Only God - iBelieve Truth - April 10, 2024
“Some friendships do not last, but some friends are more loyal than brothers.” Proverbs 18:24 GNT
One Saturday night, my thought life was consumed with relationship concerns, but God broke my silent downward spiral with these words: “Why are you looking for in other people what you can only find in Me?”
He helped me realize:
1. Nobody is perfect.
2. No friendship is guaranteed to last forever except my friendship with Jesus Christ.
3. God is the only One who is capable of completing me and meeting my every need.
Let’s explore these three points:
Nobody is perfect.
I tend to expect too much out of this life on Earth. I expect the best of everything, from everyone, and in every situation. But life on this planet will never be perfect, and we are completely incapable of being flawless because the Bible says we are born in iniquity and shaped in sin (Psalm 51:5). However, God sent His Son (Jesus Christ) to save us from the eternal punishment for our sins (eternal death). He gives us the promise of living in perfect bodies in heaven, where literally everything is perfect forever.
I’m learning to not bank on perfection in any situation or from any person. I’m also learning to extend grace, mercy, and forgiveness when it is needed. We should love others like Jesus loves us, and as Christians, we’re called to be like Jesus. So that means we must always extend agape love to those who hurt or disappoint us. Please note that God doesn’t expect us to stay around people who are unsafe, nor does He expect us to stay in dangerous situations or toxic environments. You can be Christ-like and still set firm boundaries or move away to make sure you are safe.
No friendship is guaranteed to last forever except my friendship with Jesus Christ.
I’ve always been in search of a “forever friend” or group of friends whose bond stays strong all of their lifetimes. It’s a social life narrative we’ve been soaked with through books, TV shows, movies, and mainstream media. But even without those influences, we see the “forever friends” narrative play out offline in real, everyday life. How many of us have had or wanted five or more bridesmaids—all of our best friends from grade school through college—in our wedding party? How many of us crave having a best friend since childhood and continue trying to maintain friendships with those we connect with for the rest of our lives?
This is a perfectly normal part of the human experience, but in seasons when my life looked nothing like this narrative, it has helped me to remember that the only Friend who will be faithful forever is Jesus Christ. We can trust Him to never betray our trust, and a relationship with Christ is the healthiest, most fulfilling, and safest one we’ll ever have on this sin-filled planet. But if your heart still desires a forever friend or a group of close friends, then pray to God about it. He wants to give us the desires of our hearts if they are according to His will. God cares about us and knows we need “our people,” but He doesn’t want our search to make us forget how much we need Him.
God is the only one who is capable of completing me and meeting my every need.
This goes back to the words God spoke to my mind that night: Why are you looking for in other people what you can only find in Me?
Yes, having a good group of friends or one true friend is an understandable desire. But not even our most loyal friend can complete us. Only God can do that. They say there is a “God-shaped” hole inside every human that only He can fill, and I found that to be completely true. How often do we not realize that truth and then seek to fill that gap in so many other—usually unhealthy—ways? Everything from consuming comfort foods, drowning our sorrows in wine, partying with the wrong people, overworking at our jobs…the list goes on. But in the end, our search and worldly coping methods leave us empty and feeling broken. But God! We have Jesus, our Savior, who can fill that gaping hole in our soul and give us hope for tomorrow.
Mandisa sings a song called “Voice of a Savior,” and I encourage you to listen and take heart. Realize how much God loves you and remember that only He can fill you.
Let’s Pray: Dear God, Thank You for always being here for us. Please fill the God-shaped hole in our hearts. Help us to seek You above all. Help us cultivate a close relationship with You first and keep You first in our lives. Please hear the cries of our hearts and bless us with everything and everyone we need, starting with Your Son. In Jesus’s Name, I pray. Amen.
Photo Credit: ©iStock/Getty Images Plus/Finn Hafemann
Related Resource: Instead of Doing More This Summer, Maybe You Need to Do Less
If you've been feeling tired, overwhelmed, depleted, or just quietly wondering where God is in the middle of a very full life — this episode is for you. And honestly? It might be for me too, because I'm recording this in one of those seasons myself.
Today we're doing something a little different. Instead of going deep in a passage, we're talking about what to do when deep feels like too much — when you need less, not more. Specifically, I'm walking you through one of my favorite practices for weary seasons: handwriting scripture.
Not typing it. Not scrolling past it. Actually writing it out, slowly, in your own hand — because something happens in your brain when you do that. The words land differently. They go deeper. And over time, they become part of that personal library of God's voice that the Holy Spirit can pull from when you need it most. That's what Psalm 119:11 means when it says I have hidden your word in my heart — it's scripture moving into your long-term memory, where it lives and stays even when you haven't opened your Bible in weeks.
I'm sharing the five verses I wrote out for myself today — and why each one hit me fresh even though I've known some of them for years. This episode is part of our How to Study the Bible Podcast, a show that brings life back to reading the Bible and helps you understand even the hardest parts of Scripture. If this episode helps you know and love God more, be sure to follow the How to Study the Bible Podcast on Apple or Spotify so you never miss an episode!
