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wounds of a friend

Proverbs 27:1-27 (JDV).

Proverbs 27:1 Don’t boast about tomorrow, because you don’t know what a day might bring.
Proverbs 27:2 Let another praise you, and not your own mouth — a stranger, and not your own lips.
Proverbs 27:3 A stone is heavy and sand, a burden, but aggravation from a fool outweighs them both.
Proverbs 27:4 Fury is cruel, and anger a flood, but who can withstand jealousy?
Proverbs 27:5 Better an open rebuke than concealed love.
Proverbs 27:6 The wounds of a friend are trustworthy, but the kisses of an enemy are too much.
Proverbs 27:7 A throat which is full tramples on a honeycomb, but to a hungry throat, any bitter thing is sweet.
Proverbs 27:8 Anyone wandering from his home is like a bird wandering from its nest.
Proverbs 27:9 Perfume and incense make the heart glad, but the throat is torn by trouble.
Proverbs 27:10 Don’t abandon your friend or your father’s friend, and don’t go to your brother’s house in your time of calamity; better a neighbor nearby than a brother far away.
Proverbs 27:11 Be wise, my son, and bring my heart joy, so that I can answer anyone who taunts me.
Proverbs 27:12 A sensible person sees danger and takes cover; the morally naive keep going and are punished.
Proverbs 27:13 Take his garment, for he has put up security for a stranger; get collateral if it is for foreigners.
Proverbs 27:14 If one blesses his neighbor with a loud voice early in the morning, it will be counted as a curse to him.
Proverbs 27:15 An endless dripping on a rainy day and an arguing wife are alike;
Proverbs 27:16 the one who controls her controls the wind and grasps oil with his right hand.
Proverbs 27:17 Iron sharpens iron, and one person sharpens another.
Proverbs 27:18 Whoever tends a fig tree will eat its fruit, and whoever looks after his master will be honored.
Proverbs 27:19 As water reflects the face, so the heart reflects the person.
Proverbs 27:20 Sheol and Abaddon are never satisfied, and people’s eyes are never satisfied.
Proverbs 27:21 A crucible refines silver, a smelter refines gold, and a person refines his praise.
Proverbs 27:22 Even if you could grind a fool in a mortar with a pestle along with grain, you would not separate his foolishness from him.
Proverbs 27:23 Know well the condition of your flock, and pay attention to your herds,
Proverbs 27:24 because wealth is not permanent; not even a crown lasts for all time.
Proverbs 27:25 When hay is removed and new growth appears and the grain from the hills is gathered in,
Proverbs 27:26 lambs will provide your clothing, and goats, the price of a field;
Proverbs 27:27 there will be enough goat’s milk for your food — food for your household and nourishment for your female servants.

wounds of a friend

One of the tests of real friendship is the courage to rebuke when your friend needs it. We are all fallible, and the LORD sometimes calls on us to point out the rough spots in the lives of those closest to us. If we have built a relationship that ensures our friends of our faithfulness both to the LORD and to them, they will understand where our criticism comes from. But we have to risk it, even if they do not understand.

LORD, give us the love for our friends to sharpen them when they need it. Also, give us the wisdom to accept sharpening when our friends need to rebuke us.