My treasured assistant, Moné and I were discussing kids and the cute way they distort song lyrics. I told her about the kids in my old Sunday School class who used to refer to “The King Eternal” as the old kinky turtle.

She one-upped me though. It seems that her daughter used to sing along with her in the car. The song was “I am a Friend of God.” The chorus says, “I am a friend of God, I am a friend of God, I am a friend of God and he calls me friend.” But her little girl sang it this way: “I am a friend of God and He calls me Fred!”

Don’t you love it? If I am a friend of God…he can call me anything He likes. Fred is fine!

In James chapter two, the Bible says that Abraham believed God and it was credited to him as righteousness, “and he was called God’s friend.” And lest you think that such a term was only to be applied to Abraham, think about John 15:15 where Jesus says, “I no longer call you servants, because a servant does not know his master’s business. Instead I have called you friends…”

When the revered English preacher, Charles Spurgeon preached on those verses, he called it “a title to be wondered at.”

This week might be a great time to wonder at the fact that the Son of Almighty God has chosen to call His kids, friends. He does not need friends. But He delights when the redeemed recognize that special relationship purchased on that old rugged cross. He longs for a deep connection with each of us.

Such a friendship should be sought after and cherished. And in a sense, it has to be a mutual delight.

So, how am I delighting in that friendship right now? How do I express my great joy in such a relationship? How can I make it known that He is mine and I am His?

Who can I tell about my friend, Jesus? Who needs to know that Jesus wants to be their friend too?

Good stuff to ponder…and I love the name, Fred.