A Friend Forever

A Friend Forever

There are “friends” who destroy each other, but a real friend sticks closer than a brother.

Proverbs 18:24

Have you ever heard the song “Friends” by Michael W. Smith: “And friends are friends forever if the Lord’s the Lord of them”? The Amish have a similar song of friendship, and it is sung at a key point in an Amish wedding reception.

Hymns were sung during the supper hour, which continued until ten o’clock. The bride and bridegroom during this time sent plates of extra delicacies—cakes, pie, and candies—from the Eck to their special friends seated in various parts of the house. The final selection sung after the evening meal was Guter Geselle (“good friend”), a religious folk song. This selection cannot be found in any of the Amish song books. It is largely sung from memory, although it has been printed in leaflet form. The first verse reads:

Guter Geselle, was sagest du mir?

O guter Geselle ich sage dir,

Sage dir was eins ist,

Eins ist der Gott allein,

Der da lebet und der da schwebet,

Und der den wahren Glauben führet

Im Himmel und auf Erden.

Good friend, what do you say?

O good friend I tell you—

I tell you what one thing is;

One is God alone,

He who lives and He who soars,

And He who leads the true Faith

In Heaven and on Earth.

We have friends who are there to celebrate our most important moments. There are friends for different seasons of our lives. The thing about friendship is that it must be mutual and reciprocal. There is no such thing as a one-sided friendship. Jesus wishes to be your friend today. He is the only friend who is closer than a brother—One who will never leave you. He will never forsake those who trust in and love Him. If Jesus is your truest friend for life, He will remain the same for eternity.

Today, pray and ask how you can grow in your relationship with Jesus. Strive to be a friend to others for your Savior’s sake. Friendship is a gift you both give and receive.

Dear heavenly Father, thank You for choosing to be my friend before I even knew You. Thank You for being my friend forever.