When we are in the midst of some terribly painful experience, we find great comfort from a friend who stays nearby. It may be our pain while suffering in a hospital bed, or our grief while weeping beside the casket of a loved one, or our heartache while realizing that a close friend has turned against us. In any of those hard times we gain strength from that special, loyal friend whose presence assures us that we don’t have to deal with this alone.
That principle has been pointed out many times by those who have taught from the book of Job. The enormous pain that crushed that godly man’s soul, emotionally (and then his body, physically) motivated his friends to come near and sit with him (Job 2:11-13). He was helped, though very imperfectly and sometimes incorrectly, not by what they said, but just by not leaving him alone in his hurt. We have all known how much having a friend stay with us amidst our tragedies has meant to us.
The best friend we could possibly have is Jesus. In John 15:15, He has called us His friends. In Hebrews 13:5 He promises never to leave us. In Ephesians 1:11, He assures us that He is in total control. In Romans 8:28, He promises that He will cause all things to work out for His glory and our good. His friendship is better than any mere human being. He doesn’t just make us feel better by His presence, but with power and love actually works to carry us through our hard times, and to bring good from our troubles. And so we sing of that in such hymns as “Jesus, What a Friend for Sinners” and “I’ve Found a Friend, O Such a Friend.”