Friend

DEVOTION

PROVERBS

FRIEND

Prov 22:11

11 He who loves a pure heart and whose speech is gracious will have the king for his friend.

NIV

There might just be a difference of loving a pure heart and having one. However it certainly seems the person who does love a pure heart also has gracious speech. Could that also mean the one whose speech is not gracious would mean their heart is not pure, or they do not desire a pure heart? It would also seem that if we love a pure heart it would mean we love God. Loving God would mean we have invited Jesus into our heart. This would in all acutuality mean we have the Holy Spirit dwelling within us. Jesus sent the Spirit to be with us and we are told our bodies are the temple of the Spirit. So being baptized in the Spirit would then mean there should be some evidence. This proverb would imply at least one of the evidences of being filled with the Spirit is gracious speech. That is speech filled with grace, kindness and favor. This kind of pure heart and speech makes us friends with the King of kings, because it is the result of our being in fellowship with him, having him reign supreme in our lives. It would make sense the only way to have a pure heart is to have Jesus in it. We are told that men’s hearts are darkened having refused Jesus. A darkened heart is not a pure heart nor is of a person who loves a pure heart. The only true pure heart is the heart of God. Therefore it would make sense loving the heart of God makes us his friend. So then let us continue to pursue the heart of God. Let us wait patiently, if needed, to hear from the heart of God. Of course all we have to do, in most cases, is to be in his word to know and hear his heart. But there are also times he speaks directly to us. Sometimes it is through the Spirit speaking directly to our spirit. Sometimes he speaks through another person, as in a sermon, or a bible study group, or anyone he desires to use. Sometimes he speaks in an audible voice. It may not be a thundering overwhelming, head-splitting experience. It could be that soft gentle voice in the breeze that Elijah heard. Sometimes God might use that 2x4 method to get our attention, if we are not paying attention that is. But if we love a pure heart and are seeking the heart of God, we will be paying attention and we will hear his gentle voice one way or another, for he does not call us servants, but he calls us friend. We are friends with God.