Proverbs 27 - 7.4.24
Proverbs 27:9, 17
S - 9 Perfume and incense bring joy to the heart,
and the pleasantness of a friend
springs from their heartfelt advice (NIV)
17 As iron sharpens iron,
so a friend sharpens a friend (NLT)
O - Proverbs 27 is an inspirational guide on navigating life's challenges and relationships with wisdom. It imparts the significance of humility, the importance of genuine friendship, and the value of diligent work and prudent stewardship. These words of wisdom are timeless, offering guidance for life in any era and reminding us that while life may be unpredictable, wisdom will always guide us towards a life of integrity and fulfillment. These verses elaborate on the essence of true friendship, advising the reader to value and maintain strong friendships (Biblehub.com)
A – Growing up I had a handful of close friends who have stayed with me through adulthood. I treasure those relationships for the value they have because we have been through decades of life together…laughter, tears, children, losing parents, and getting old! LOL However, only one of those friends is a Believer and as a young woman I was hurting and longing for something more. When I became Christian 23 years ago, I discovered it was JESUS I missed in those friendships and why I still could feel so alone even though I love them dearly. When I discovered friendships through my church family it opened my world to deep, spiritual connections with like-minded brothers and sisters. THIS is what I was missing. There is something life-giving about growing in the Word together, and doing life together while we partner with God to bring others to know HIM. I am always amazed to think back on how lonely I was in my youth and to see how blessed I am now, with so many great friends that I honestly can’t get enough time in with any of them! I have learned that the only way we can sharpen each other and help each other grow is to be present (which means being focused and engaged on the here and now, not distracted or mentally absent). It includes self-sacrifice, opening your home to others, letting people see your “mess”, inviting people to coffee or lunch, taking the time to check in on people and see how they are really doing. It may mean holding one another accountable or showing someone an area you believe them to be in sin, or causing themselves harm. God created us to be in relationship with Himself and with other believers and to work together to invite the unsaved into relationship with Him. It is a privilege, and it feeds the SOUL.
If you haven’t been involved in small groups, outreaches, or you have never invited anyone to meet you outside of church, I would encourage you to seek God on how you can make that happen, and with whom. And when you are struggling with something, don’t isolate or attempt to solve the problem on your own. Seek God of course, but also seek the counsel of a Christian brother or sister. I promise it isn’t as scary as it might seem, and you may find that others have been where you are. Or maybe you have just gotten busy with your own life lately and have been MIA for a while. I encourage you to take the opportunity to connect with your DSC family. God will work through each of us to give wise counsel to each other IF we seek Him and seek out helping others.
P – Lord Jesus, I pray you would put other’s who need some wise counsel in our thoughts and in our path. I pray that you will give us the WISDOM needed in each of the situations we come across to help encourage those people. Help us to take off the blinders to what other people need, to put others FIRST as you have called us to do, to sacrifice our time, money and comforts in order to bless someone who needs a tangible connection. I pray you continue to use me to bless others and to have discernment when others need connection. Help us amid our busy lives to not let anyone in our DSC family slip through the cracks unnoticed. Help each of us to be SEEN. In Jesus’ name I pray.
- Crystal Flory