Friends

The words friend, friends, friendly, and friendship are found in 18 verses in the book of Proverbs.

A friend is a person who is attached to another by feelings of affection or personal regard; a person who gives assistance and support; a person with whom one has a bond of mutual affection. In common use, by “friend” we most often mean someone outside of familial or sexual relationships.

Friendship can be superficial (on the surface, shallow).

• Proverbs 14:20 The poor is hated even of his own neighbour: but the rich hath many friends.
• Proverbs 19:4 Wealth maketh many friends; but the poor is separated from his neighbour.
• Proverbs 19:6 Many will intreat the favour of the prince: and every man is a friend to him that giveth gifts.
• Proverbs 27:6 Faithful are the wounds of a friend; but the kisses of an enemy are deceitful.

Friendship can be beneficial (resulting in good).

• Proverbs 27:6 Faithful are the wounds of a friend; but the kisses of an enemy are deceitful.
• Proverbs 27:17 Iron sharpeneth iron; so a man sharpeneth the countenance of his friend. 

Friendship can be substantial (genuine, tangible).

• Proverbs 17:9 He that covereth a transgression seeketh love; but he that repeateth a matter separateth very friends.
• Proverbs 27:9 Ointment and perfume rejoice the heart: so doth the sweetness of a man’s friend by hearty counsel.

Friendship can be perpetual (continuous, ongoing). 

• Proverbs 17:17 A friend loveth at all times, and a brother is born for adversity.
• Proverbs 18:24 A man that hath friends must shew himself friendly: and there is a friend that sticketh closer than a brother.

Jesus is a friend. 

The Bible says so. 

• Luke 7:34 The Son of man is come eating and drinking; and ye say, Behold a gluttonous man, and a winebibber, a friend of publicans and sinners!
• Luke 12:4 And I say unto you my friends, Be not afraid of them that kill the body, and after that have no more that they can do.
• John 15:15 Henceforth I call you not servants; for the servant knoweth not what his lord doeth: but I have called you friends; for all things that I have heard of my Father I have made known unto you.

We often sing about it.

• He dies, the friend of sinners dies (Isaac Watts)
• Jesus, Thou art the sinner’s friend, As such I look to Thee (Richard Burnham)
• What a friend we have in Jesus, all our sins and griefs to bear! (Joseph Scriven)
• I have found a friend in Jesus—He’s everything to me, He’s the fairest of ten thousand to my soul. (Charles W. Fry)
• There’s not a friend like the lowly Jesus, No, not one. (Johnson Oatman, Jr.)
• Jesus is all the world to me, My life, my joy, my all...He’s my friend. (Will L. Thompson)
• Now I have a dear friend, Jesus is mine; His love shall ever end, Jesus is mine. (H. J. M. Hope)
• In thee do we trust...our Maker, Defender, Redeemer, and Friend. (Robert Grant)
• Come life, come death, come, then what will, Jesus is my Friend. (Unknown)
• I’ve found a Friend, oh, such a Friend! He loved me ere I knew Him; He drew me with the cords of love, And thus He bound me to Him. (James Grindlay Small)

It is good to have true friends in this world. If a person lives long enough, his or her close friends are likely to change (perhaps several times). Jesus is our friend who loves at all times, that sticks closer than a brother, our “forever friend” – Jesus Christ the same yesterday, and to day, and for ever (Hebrews 13:8).