In part two, as we start to recognize God’s sovereign goodness working in every area of our lives through his Son Jesus, the doors of our heart begin to open wide and we set in motion receiving the evidence of praising and proclaiming the name of Jesus:
1) First, the relationship we have established with God in Christ Jesus begins to unfold into a beautiful, flourishing friendship. James 2:23 tells us that we are a true friend of God and He wants to bless our lives abundantly with his beauty on this journey in life. As Abraham surrendered the reigns of his life, he began to receive true spiritual worship within and his friendship with God Almighty was the pure evidence of a heart bent toward praising the Lord. He was called a true friend of God, simply because, by faith, he finally offered up his whole heart, unconditionally. 
What does a friendship mean to you? Well for me, it is someone you can completely confide in, someone who is genuine in every respect, one who holds you accountable, someone who encourages you not to give up no matter what, someone who is for you and not against you, one who prays with you and stands with you in the hardest of times, someone who cheers you on, cries with you, laughs with you, simply delights to be with you and bless you and most of all someone who loves you unconditionally. Well, get ready fellow believers, because this is exactly what Christ truly yearns to have with each one of us because God has richly offered to us the gift of himself wrapped up in Jesus. Is your friendship with Jesus growing in this direction? When I sense this type of closeness I reflect on my husband Duane. We are like two peas in a pod, our hearts knit together as one in Christ. Early on I never really felt like I meshed with any one true friend, but God had given me remarkable sisters, whom I could share anything with, but it was not until I met Duane that I knew God had given me my best friend. How is it that I could love someone so much after twenty-two years of marriage and everything we have encountered? All because through this most endearing, intimate friendship God has lavished upon us through his beloved Son Jesus, he was able to stretch beyond all barriers his tender, loving arms around me to extend toward my dearest Duane. Thank you Jesus! This is for all of mankind, because a true friendship is established from an eternal reservoir in Christ Jesus work of salvation. So let’s begin to proclaim, “Lord, you are in total control of my life and thank you for continuing to reveal to me how to let the fruit of my lips forever praise your holy name from the eternal depths of my blessed Savior.
2) Secondly, this friendship we have in Christ Jesus, based solely on faith, is ignited; a personal trust in Christ Jesus is deeply rooted within our spirit man, which allows us to truly let go of our own life. There is a quiet trust within, that all is well no matter what. Isaiah 30:15 tells us, “In quietness and trust is your ultimate strength.” Isaiah was speaking of God Almighty, that the Israelites must trust him with all of their heart for what they were about to encounter, and praise him for the outcome. Psalm 34:10 states, “Those who trust in the Lord will lack for no good thing.” 
That means we are so confident in our friendship with Jesus because his Finished Work has provided richly for our identity, our finances, our health, our security, our marriage, our children, etc, etc and we can without restraint let go and start enjoying life to the fullest. In Hebrews 2:12-13 the author proclaims Isaiah’s words, “I will tell of your name to my brothers; in the midst of the congregation I will sing your praise. And again I will put my trust in him.” He was referring to Christ putting his full trust in his Father’s hands for his life on earth. Jesus ministry of the new covenant would proclaim the goodness of God and exalt his praises to all. And finally, amongst all of David’s encounters with the defeat of his enemies, the pursuit of King Saul, the bloodshed, Absolam’s murder of his brother Ammon for the rape of his sister Tamar and his conspiracy to murder his father David, the death of his son, the loss of his dear friend Jonathan, his adultery, his murder of Uriah, and his wife’s belief that he was a madman for praising the Lord with all of his heart, but through his glorious friendship with the Lord, his reliance upon him never ceased because he was always expanding the door to his heart, so that his lips could forevermore exalt his Savior. And you and I have marvelously received the evidence through the praises of Psalm. At the end of his life, he spoke forth a song of deliverance proclaiming that the Lord had rescued him from every enemy and foe and set his feet on high through the power of his salvation. (Psalm 22) “For all of this I will praise your name!” Jesus desires our total trust (our whole heart) and the more we recognize this, the deeper we go in receiving the evidence of the fruit of his life in ours.
3) And thirdly, through Christ intimate friendship, and our personal trust in him, our tongue naturally produces the fruit of his salvation. Hebrews 13:15, and 12:28-29, tells us, “Through Christ Jesus let us continually offer up a sacrifice of praise to God that is, the fruit of lips that acknowledge his name. 
Therefore let us be grateful for receiving this kingdom that cannot be shaken, and thus let us offer to God pleasing worship, with reverence and wonder for God is a consuming fire.” How amazing, he just desires a ready heart to come and receive all that his unshakeable kingdom offers, through Jesus, so that the praises of our lips may continue to produce an abundant harvest, for his great glory. The harvest God has placed within our lips can be vast if it has been cultivated well through Christ Jesus. Proverbs 18:20 again, tells us, “From the fruit of a man’s mouth his stomach is satisfied, he is satisfied by the yield of his lips.” When our lives are solely in Christ our appetite is always content and well-nourished and no longer has a need to look for anything outside of God’s kingdom for satisfaction and our lips are always pleased to praise the name of Jesus. For example, when you go on a carb free plan, your body can only take it for so long and then it starts to crave every kind of bread product incessantly or it can decide to shut down completely. We cannot live fully without the bread of life, Jesus Christ, because he is our sustenance and our whole being was hand-crafted to be satisfied only in him. And that fullness we receive within begins to spill out of our mouth and onto the world around us. Abraham finally recognized this after a long road of surrender to his Lord. He used the fruit of his lips to share of God’s goodness to Isaac and all his kindred far and wide about his blessed friendship with his Lord and King, and that his faithful promises would endure forever for all generations to come, so that all nations might have the privilege to praise the name of Jesus.
journey in jesus 