Proverbs 18:24

A man that hath friends must shew himself friendly: and there is a friend that sticketh closer than a brother.

So happy you joined me today, friends, because that is the subject of today's blog - FRIENDS!!

Imagine life without a friend. No one to talk to when you feel low. No one with whom to share exciting news. No one to hug you, or shake your hand. It would be a sad, lonely life if we had no friends. Thank God for friends!

There are friends we have known all our lives, then there are those we just met. Some talk a lot while others are quieter. We have those friends who love to laugh and those who are serious. Friends who are near and friends who are far away. They all mean the world to us.

The verse above points out that we must be friendly if we want friends. My parents taught me a lot about being friendly when they insisted that I never walk past someone without offering them a smile. Even though I was taught that as a teenager, I still remember it and try to practice it wherever I am. It's amazing how many respond back with a smile of their own but others seem to really need a smile.

The part of this Bible verse I truly love is the last part - "and there is a friend that sticketh closer than a brother." I am blessed with two brothers so I understand brotherly love, but to think of a friend sticking "closer than a brother" - now THAT'S a very close friend, which brings me to one of my favorite hymns:

What a Friend We Have in Jesus

(lyrics by Joseph M. Scriven - 1855)

What a friend we have in Jesus,
All our sins and griefs to bear!
What a privilege to carry
Everything to God in prayer!
O what peace we often forfeit,
O what needless pain we bear,
All because we do not carry
Everything to God in prayer.

Of all my friends, both past and present, there's never been one like Jesus!

Here's our footnote -

"The greatest gift of life is friendship, and I have received it."

- Hubert H. Humphrey

Celebrating friends this Friday - and that means Jesus and YOU!