Rhythm and blues artist Rihanna sang of the power of friendship to pull us through cloudy weather in her hit song Umbrella. “Now that it’s raining more than ever,” she sings, “Know that we’ll still have each other; You can stand under my umbrella.” An umbrella is a memorable metaphor for our need to help each other, but it also indicates how little we can actually do for our friends.

An umbrella is flimsy—perfect for a summer shower but useless in a driving rain or stiff wind. I’ll gladly hold the umbrella for the loved ones in my life, but there will be days when they’ll need so much more. When we stagger against the pounding surf of betrayal, cancer, and foreclosure, we don’t need a mere umbrella. We need a rock.

David wrote a song when he was rescued from the stormy pursuit of Saul. And though David’s chorus lacked the catchy Caribbean rhythms of Rihanna, his content was even more inspiring. He said he was drowning in the sea of despair: “The waves of death overwhelmed me; floods of destruction swept over me.” So “I called on the Lord, who is worthy of praise, and He saved me from my enemies” (2 Samuel 22:4-5).

Rihanna’s song makes an excellent point, but it also illustrates the poverty of those who don’t know Jesus. She sings, “I’ll be here forever. Said I’ll always be your friend. . . . So go on, let the rain pour, I’ll be all you need and more.” Sure, Rihanna means well, but she’s promising her friend more than she can deliver. The fact is that she won’t be here forever. She can’t be “all you need.” No one can.

Thank God for the umbrellas in your life. Take them as His signs for what you really need—a rock, a fortress, and a Savior.

NLT 365-day reading plan passage for today: Exodus 9:8–10:29