Oscar Wilde noted, "If a friend of mine gave a feast, and did not invite me to it, I should not mind a bit...But if a friend of mine had a sorrow and refused to allow me to share it, I should feel it most bitterly." A true friend is there in times of rejoicing and in times of sorrow and need (Ecclesiastes 4:9-12). A true friend is not easy to find. God called Abraham His friend, and Jesus called His followers His friends. Human friends can fail at times because they are human—but a friend does not want to fail.

Friends stand with us through adversity and help us. We can be that friend to those who we call friend, and they can be that to us. One such friend in a lifetime is a blessing, and two such friends is almost a miracle. We ought to treasure a true friend and show ourselves friendly to him (Proverbs 18:24). We do mind if a friend is celebrating and rejoicing and does not invite us, and we do mind if a friend is troubled and shuts us out. But that does not end our concern for our friend. When he sees our face, he will always know he sees the face of a friend.