Deeper Still by phil mccallum

Press the arrow to listen to Israel Houghton lead “Friend of God” while reading today’s devotion on God’s intimate friendship with you.

Scripture
“All the offerings of the holy gifts, which the sons of Israel offer to the Lord, I have given to you and your sons and your daughters with you, as a perpetual allotment It is an everlasting covenant of salt before the Lord to you and your descendants with you.” Numbers 18:19

Observation
I’m curious, so the phrase “covenant of salt” grabbed my attention and dragged me through the internet to find out what it means. The words conjured up pictures of holy rituals in sacred cloisters with a salt shaker. I wanted to know more.

I learned that salt is a preservative that makes things last forever. If in doubt, ask a mummy. The Egyptians preserved bodies in natron, a salt compound scraped from dry desert lakes. Salt is to be a symbol of an eternal relationship with God to last forever. Of course this is not us first to him, but him first to us.

It gets better. Salt, apparently, was a key ingredient among friends. Even among the Arabs, close friends say, “There is salt between us.” Salt became a symbol of enduring friendships. At at special meals, friends would make covenants with each other over their meal and sprinkle salt liberally to underscore their covenant.

And it gets even better yet. God gave to the priests of Aaron all of the meat brought to the temple as offerings. He said that this meat was theirs to eat along with salt. Here’s the cool part: it would be for them as if they were sitting at a table with God as their best friend, and the Almighty himself would enter into a covenant of close friendship with them forever.

Application
The thought of God salting some grilled steaks and sharing them with me in intimate friendship is a disarmingly kind thought. That he would stoop to honour me with a salt covenant is more than I deserve. But it is everything that I want from him. And yes, it gets way better yet, because through this meal I become the salt of the earth. I keep my saltiness by keeping my intimate connection with the Father. His friendship savouring me, is what flavours every human relationship that I enjoy. I am the salt of the earth because I’ve received the seasoned meal of friendship with God Almighty. God in Christ has offered himself to me as my very best friend.

Prayer
Father, I hunger for a salt meal with you. I want this friendship with you that you describe here for the priests of old. Peter says I’m in the priesthood now, so surely Aaron’s sons would not have enjoyed more than I can today. So I take every gift from you as a salt covenant, a symbol of your enduring friendship with me. Help me to be something of the friend back to you for all of the unreserved and undeserved friendship that you’ve given to me. Amen.

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Press the arrow to listen to Jeremy Camp’s new song “There Will be a Day” while you read today’s devotional about friendship even after hurt.

Scripture
When Job prayed for his friends, the Lord restored his fortunes. In fact, the Lord gave him twice as much as before! Then all his brothers, sisters, and former friends came and feasted with him in his home. And they consoled him and comforted him because of all the trials the Lord had brought against him. And each of them brought him a gift of money and a gold ring. Job 42:10-11

Observation
Friends hurt Job more than the windstorm and firestorm that snatched all that he owned. And yet, at the end of his ordeal, Job discovered that friends, even the friends who had failed him, were the most precious thing he possessed.

It is a great person who can not just make a friend, but keep a friend when that friend has offended him. Job was just such a man. Though his friends had been miserable counselors, they were given another chance.

Application
It is easy to dismiss people in life and to delete them from our cell phone contacts. That is a safe but lonely way to live, without the need to embrace again those who have hurt us. But Job stretches us by praying for his miserable comrades. By that one act God blessed him and gathered in all of his family. In the end, Job died relationally rich.

Prayer
Father, some of those who have enriched me most in life have hurt me just as deeply. I take Job as my mentor and chose to lift each of them before your throne. I want to die relationally rich just as he did. Amen.

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Press the arrow to watch a combination of Michael W. Smith’s classic lyrics on friendship as well as the epic friendship of Frodo and Sam from “Lord of the Rings”.

Scripture
“Let’s go across to the outpost of those pagans,” Jonathan said to his armor bearer. “Perhaps the Lord will help us, for nothing can hinder the Lord. He can win a battle whether he has many warriors or only a few!”

“Do what you think is best,” the armor bearer replied. “I’m with you completely, whatever you decide.” 1 Samuel 14:6-7

Observation
I was listening to a commentator on the movie “Lord of the Rings”. The movie, he explained, is not about Frodo but about Sam, because the loyalty of the faithful friend enabled Frodo to succeed. The world needs more like Sam and Jonathan.

What made Jonathan such a good friend? As I reflect on the friendship with David, it was Jonathan who was the deeper friend who deepened David. Jonathan first offered is royal armor to David and pledged friendship at the start and then at the end of their days together and it was David who wept more than Jonathan when they parted. Jonathan was more than just a friend, he taught isolated people their need of having friendship.

What made Jonathan such a good friend was his indifference toward the insignificance of others and his significance as crown prince. In comrades, Jonathan did not look for blue blood, but hot blood. He searched for friends with get-up-and-go, love of country and fear of God. Jonathan was a man of the cause and he loved those who loved the cause of Israel. It didn’t matter to him if that person were a servant or a shepherd, for he did not care about who a person was as much as what that person believed.

Not only was Jonathan indifferent to the importance of others; he was also blasé about his own importance. He was quite happy to be the leader with his armor bearer and spearhead the charge up the hill. Jonathan was also just as happy to later lay down down all of his royal regalia on his first meeting of David and to give everything to him to become the future king.

Jonathan was indifferent about importance of others; he looked for lovers of the cause.
Jonathan was indifferent about his own importance; he could lay down everything for the sake of one friend.
Jonathan is always introduced with a best friend because he was the best friend anyone could hope for.

Jonathan’s name means “Yaweh has given” or simply, “God’s gift.” The young prince never strayed far from the meaning of his name, for he was a gift of God to others.

Application
Looking for lovers of the cause and then selflessly loving the cause of others, this is the formula for outstanding friendship. The world needs more Jonathans if there are to be more King Davids. I want to be a Jonathan.

Prayer
Father, I’ve had some in life who have been this to me; help me to be so to others. Help me to recognize Jonathan’s when I meet them and hang on to them. Amen.

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Our awesome friends last Christmas in Hawaii. We miss you!

Scripture
After the Lord had finished speaking to Job, he said to Eliphaz the Temanite: “I am angry with you and your two friends, for you have not spoken accurately about me, as my servant Job has. My servant Job will pray for you, and I will accept his prayer on your behalf. I will not treat you as you deserve, for you have not spoken accurately about me, as my servant Job has.” When Job prayed for his friends, the Lord restored his fortunes. In fact, the Lord gave him twice as much as before! Job 42:7, 8, 10

Observation
Job was much like us for he was disappointed by friends. When he needed them most to leave, Job’s friends were still there. When all he needed was silence, they kept on talking. We’ve all had friends like that in life.

There are extreme times when God seems passive and aloof that we wrongly expect friends to give what only the Lord can. In those times some friends imagine that they can fill in God’s empty speech bubble and speak for him. As a result, not only does God seem distant but friends can even distort him by their words. We all can relate to that.

Most painful for Job was not just that his friends spoke for God, but they even judged for him as well. They thought they had x-ray vision into Job’s soul and could probe the motives of his heart. We’ve all had friends like that. Those who are closest to us can hurt us most deeply. Job knew that all too well.

But Job was a great friend not just on the upside of friendship but also on the downside. After God had soundly spanked the three, Job did as God asked and prayed for those who had hurt him. We have pages of Job’s speeches written down for us in the Bible, but not one word of this prayer is transcribed for us to read. Yet what Job did in that prayer of blessing proved his greatness more than all of the self-defending words he had ever spoken. Forgiveness is phenomenal because it is such an unhuman action; when we forgive we are acting like God.

Look carefully at what happened next for Job. His reward was doubled. A magnanimous heart toward those who have hurt us opens us to contain more of the blessing of God. Job’s prayer stretched his spirit like shaking out a plastic bag so God could stuff him full with his goodness.

Application
Like Job, I want to continue to remember to pray for those who have disappointed me. Resentment shrivels the heart so that there is no way God can be kind toward me because I don’t have room for his blessing. Forgiveness will open me up to receive what he has planned for me.

Prayer
Father, forgive. Amen.

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Press the arrow to listen to a song that underscores the message of today’s devotion.

Sanctus Real We Need Each Other

Scripture
“Once again he Philistines were at war with Israel. And when David and his men were in the thick of battle, David became weak and exhausted. Ishbi-benob was a descendant of the giants; his bronze spearhead weighed more than seven pounds, and he was armed with a new sword. He had cornered David and was about to kill him. But Abishai son of Zeruiah came to his rescue and killed the Philistine. After that, David’s men declared, “You are not going out to battle again! Why should we risk snuffing out the light of Israel?” These four Philistines were descended from the giants of Gath but they were killed by David and his warriors.” (2 Samuel 21:15-17).

Observation
David had started his warrior life with a fight with a giant, and he ended his battle career in a fight with a giant. In some ways the second giant battle was more significant than David’s first. The first showed what kind of a man David was. The second showed what kind of men he had.

Several interesting things happened.

First his cousin Abishai rescued David when he was whooped. There are men, a few men in life, who will fight along side of a leader but it isn’t until a crisis moment that their real value is known. Abishai saved David’s life and such an act of bravery and loyalty is the greatest gift a leader can receive.

Second the leaders around David matured to the point hat it wasn’t necessary for them to have the King leading the charge as a PR stunt. They were made of better stuff. A change had come and they adapted well to that. They would step up to the battle line even if he was not there and still fight as if he were.

Third, because David had the humility to rest on the strength of his loyal leadership team they finished a job that had waited a lifetime to complete. All of Goliath’s brothers were killed. David had selected five smooth stones. One killed Goliath, the rest were intended for his brothers. But it was not David who finished that job. It was his mighty men. The excellence of his leadership was proved not in the battles he fought and won but the loyal leaders who were released to fight and win.

Application

Who can a leader trust? Many at the beginning of the journey swear loyalty. But many wander off to follow their own interests. Others will betray. Some will turn on the leader and become his fiercest enemies. Who can a leader trust? Those who are still fighting for him at the end are the warriors he can trust. I want to be that kind of man.

Prayer

Father, help me to be like Abishai… like one of the men around David who proved faithfulness not with words but in action. Amen.

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