Desired Favor of Divine Friendship

“I will not give sleep to mine eyes… until I find out a place for the LORD… The LORD hath sworn in truth unto David; He will not turn from it… This is My rest for ever: here will I dwell; for I have desired it” (Psalm 132:4-14).  “Through desire a man, having separated himself, seeketh and intermeddleth with all wisdom… The name of the LORD is a strong tower: the righteous runneth into it, and is safe... and there is a Friend that sticketh closer than a brother” (Proverbs 18:1,10,24).  “Sanctify the LORD of hosts himself… And He shall be for a sanctuary” (Isaiah 8:13,14).  “The grace of the Lord Jesus Christ, and the love of God, and the communion of the Holy Ghost, be with you” (2 Corinthians 13:14). 

There’s many things we may desire

Much greater than what men applaud.

Among those things, there is none higher

Than friendship with the living God. 

It surely seemed impossible

That friendship could exist like this,

Yet this desire in my soul

I couldn’t silence or dismiss. 

I looked around, but no one cared

To give this fair consideration.

Not one of my companions shared

This hope for reconciliation. 

I knew that I was on my own.

My longing couldn’t be ignored.

Thus separated and alone

I cried in earnest to the Lord. 

There never was a time so scary,   

Yet juxtaposed with confidence!

The Lord became my Sanctuary,

My Tower, and my soul’s Defense!

The Lord was then my closest Friend,

Whose act of love removed all doubt: 

He laid His life down in the end,

And thus my sins were blotted out.

And now that God has purged my sin,

The Father, Son, and Spirit dwell

With love, with grace, and truth within

My heart that Christ redeemed from hell.

O Lord, I thank you for Your love

Exceeding my imagination:

You heard my cry to You above

And answered with so great salvation. 

You blessed me with Your highest favor.

You clothed me with Your righteousness. 

You gave Yourself to be my Savior,

For sin required nothing less!

O Lord, the day now hastens when  

The day of grace shall then be through. 

Until the day You come again,

I long to draw more souls to You.