By Pastor William Y. K. Brown Ph.D
(Resident Pastor)
Seventh-day Adventist Church
Osu-Bethel.
Tel: 0244165628/0243310773.
wykbrown@gmail.com
WEDNESDAY
THEME: GOD: THE ANCHOR OF OUR HOPE AND CONFIDENCE
SCRIPTURE: Psalms 16:11
“You will show me the path of life; In Your presence is fullness of joy; At Your right hand are pleasures forevermore.”
REFLECTIONS
To have God lead you in life is a blessing that cannot be paralleled. David was one of those who lived to love God so much that He became God’s friend. On his account, Acts 13:22 states, “. . . He raised up for them David as king, to whom also He gave testimony and said, ‘I have found David the son of Jesse, a man after My own heart, who will do all My will.’” God expects His relationship with us to be strong, unwavering, and trusting to the point where we will become His friends.
It is an interesting and exciting thought that God likes to have friends. Faith and obedience will qualify us, like Abraham, to be God’s friends. James 2:23 reads, “And the Scripture was fulfilled which says, “Abraham believed God, and it was accounted to him for righteousness.” And he was called the friend of God.” As one who loved and obeyed God, David prayed in Psalms 16:1-2 – “[1]Preserve me, O God, for in You I put my trust. [2]O my soul, you have said to the Lord, “You are my Lord, My goodness is nothing apart from You.”
From his personal experience, David declared in verses 7-8 and 11 – “[7]I will bless the Lord who has given me counsel; My heart also instructs me in the night seasons. [8]I have set the Lord always before me; Because He is at my right hand I shall not be moved. [11]You will show me the path of life; In Your presence is fullness of joy; At Your right hand are pleasures forevermore.” You can hope in God because He is trustworthy, ever-present, and ever-merciful. Determine by the grace of God to be a person after God’s own heart – a friend of God.
Beloved, as you face life’s challenges, remember you have a Friend who is reliable, faithful, ever-present, and constant. Because of His trustworthiness, you will not be moved by any struggle or adverse situation. We always turn to friends because they are there for us, and such is God.
MY SONG OF COMMITMENT
SDAH 186 – “I’ve Found a Friend”
LET US PRAY
– Praise and thank God for His friendship; thank God for such a reliable Friend in your life; pray to believe, trust, and obey God – your abiding friend;
– Pray for people caught in humanitarian crises to have God as an ever-present friend; pray for de-escalation of hostilities between Iran and Israel, Ukraine-Russia, etc.;
– Pray for those who have lost hope due to sickness, economic hardships, failures, disappointments, etc.;
– Pray for the nation’s prosperity and peace, workers, leadership, and the proclamation of the Gospel of Jesus Christ and His soon return.
