The friendship of the Lord

"The friendship of the LORD is for those who fear him, and he makes known to them his covenant" (Psalm 25:14, ESV).

"The secret of the LORD is for those who fear him, and he will make them know his covenant" (NASB).

"The LORD confides in those who fear him; he makes his covenant known to them" (NIV).

The Lord's "friendship," "secret," or "confiding"-no matter how you slice the Hebrew-how wonderful is that? The Bible is given to all men who will pick up and read it, and it states the gospel in black and white. And yet there are confidences to be had by the person who fears the Lord. The specific nature of His confiding is made explicit in the second half of the verse: "He makes his covenant known to them."

But don't we all know His covenant? Don't all of us who bear the name Christian know the terms of salvation: Jesus, Son of God, dead and raised for sinners, giving us forgiveness, redemption, and new life? We know it by rote.

To know by rote, or academically and theoretically, is one thing. But the covenant of God-the extent of His favor and protection, the riches of the glory of His inheritance, the enlightening of the eyes of the soul, the mighty working of His power-is known in a deeply personal and existential way to those who press into the fear of the Lord with an absolute consecration.

The "confidences" God shares with these people are actually available to all. Nevertheless, as Francis Schaeffer wrote in True Spirituality, it is tragically possible that a Christian may not "possess his possessions" in this present life. We do not have to wonder that this is true, since Scripture itself says so:

"But I, brothers, could not address you as spiritual people, but as people of the flesh, as infants in Christ. I fed you with milk, not solid food, for you were not ready for it. And even now, you are not yet ready" (1 Corinthians 3:1-2; cf. Hebrews 5:12-14).

We know that there is a "spirit of wisdom and revelation in the knowledge of him" (Ephesians 1:17)-and it is to be sought and prayed for. Even those who are already Christians and saved are to pray to have this. They are to pray for their eyes to be enlightened (v.18), and to "know" subjectively the hope that they have objectively (v.18), and to "know" the power available to us (v.19).

Paul in one place speaks of the "fullness of the blessing of Christ" (Romans 15:29). I often think of that verse, and pray for it, especially when I pray for missionaries, since that was Paul's context. It seems to me it has something to do with that confiding friendship God reserves the right to exercise toward those who fear him. There is the covenant that is objectively known and recited as creed. And then, methinks, there is a whole other dimension of covenant that the Lord is eager to reveal, as He stands at the door and knocks, waiting for someone to open and to let in a deeper intimacy.

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