We Need Each Other

A friend loves at all times.

— Proverb 17:17

Often the way God works in a person’s life is through other people. If there’s anything in my life that is praiseworthy, so much of it, from my perspective, relates to the people around me—my family, friends, and ministry partners. These people know and understand the power of biblical friendship.

I’m sure you too could report that major steps forward in your relationship with God have come through Him working through the influence of other people. If we’re going to continue to go forward spiritually and be the people that God wants us to be, we need to take hold of one another in caring, supportive, biblical friendship.

Friendship has always been a priority relationship with God. Throughout His Word, when God has wanted to picture a relationship of intimacy and integrity, He described friendship:

• Of David and Jonathan, 1 Samuel 18:1 says “the soul of Jonathan was knit to the soul of David.”
• James 2:23 calls Abraham, “God’s friend.”
• Jesus Himself describes the highest kind of love in terms of friendship, “Greater love has no one than this, that someone lays down his life for his friends” (John 15:13-14).
• Proverb 17:17 says, “A friend loves at all times, and a brother is born for adversity.”

In each of these contexts, godly friendship is a God-given refuge in hard times. Friendship is a bond in seasons of heartache, disappointment, and failure. A godly friend says, “Times are hard? You’re disappointed and discouraged? You’ve failed personally? I’ll stand with you, man. I’m not going anywhere.” Real friends come alive in those times. They move in closer.

Biblical friendship—lasting, loving friendship is a wonderful, very powerful thing. God created you and me to need each other. I want to be that kind of friend, don’t you? God help us not just to want others to be like that for us, but help us to be that kind of a friend to the people in our lives.

© 2007 Walk in the Word

On this day…

• AW Tozer – “Following Hard after God” – Chapter8 – 2025
• AW Tozer – “Following Hard after God” – Chapter7 – 2025
• Psalm 31 – 2024
• Introduction to Acts – 2024
• The love of God has both a Priestly and a Kingly manifestation – 2011
• Will we be an honest exegete or a dishonest isogete? – 2011
• Exhale and Inhale – 2008
• Numbers 11:23 – 2007
• 1 Chronicles 5:22 – 2007