You are my portion, O LORD; I have promised to obey your words. 58 I have sought your face with all my heart; be gracious to me according to your promise. 59 I have considered my ways and have turned my steps to your statutes. 60 I will hasten and not delay to obey your commands. 61 Though the wicked bind me with ropes, I will not forget your law. 62 At midnight I rise to give you thanks for your righteous laws. 63 I am a friend to all who fear you, to all who follow your precepts. 64 The earth is filled with your love, O LORD; teach me your decrees.
63 I am a friend to all who fear you, to all who follow your precepts.

There are any number of passages that tell us, as God’s people, to give preference to God’s other children, our brothers and sisters in the Lord. The idea isn’t one of elitism or some sort of clannish or cultic b ehavior nor is it to be manifested in any lack of love, concern or kindness toward those outside of Christ. Jesus loved us enough to die in our place while we were his enemies and outside of any relationship with him. The idea is simply how when as children we would do and say a lot of things with our brothers and sisters (in the flesh) but would not dare allow our friends to do or say the same things to them. Why not? “That is my brother you are talking about!” We call each others “brother” or “sister” but how much do we really feel this relationship in the Lord? These terms are not titles. They denote relationship. The whole idea of the church is relationship. John tells us in I John 1 that we come into relationship with God, as his children. When more than one of us enters this relationship with God as our father we become brothers and sisters with each other. We could make a long list of things that are often cited as the basis of this relationship. These do not make this relationship but these are the result of and not the basis of it. Have you ever heard it said that “blood is thicker than water”? This tells us that as children of the same parent we have a bond of love that cannot be broken, no matter what we may do. If we have this bond of love, based on the blood of Jesus, we will always seek the good of each other and seek to encourage each other. This will destroy the hatred, gossip, backbiting, mani pulating and others things that destroy rather than build the family of God. As Paul once said: “Do good to all men, especially to those who belong to the family of believers” (Gal. 6:10).

Father, I ask you to help me to know my relationship with you based on the blood of your Son; his sacrifice and my forgiveness. Please fill my heart with your Spirit so that I may have this same attitude of love, kindness, mercy and forgiveness toward all of your other children. In Jesus name I pray. May God bless each of us in his love today.