…for you are greatly beloved… – Daniel 9:23, Amplified Bible (AMP)

Do you have a best friend? If so, what makes your relationship with your best friend better than the relationships you have with your other friends? Although the reasons you cite may be many or few, those reasons created a special bond of fellowship between the two of you. Through that special bond of fellowship, you’ve come to understand each other deeply, and through that understanding, you’ve learned how to effectively and to humbly serve each other in your times of need. In short, the two of you love each other greatly, and such love is the sure sign of “best” friendship.

It is no different when we become one of God’s best friends. Throughout the Bible, God has had best friends with whom He has exchanged extra special fellowship, deep understanding, and mutual service. In Moses, in Daniel, and in Peter, James, and John, we have examples of men who loved God, sought to understand God, and who served God. In return, God loved them, gave them understanding of Himself (for He already understood them), and granted them aid in their times of need. In short, such people are greatly beloved of God, and such people enjoy a sweet fellowship with the Savior that few people ever enjoy.

What does it take to become greatly beloved of God? The answer is found in Daniel 10:12 (AMP). As Gabriel told Daniel:

…from the first day that you set your mind and heart to understand and to humble yourself before your God, your words were heard…

The Bible is clear that we love God only because He first loved us. But when we respond to His love with an earnest desire to understand Him and to humbly obey Him, we become His friends, and we become greatly beloved by Him. Through our desire to understand and to humbly obey, we form a special bond of fellowship with our Creator that is so, so sweet.

How do you think you rate with God? Are you one of His best friends? Or, are you merely a friendly acquaintance? In order to rise to the level of friend, all you need do is seek to understand and to obey. When you do, God will grant you a deeper understanding of Himself through His Word and through the witness of the Holy Spirit. Then, as your understanding grows, so will your fellowship, and you’ll enjoy a deeper friendship with God than you ever have before.

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