A dear friend of mine sent me a text message that said, “I’m so glad we can tell each other the good, the bad, and the ugly!” We have been friends for many years, and we have learned to share our joys and our failures.

1. Real Friendships Are a Gift From God
By Neil Dembeck
A dear friend of mine sent me a text
message that said, “I’m so glad we can
tell each other the good, the bad, and the
ugly!” We have been friends for many
years, and we have learned to share our
joys and our failures. We recognize we
are far from perfect, so we share our
struggles but we also rejoice in each
other’s successes.
David and Jonathan had a solid friendship too,
beginning with the good days of David’s victory
over Goliath (1 Sam. 18:1–4). They shared their
fears during the bad days of Jonathan’s father’s
jealousy (18:6–11; 20:1–2). Finally, they suffered
together during the ugly days of Saul’s plans to
kill David (20:42).
Good friends don’t abandon us when external
circumstances change. They stay with us
through the good and the bad days. Good
friends also may point us to God in the ugly
days, when we may feel tempted to walk away
from our Lord.
Real friendships are a gift from God because
they exemplify the perfect Friend, who remains

2. loyal through the good, the bad, and the ugly
days. As the Lord reminds us, “Never will I
leave you; never will I forsake you” (Heb. 13:5).
Dear Lord, I thank You for the good friends You have
placed in my life, but above all, I thank You for Your
friendship.