More than a Throne
Well, I declare, friend, it’s good to see you ‘round here on this new day. Come on up on this front porch and git yourself settled in right over here on this comfy chair right beside me ‘cause John 15:13 is glowin’ brighter and warmer than a campfire down in the lil’ valley where the creek is runnin’ after an afternoon rain shower on a chilly spring night. That lil’ verse tells us, “Greater love has no one than this, that one lay down his life for his friends.” Now that there’s a truth sturdier than that big ol’ moss‑covered rock sittin’ in the back pasture, that there one that even the raccoons tiptoe ‘round like that hunk of stone owns the deed to the place.
You know, some folks get all twitchy when they hear Jesus is not only King of kings but also our very best Friend. They act like you have to pick one, as if the Lord is standin’ there holdin’ two hats sayin’, “Choose wisely.” But Scripture makes it clear that He wears both crowns just fine an’ dandy. Ephesians 1:6-7 reminds us that His grace is so rich that it overflows like a feed bucket that’s been knocked over by an overeager billy goat. Only grace explains why the Sovereign King would welcome sinners as His friends.
All through the Bible, we see Jesus leanin’ in close, wantin’ a real relationship with each of us. Exodus 33:11 says, “The Lord spoke to Moses face to face like a man speaks to his friend.” That was Jesus showin’ up long before Bethlehem. In Luke 5:20, “He looked at a paralyzed man and said, “Friend, your sins are forgiven you.” In John 11:11 it says, “He called Lazarus ‘our friend.’” And on His last night on earth, He told His disciples in Luke 22:15 that He earnestly desired to eat with them. Even when Judas came slinkin’ in with betrayal on his breath, Jesus still called him “friend” in Matthew 26:50. That’s grace deeper than a well in the heat of August.
If Jesus was the friend of sinners on earth, imagine the friend He will be to the redeemed in eternity. If He laid down His life for His friends here, imagine the joy He will share with us there. And if He said in John 15:15 that He no longer calls us slaves but friends, then friend, you better believe He plans to walk with us, talk with us, and satisfy every relational need we have for all eternity.
Father, thank You for lovin’ us with a love so deep You call us friends. Help us walk in that truth, trust that grace, and draw near to You daily. Teach us to cherish the friendship You offer. In Jesus’ name, Amen.
Now, friend, as you go wanderin’ back into the business of your day, picture yourself like a little woodland fox trottin’ through the forest, lookin’ for a safe place to rest. You’re not wanderin’ alone. You have a Friend who walks right there beside you, steadier than a wise old hoot owl perched on his favorite limb. Let that truth git to settlin’ way down deep in your heart, friend, the way a sleepy hound dog settles into the one patch of warm dirt he has been circlin’ for ten minutes like he is negotiatin’ real estate. Let it warm you like that first beam of sunshine hittin’ your face as you sit on the front porch after a night that felt longer than a revival service with three closings. And carry it with you, all the way down the path for the day and right back home again, knowin’ your King is also your Friend, an’ He really wants it that way, too. Let that comfort steady you the way an old barn leans into the wind, creakin’ but standin’ strong ‘cause it knows all the way down to its foundation that it was built to last.
With joy,
Gwen
