“The dearest friend on earth is a mere shadow compared to Jesus Christ.” – Oswald Chambers

When we’re in trouble, or sad, or anxious, we turn to prayer. We are supposed to do that, and we find comfort in reaching out to God for help.

But I have been noticing something as I read the Gospels: When Jesus was here, he looked for those he could help. Sometimes they came and asked him to do something. At other times, he saw their need and simply filled it. The feeding of the 5,000 was like that, right? We don’t have a record of the people clamoring for food. He just knew they were hungry, and he miraculously fed them.

Once he saw a funeral procession leaving a small town. A young man had died and was being taken out for burial. His mother, who was a widow, was in the procession and weeping. Jesus, we are told, commanded the young man to come back to life. And he did. But no one asked Jesus to intervene. He just did.

Another time he walked up to a paralyzed man at the pool of Bethesda and said, “Do you want to be healed?” The man didn’t really answer that question, but Jesus healed him anyway. Just because he wanted to.

I’m thinking there are times when he does those things for us, too. If we are his, he wants to help even when we don’t ask. And maybe we recognize his hand maybe we don’t. But I like the idea that he is guiding my decisions, protecting my path, and seeing to my well being just because that’s who he is. It’s so good to have my Savior as my friend!

“As a father shows compassion to his children,
    so the Lord shows compassion to those who fear him.” – Psalm 103:13