be a friend than the person who has endured the heartache that gripped your soul? Who better to be a friend than the person who knows what you have felt, and stands with you to comfort you? Who is better equipped to be the friend of God, than you?

Before Adam was ever created, God had already felt the sting of betrayal. His cherub, the angel that covered, betrayed Him and took one third of the angels with him. Now, Adam too betrayed Him.

Who better to understand God, than you who has also felt the betrayal of a friend? I can not comprehend the depth of God’s love. A love so great that he would endure the ultimate betrayal, by me and so many others, just so He could hear the words from my lips. “Lord, I want to be your friend.”

His love is so overwhelming, that He accepted the pain of my betrayal, so that He could hear those words of reconciliation spoken from my lips. He bore the pain of my sin, simply so that we could be friends.

He opened the door for a friendship based not only in kindness, but also in pain. The understanding of how I’ve hurt Him made more real to me because of the pain I have felt when others have done the same. I understand the pain caused when I betrayed Him, because I have also been betrayed.

This is not the superficial relationship where the depth of conversation is limited to the “How are you today? Or “Nice weather we are having.” The questions we ask, but never listen for an answer. We have done our duty. We have been polite. We can now casually walk away, our conscience clear.

No, this relationship is built on understanding. In this relationship I can shed my outer defenses and cry out, “Lord I am sorry for the times when I have hurt you! I will be your friend. I will walk with you. I will share your hobbies. I will spend time with you.”

We too easily become bogged down, believing our Christian walk is much more difficult than it really is. Our relationship is supposed to be as simple as saying, “Lord, I will be your friend. Please show me how I can be a friend to you.”

You can rekindle your friendship with God by simply walking and talking in the cool of the day, or in the quiet of your prayer room. It can be rekindled in a walk through the woods, or simply opening your heart and listening for His sweet voice. Push away other things, and choose to spend time with your friend.

Friendship is always strengthened through time spent together, and adversity shared. There is not one trial you face, that He does not understand, and your experiences make you uniquely suited to understand Him. Use your time to open up and reveal yourself to Him, and as you do, He will open Himself and reveal Himself to you.

I pray blessing on the rekindling of a lasting friendship for each of you.

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