"Friend" - Now Think On This by Steve Martin

“Friend”

“Some “friends” pretend to be friends, but a true friend sticks closer than a brother.”

Proverbs 18:24, Complete Jewish Bible

When I heard someone say recently, “He has no friends”, my heart immediately felt the pain and loneliness that that one must feel at times. I know. I have been there. So have you.

Each of us can recall during our childhood years those times when it seemed like no one liked us when the “kid down the street” had all the friends to laugh and play with, while you sat on your front steps just silently crying to yourself for just one friend.

You too wanted to be a part of the sports team. You too wanted to be invited to the birthday party that most kids in your class were going to. You too just wanted someone to talk with, be around, experience more than being by yourself.

And as we went through middle school and high school the pain of loneliness, even while sitting or walking in the midst of the hundreds of other kids around you, only increased. Why didn’t your clothes, or hair, or skin complexion be as good as they had it?

Even with several people in the company office, or on the highway road crew, or in the congregation gatherings every weekend - it still seems hard to really have a friend to share your joys, your sorrows, those longings you want to share with at least one other person who relates and enjoys what you do. We all want that.

Without a friend, it can really be lonely.

The NASU version of Proverbs 18:24 reads as this, “A man of too many friends comes to ruin, but there is a friend who sticks closer than a brother.”

Even the rich and famous don’t really have it all. Ever see a man or woman once rich in money, fame, and attraction for a period, and then after they no longer have none of these, what then? Not a pretty picture. For these things, temporal items, once no longer around, do not keep friends after they are no longer available to seemingly once, and now long gone, “friends”.

I remember as a kid many times, especially during the summer months, of being lonely, without a neighborhood kid nearby who could come out and play (no video games then). Nor the friend I had in school, who lived too far away to even ride my Schwinn bike, the one complete with the cool banana seat and the high handlebars which looked like they were fashioned after the Texas steer.

Heh, don’t laugh. You probably had one too!

But during those times I am glad that I knew the Lord, even beginning at the age of 10 and onward. I can still remember on a few occasions when His Holy Spirit would somehow speak to me, though I can’t say I really knew Who it was at times. I just felt comfort in my soul, a sense that I was not really alone.

I had a friend. He was my friend.

With all the rushing madness, and this no stop turning of the planet we live on, it can be pretty easy to not experience the real friendship that we all long for.

But we do have a Friend. We do have Someone that knows the longing in our heart. He is actually the One who put it there, so we would draw near to Him. And not just to draw near, but also to know and love Him, and others, as He knows and loves us.

You may be lonely at times. You may say to yourself, “I don’t have a friend.”

But you do. His name is Jesus. His name is Yeshua.

“Draw near to God and He will draw near to you.” James 4:8, NKJV

Your true Friend is waiting to show Himself to you, to be with you, to let you know He is ever-present, never far off, always wanting you to get to know Him even more.

Give Him that time today. You will be glad you did and will come to know, even more so if you already do, that you have a friend in Jesus.

Now think on this and see what good things the Lord has in store for you and those around you.

Ahava and shalom,

Steve Martin

Founder/President

Love For His People, Inc.

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Now Think On This #439 - in the year of our Lord 07.19.19 – “Friend” – Friday, 5:30 am

Intimate - Now Think On This by Steve Martin

Intimate

Now Think On This

Steve Martin

"Draw near to God and He will draw near to you.” (James 4:8, NASU)

Most people fear to be intimate. Decades of rejection, initially in our lives due to the separation we had with our God until new life, rebirth took place, kept us from having honest, soul to soul communication with Him and with each other. I know I do, struggling at times to express what I really want to. It’s that sense of uncertainty of what the other may think, feel, or want to share with us in return.

It is quite common I believe among us. We want to. We need to. But we somehow can’t. (Especially for us macho men!) So we have the small talk, the short quips, the “meet and greet” five minutes during the church service.

We are missing out on being intimate, especially with our Lord Jesus. And that is the One we really need to start with. If we can’t be intimate with our Creator, our Father, the One who gave Himself totally for us, how can we be intimate with one another? I am still seeking to find out what all is missing. The lack, I need. The love and intimate cup need to be filled more often than it has been.

There have though been real moments in being with the Lord, those times when touching His heart has just been a real, reachable joy. Those “almost raptured” times during God-filled worship in a large gathering of His people, when the anointing of the Holy Spirit just comes over us. It seems as close to being with Him that we may know, this side of eternity. It’s as if we just can’t hug Him enough; speak words of built-up heart thanks to Him; crawl up in His lap and sit, staying in His presence, not wanting to leave that place for a long, long time.

Sounds too heavenly, right? Not attainable you say? But it is.

Because of His tortuous pain on the brutal cross, we can now receive healing.

Because of His tearing down the huge curtain of separation, we can now touch Him.

Because of Who He is and what He has done, we can be as close as we want to be with Him.

“But I'm in the very presence of God — oh, how refreshing it is! I've made Lord God my home.

God, I'm telling the world what you do!” (Psalm 73:28, THE MESSAGE)

David need not be one of the few who knew what it was to be close, to draw near, to really get close to God. It is not a scary thing. It is an awesome thing. We CAN know, deep in our soul, deep in our spirit, close to our heart, His presence.

Let me share something personal as if I usually don’t most often.

Zoe Girl Martin - pure love

I can finally declare that I am thankful for my dog, especially with this particular action on her part. It has taken me a few months to come to this point where I can say, “Thank you Lord for Zoe, this 12-year old Dachshund you created, who has to get up now once or twice in the middle of the night, drink a big bowl of water, and then let it all out. Yes, I can finally say, “Thank you, Lord.”” (She has Cushing’s. You’ll have to look that up if you are curious enough.)

Because…along with the re-energization that I get each time I return from being in the land of Israel (the promised land for both Jews and those who the Lord has joined together along with them), with the Lord’s Spirit waking me up in the middle of the dark night since then, my little 14 pound Zoe also gets me up in the middle of the silence and almost deep sleep. Because of Him using her, I have had more moments of experiencing intimate times with Him these past days and months.

When all is quiet, undisturbed, and time is given for taking time to be with Him alone…putting on the earphones, tapping the praise and worship music app on the smartphone playlist, and just giving Him seconds, minutes, maybe even an hour to be with me, in intimacy, has refreshed my soul, lifted my spirit, and renewed the initial vision, purpose and plans He has to reveal even further. He has given me times of being intimate with Him.

And yes, it is possible to be intimate with each other I am certain. It starts with being intimate with our Lord, where His heart first becomes yours, and His life then dwells in ours.

I like to sleep. Most of us do. Sometimes I believe it is overrated when we could be doing so much more. But I no longer mind it when the Holy Spirit awakens me in the middle of the night, using Zoe or any other means He chooses. Being with Him is worth the time.

My prayer, both for you and I, is very simple. “Lord, we want You. We need You. Come and fill my heart with Who You are so we can love those who yet don’t know, or want to know You more.”

May He answer this prayer for you and me today, tomorrow, and beyond.

Shalom and ahava (peace and love in Hebrew).

Now think on this,

Steve Martin

Founder/President

Love For His People, Inc.

P.S. Want an adventure walking the streets of Jerusalem? Come with me sometime! And in the meantime, watch my short videos that I recorded in October 2018 as I did that just that. Jerusalem October 2018 playlist

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Now Think On This #369 - in the year of our Lord 11.20.18 – “Intimate”  Tuesday, 5:00 am