My wife and I try to have a date night each week where we go to a local deli. I have often observed a table of friends who gather together, many of them seniors. One evening, I overheard their conversation as they were celebrating their many years of friendship. I heard them remark that while the numbers of this group have decreased as the years have gone by, the group’s friendships have stayed intact.  They have remained friends through different marriages and other experiences. I marveled at how their friendship has lasted so long. Their love and devotion to each other seems rich. Every time I see them, I thank God for their gift of friendship. New friends are great, but there is something about those who have traveled life’s journey with you. In Proverbs, 27:6, we find these words:

“Wounds from a sincere friend are better than many kisses from an enemy.”

The writer, in this one sentence, gives us a wonderful definition of a good friend. He indicates that the kisses of the enemy can be poisonous, but a friend shares genuine love. A friend should not be deceitful or mean-spirited, but sincere and genuine. If you have one true friend, not an acquaintance or a colleague, you are blessed. On the other hand, prayerfully you are a faithful friend that is trustful, true and loyal. We all need to know that we have a friend in Jesus. The songwriter writes, “There’s not a friend like the lowly Jesus, no not one, no not one.” As He is faithful to us, may we be faithful to Him.