You've Got A Friend

It was James Taylor who sang the song, “You’ve Got A Friend.” The lyrics to the song go like this…

When you're down and troubled
And you need a helping hand
And nothing, nothing is going right
Close your eyes and think of me
And soon I will be there
To brighten up even your darkest night

You just call out my name
And you know wherever I am
I'll come running, oh yeah baby, to see you again
Winter, spring, summer or fall
All you've got to do is call
And I'll be there, ye, ye, ye
You've got a friend

If the sky above you
Should turn dark and full of clouds
And that old north wind should begin to blow
Keep you head together
And call my name out loud now
Soon you'll hear me knocking at you door

You just call out my name
And you know wherever I am
I'll come running, oh yes I will, to see you again
Winter, spring, summer or fall, ye
All you have to do is call
And I'll be there, ye, ye, yeah

Ain't it good to know that you've got a friend
When people can be so cold
They'll hurt you, and desert you
And take your soul if you let them, oh yeah, don't you let 'em now

You just call out my name
And you know wherever I am
I'll come running to see you again, oh baby, don't you know
Winter, spring, summer or fall
Hey now, all you have to do is call
And I'll be there, yes I will
You've got a friend
You've got a friend, yeah

Ain't it good to know you've got a friend
Ain't it good to know you've got a friend
Oh, ye yeah, you've got a friend (song ends)



Ecclesiastes 4:8-12 in my bible is titled, “The Value of a Friend.” It says, “Two are better than one, Because they have a good reward for their labor. For if they fall, one will lift up his companion.  But woe to him who is alone when he falls, For he has no one to help him up. Again, if two lie down together, they will keep warm; But how can one be warm alone? Though one may be overpowered by another, two can withstand him. And a threefold cord is not quickly broken.”

There is something special in friendship, something powerful. Think about it. Just two people working together and living in agreement can do great things! The passage in Ecclesiastes 4 is not talking about marriage but friendship, companionship and the benefits it provides. Some relationships will drain you but friendship will strengthen you. There is synergy in friendship, a strength no one can know alone. By synergy I mean, one person may lift 50 pounds, while the other, 60 pounds. Together they are able to lift 150 pounds. Friendship always helps us to be able to carry more!

The best part of the entire passage to me is what we read next, “A threefold cord is not quickly broken.” Every time I read that passage I am reminded of Jesus words when He said, “For where two or three are gathered together in My name, I am there in the midst of them" (Matthew 18:20). Consider a piece of thread and put the passage to the test. You can easily snap a single piece of thread with little effort. Two pieces of thread is more difficult. But, take a third piece of thread and wrap it around the other two and it’s nearly impossible to break! That third piece of thread represents Jesus. He is the glue that holds each of us together, it’s Jesus who can join a man and woman in marriage and individuals in friendship.

Thank God for the gift of friendship, for the people in your life today that lift you up, who warm your heart and who stand by you in those moments where you feel like you could break at any moment. And most of all thank God today for bringing the right people into your life at just the right time. They truly are a gift from God. I like the saying that goes like this, “Some people come into our lives for a season, some for a reason, and others for a lifetime!” Each play an important role as we make our way through life, and all are a gift from above.

The good news of the gospel is each of us can enjoy a lifetime friendship and beyond with Jesus Christ! After all, it was Jesus Himself who said, “Greater love has no one than this, than to lay down one's life for his friends” (John 15:13). Continuing on in verses 15-16 explaining the friendship that exists between Jesus and His followers and the advantage a friendship with Jesus offers, “No longer do I call you servants, for a servant does not know what his master is doing; but I have called you friends, for all things that I heard from My Father I have made known to you. You did not choose Me, but I chose you and appointed you that you should go and bear fruit, and that your fruit should remain, that whatever you ask the Father in My name He may give you.”

What a friend we have in Jesus! To know all we have to do is call His name and He will be there! What a friend we can have in one another when Jesus lives in me and in you! To love one another as Jesus has loved us. It’s been well said, “A true friend is found in times of trouble. When trouble strikes and the world is walking away your friend will be coming to you.” With that in mind, take some time today and thank God for the gift of friendship, for those in your life who through thick and thin have been there for you!

“A friend loves at all times”

Proverbs 17:17

I LOVE YOU!