As I thought of this devotion, I could not help but think of the value of a true friend, for a true friend loves at all times. If you have one true friend, you are blessed. There are many who claim to be friends, but when their friendship is tested, it does not meet the test. Friends will go the extra mile. They will love unconditionally and be with you when you are right or wrong. I have heard people say I will be with you when you are right. However, I need friends when I fall, stumble, make mistakes and when I am wrong. Know you have a friend who will not abandon you when you need them most. This is a true friend. Jesus is a loyal and true friend. In the book of Wisdom, Proverbs 18:24 we read of a true friend:

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

In this passage, we see the quality of a good friend. Notice that the writer indicates that anyone who has friends must show himself or herself to be friendly. Put it another way, if you want a true friend, then you must be a true friend. A faithful friend is beyond price: a true treasure. As you look at this portion of scripture, it lets us know beyond the shadow of a doubt that a true friend’s value cannot be measured. Prayerfully, you have true friends because you are a true friend. Before we indicate we do not have any true friends, we must ask ourselves, “Am I a loyal friend? Can friends count on me?” Sometimes, self-examination is hard, but you cannot appreciate the value of a true friend without looking at yourself. Have you been hurt by a true friend? Have you hurt a true friend? These questions go together. I pray that at the end of your inventory, you have been a true friend and you know the friend of all friends, Jesus.