Today’s Reading: Proverbs 27:5-10
Faithful are the wounds of a friend; but the kisses of an enemy are deceitful. Proverbs 27:6 KJV
Think about a time when a friend said something honest to you and it caused you pain.
Did you make well of what they were saying?
We all must recognize that, “Open rebuke is better than secret love.”
That “Faithful are the wounds of a friend; but the kisses of an enemy are deceitful” (Proverbs 27:5,6 KJV).
Solomon is telling us that plain and faithful rebukes are better.
That a love which compliments sin, is hurtful to the soul.
The problem is that more often than not, we would rather be ruined by praise.
Any actions of expressing disapproval is not readily accepted.
This is because truth hurts.
It bruises our ego and makes us uncomfortable.
It calls for us to make a change.
Faithful friends never take pleasure in hurting one another.
They love too much to keep the truth hidden from each other.
With loving courage they will point out what we may already know but find hard to really accept and live by.
Solomon was honoring such friendship in his proverbs.
Reminding us that there is a heart of care that will not only tell us what we like to hear but also what we need to hear.
Jesus took it further.
He endured the wounds of our rejection.
He did it not only to tell us the truth about ourselves, but to show us how much we are loved.
May we never forget that a friend is one who can tell us the truth.
One who does it all in love.
Let us do what we can to be faithful friends.
Reaping the blessings of God for our honest labors.
Enjoying as many earthly blessings as is good for us.
A WORD OF PRAYER
Father, there will always come a time when a faithful friend will say something honest. They will be speaking from a heart of love. It may not be what we want to hear. It may be something that causes us pain. We know that what they say is for our benefit. That they only want the best for us. Remembering that the Savior sacrificed His life for us to make it possible to live a good life. That He will always place someone in our lives to help us stay on track. That You will always have a way of getting a message to us. Thank You for all the blessings You send our way. Let us be wise in accepting the message they bring us from You.
In Jesus Name We Pray, Amen