Your New Year with God

01/01/22-01/04/22

The Closest Friend You Have

By Michael Youssef, Ph D.  01/03/22

Today, loneliness is an epidemic in our culture. How I long for the lonely to know and trust in the one who promised, “Never will I leave you, never will I forsake you” (Hebrews 13:5).

Do you realize that as New Testament Christians, we have something our Old Testament counterparts could only dream of? When someone today puts their faith in Jesus Christ, the Holy Spirit comes to live inside them. God Himself takes up residence within the believer. Of course, before Christ, the Holy Spirit came upon certain individuals—Moses, Samson, and David, to name a few—but He came only for a particular task or assignment, not to stay. Things are different now. Because of Jesus, we have the presence of God’s Spirit with us, day in and day out.

We may grieve the Holy Spirit from time to time (Ephesians 4:30); we may even quench Him (1 Thessalonians 5:19). But He’s never going to leave us or abandon us. On the day of Pentecost, when the Holy Spirit of God came to dwell on the earth in every believer, He came to stay. That means that if you have the Holy Spirit, you are never alone. You have a constant companion and the most loyal of friends. And the Holy Spirit is not just any friend; He is the very breath of God, the Spirit of the living God come to earth to do God’s will in and through you.

Moreover, through the Holy Spirit, we are connected to God the Father and God the Son (John 14:23). This is why Jesus could promise to be with us “to the very end of the age” (Matthew 28:20). And contrary to what some people may think, Jesus isn’t some genie or good luck charm we take with us on the journey for when things get rough. Instead, He is the most loyal, gracious, and precious friend you could ever have. He is closer to you than your own hands or feet—and He loves you so much He willingly laid down His life for you. Proverbs tells us, “[T]here is a friend who sticks closer than a brother” (18:24). Make no mistake about it: Jesus is that friend.

So, as you step into this new year, remember: You are not alone. The Lord is always with you. He is your constant companion; He is the lover of your soul, and He will never abandon you.

Prayer: Holy Spirit, thank You for coming into my heart to guide and renew me day by day. I know I am never alone because I am a temple of the Spirit of God. What a wondrous gift! Help me to draw on You every day to live for Christ. I pray in the name of Jesus. Amen.

“One who has unreliable friends soon comes to ruin, but there is a friend who sticks closer than a brother” (Proverbs 18:24).