Our wisdom for today comes from Proverbs 17:17.
“A friend loves at all times, and a brother is born for adversity.”
The most overused word in the English language may be the word “friend.” How many friends do you have? Some make a long list of all their friends. Those who do confuse the word “friend” with the word “acquaintance.” Today’s verse tells us the test of a real friend. The test? A friend loves at all times.
During the good times, it’s easy to have “friends” around. But the true test of friendship comes during tough times. A real friend is someone who loves you no matter what, through thick and thin. They are there to celebrate your successes and to help you in your failures.
Perhaps this is best seen in the story of the Prodigal Son. He takes all of his inheritance and goes to a far country. With money comes friends to help him spend. But when he “wasted all his money,” and was poor, he tried to find someone to give him something to eat, but as Jesus said, no one would give him “anything.” The friends who will celebrate with you, but run from you when you need help, were never really friends, they were merely acquaintances.
Everyone needs a friend, but to find out who they are, ask yourself whether they are with you when life is against you. As Proverbs says, “A friend loves at all times.”
I’m Lonnie Davis
And these are words worth thinking.