Do you have a tried-and-true friend, someone that you can pour your heart out to and trust implicitly with everything going on in your life, both good and bad? I was curious about the friends we make in our lives, so I did a Google search and discovered that on average, we make roughly 29 real friends in our lifetime, and only 6 last for the long term. Pretty staggering when you think of how many people we come into contact with in life, and that only a handful remain as true friends. This is true of my own life, and now in my sixties, I can count on one hand the number of people who I would consider lifelong friends and confidants.

My longest-term friend is also my age, and we have known each other since grade 7. We don’t see each other more than once a year because of the distance between us and only talk on the phone periodically, but that doesn’t whitewash the lasting friendship that we enjoy. On those occasions when we visit in person, it’s like we were just together the other day and we pick up right where we left off. That’s a solid friendship.

There is a Bible verse in Psalms 62 that tells us about the best friend that you will ever have, and this best friend will never leave you nor forsake you. You can blurt out your heart to him, take refuge in his arms, and trust him without reservation. This buddy is always there for you and never goes on vacation. He will never judge you or put you down. In fact, this pal seeks you out and craves your friendship above all else. Psalms 62:8 says this: “Trust in him at all times, you people; pour out your hearts to him, for God is our refuge.” (NIV)

Jesus Christ is our truest friend, and he even gave his life for you and me on the cross at Calvary to prove it. I’ve read that the cross displays the riches of his grace toward us, which explains how he so openly welcomes sinners as his friends. Because of that, we can relate to Jesus as a friend and still honor the authority that he has over our lives.

In John 15:14, Jesus tells us, “You are my friends if you do what I command. I no longer call you servants, because a servant does not know his master’s business. Instead, I have called you friends, for everything that I learned from my Father I have made known to you.” (NIV)

A best friend is there for you 24/7, 365 days per year. A best friend knows your heart and accepts you as you are, faults and all. Jesus covets your heart, and he knows us better than we know ourselves, and between you and me, that’s the type of best friend that I want on my side of the court. Friendship swells on conversation, and as we read God’s word, tell him our burdens, and confess our sins, we can receive from his hands as we pray and thank him for his direction in our lives.

As mentioned before, I do not have a lot of close personal friends, but I am beyond grateful for my very best friend, Jesus. There is a wonderful quote from Drew Hunter, a pastor at Zionsville Fellowship, Indiana, that sums things up beautifully. “Jesus chose us as friends; he died for us friends; he caused us to trust him as our friend, and he will remain our friend for the endless ages to come. What a friend we have—moment by moment, now and forever—in Jesus.

What a friend we have in Jesus!

Paul Smyth