READ: 1 SAMUEL 20:32-42; LUKE 1:26-45; HEBREWS 2:18

Do you know Mary’s story well? It begins when the angel Gabriel appeared to her and told her that she would be carrying the Messiah, the Son of God. Mary was a virgin and probably a teenager at the time. How did she explain this to her parents? Did they believe her? Did she tell her peers? Did they think she was crazy? These are some of the questions that came to my mind.

But there’s something about Mary’s story I never noticed until recently: Mary’s story contains a beautiful picture of true friendship. God knew that Mary would probably have a tough time finding someone to believe her—even her fiancé Joseph had doubts at first. God understood how Mary felt and provided her a friend! That person was Elizabeth, Mary’s cousin. Like Mary, Elizabeth had experienced a miracle from God. Elizabeth was pregnant in her old age after being childless for many years. She was able to understand what Mary was going through and believe her. In fact, when Mary went to look for Elizabeth, the baby in Elizabeth’s womb leaped for joy (Luke 1:41-44). Both pregnant women were able to share each other’s joys and burdens.

Another example of true friendship in the Bible is David and Jonathan in the Old Testament. They were great friends even though Jonathan’s father, King Saul, wanted to kill David because David was chosen by God to be the next king. Despite this opposition, Jonathan went against his father and protected David. They had sworn friendship with each other in the name of the Lord, and they parted in tears at the end (1 Samuel 20:41-42).

Friendship is a wonderful gift from God. Sometimes God provides a special person to support us in our times of need. It may be a neighbor, or a church friend who has gone through a similar experience, or somebody else. But that’s not all. God sent His Son Jesus to earth. Jesus is able to understand all the pain, suffering, and temptations we go through. So whenever we’re facing hardships or temptation, we can turn to Jesus for help (Hebrews 2:18; 4:14-16). He is our dear friend who will never forsake us (John 15:13-15; Hebrews 13:5). • Kelly Choy

• Do you have someone you can confide in? If so, consider taking a moment to thank God for bringing this friend into your life. If not, you can ask God for this anytime.

• Is there anyone in your life you could come alongside of and support through a difficult time? Consider taking a moment to pray for this person and ask God for His guidance and help.

A friend loves at all times, and a brother is born for a time of adversity. Proverbs 17:17 (NIV)