Title: One True Friend / Topic: Truth

This is my final post from our nation's capital, Washington DC. We have truly had a blessed time here including a wonderful Foursquare International Convention.

Today's Reading: Proverbs 25; Proverbs 26; Proverbs 27; Romans 15

Scripture: Proverbs 27:9 Perfume and incense bring joy to the heart, and the pleasantness of one's friend springs from his earnest counsel.

Observation: As I read this verse, I thought of the sweetness of friendship -- and the friends that I love and that love me. I am so blessed to have so many wonderful friends. The best friends are those who tell you the truth and give you "earnest counsel" as this verse puts it.

Application: And then I thought about one friend that always tells me the truth. This friend is always available to me. But this friend never intrudes -- actually there is an occasional intrusion but it is always so timely and so well targeted that it truly fulfills the definition of "earnest counsel." The sweetness of this friendship is real and so valuable that it is something I would not care to live without. And the more time I spend with this friend, the more I feel love for this friend. The friend I am speaking of is the Bible. What a blessed friend the word of God is. Think about it as you reread the verse: "Perfume and incense bring joy to the heart, and the pleasantness of one's friend springs from his earnest counsel." I don't know about you but this so connects with me as a perfect fit. This verse describes how the Bible blesses my life as the best of all my earthly friends.

Prayer: Dear Heavenly Father, thank You for the wonderful friend You are and for the gift of Your word as that friend which always speaks earnest counsel to my soul. Thank You for the comfort, encouragement, love, and gentle correction that come my way so faithfully from Your word. May I take what Your word tells me and work it into my heart, my mind, and all of my life.
This I pray in Jesus' name, Amen.