A saying goes, "A friend in need is a friend indeed." A friend is someone who will do you good, not bad. A friend thinks what's best for you, and is happy when you are blessed and prospered. This person wishes you well and does not feel insecure when you are in a better place than you usually are.
The Bible gives a wonderful friendship narrative through David, the man after God's own heart, and Jonathan, the son of King Saul, who was David's predecessor. When Saul wanted to kill David for fear that the latter would replace him, Jonathan helped David escape. Even though Jonathan, humanly speaking, was the one expected to sit on the throne because he was the son of the king, he decided to protect his friend David, recognising that he would be the next king (see 1 Samuel 23:17).
Are you praying that you could be a friend that would lift a person up and lead this person closer to the Lord?
Here are some Bible verses that will encourage you to help a friend in need.
Ecclesiastes 4:9-10 – "Two people are better off than one, for they can help each other succeed. If one person falls, the other can reach out and help. But someone who falls alone is in real trouble."
John 13:34-35 (Jesus) – "So now I am giving you a new commandment: Love each other. Just as I have loved you, you should love each other. Your love for one another will prove to the world that you are my disciples."
Psalm 1:1-3 – "Oh, the joys of those who do not follow the advice of the wicked, or stand around with sinners, or join in with mockers. But they delight in the law of the Lord, meditating on it day and night. They are like trees planted along the riverbank, bearing fruit each season. Their leaves never wither, and they prosper in all they do."
John 15:12-15 (Jesus) – "This is my commandment: Love each other in the same way I have loved you. There is no greater love than to lay down one's life for one's friends. You are my friends if you do what I command. I no longer call you slaves, because a master doesn't confide in his slaves. Now you are my friends, since I have told you everything the Father told me."
Romans 12:9-10 – "Don't just pretend to love others. Really love them. Hate what is wrong. Hold tightly to what is good. Love each other with genuine affection, and take delight in honouring each other."
