I have a Friend

Day 12


"I Have A Friend"

1. I have a friend who dwells within,
Jesus, I love Him;
He has cleansed all my heart from sin.
Jesus, I love Him.
A home in heaven He’s prepared for me
Oh, glorious day when His face I’ll see;
I have a friend who dwells within,
Jesus, I love Him.

2. I have a friend who cares for me,
Jesus, I love Him;
I love Him for He first loved me,
Jesus, I love Him.
And now He lives in heav’n and prayer for me
This wondrous Saviour who from sin sets free;
I have a friend who dwells within,
Jesus, I love Him.

“I have a Friend”
Words and music: John C. Hallett
© Copyright 1945 by John C. Hallett

This is one of the earlier pieces written by John Hallett. From the beginning he established the theme of many of his songs: his friend, Jesus.

Verse 1 deals with several aspects of that friendship:


First, the friend “dwells within.”

Another word for “dwells” is to “live.” John 14:16 says that the Spirit of God lives in us. “And I will ask the Father, and he will give you another Counselor to be with you forever— the Spirit of truth. The world cannot accept him, because it neither sees him nor knows him. But you know him, for he lives with you and will bein you. I will not leave you as orphans; I will come to you.”

“Don't you know that you yourselves are God's temple and that God's Spirit lives in you?” I Corinthians 3:16

 Second, that “dwelling” is the result of His cleansing “all my heart from sin.”

I John 1:6-8 If we say that we have fellowship with Him and yet walk in the darkness, we lie and do not practice the truth; but if we walk in the Light as He Himself is in the Light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus His Son cleanses us from all sin."

Third, there is the wonderful hope presented by this Friend: He’s prepared a place in heaven for him and he looks forward to seeing his Friend!

John 14 Jesus said that He went to prepare a place for us. 14:2-3: "In My Father's house are many dwelling places; if it were not so, I would have told you; for I go to prepare a place for you. "If I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and receive you to Myself, that where I am, there you may be also.”

Verse 2 describes more of the relationship:

First, He cares for me.

Look what Jesus taught in Matthew 6:25-33:  "Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or drink; or about your body, what you will wear. Is not life more important than food, and the body more important than clothes? Look at the birds of the air; they do not sow or reap or store away in barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not much more valuable than they? Who of you by worrying can add a single hour to his life?



"And why do you worry about clothes? See how the lilies of the field grow. They do not labor or spin. Yet I tell you that not even Solomon in all his splendor was dressed like one of these. If that is how God clothes the grass of the field, which is here today and tomorrow is thrown into the fire, will he not much more clothe you, O you of little faith? So do not worry, saying, 'What shall we eat?' or 'What shall we drink?' or 'What shall we wear?' For the pagans run after all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them. But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well.



Second, John loved Him because “He first loved me.”

We learn that from 1 John 4:18-19: “There is no fear in love; but perfect love casts out fear, because fear involves punishment, and the one who fears is not perfected in love. We love, because He first loved us.”

Third, this Friend “lives in heaven and he prayer for me.”

Hebrews 7:25 affirms this: “Therefore He is able also to save forever those who draw near to God through Him, since He always lives to make intercession for them.”