He
layeth up sound wisdom for the righteous (Prov 2:7)
Earthly Blessings From The Lord: Friendship: Proverbs
27:3-6
3) A stone [is] heavy, and
the sand weighty; but a fool's wrath [is]
heavier than them both.
4) Wrath [is] cruel, and
anger [is] outrageous; but who [is] able to stand before envy?
5) Open rebuke [is] better
than secret love.
6) Faithful [are] the wounds
of a friend; but the kisses of an enemy [are]
deceitful.
In
this chapter, Solomon directs our attention to several different earthly
blessings that given to us by our gracious Lord…
EXPOSITION:
In
this devotion, we will be looking at the blessing of friendship compared to
estrangement caused by anger...
3) A stone [is] heavy, and
the sand weighty; but a fool's wrath [is]
heavier than them both.
When
the Lord blesses us with the friendship of others, we should avoid uncontrolled
anger…
1. A foundation stone is painfully heavy and
sand is a burden
2. The hot uncontrolled anger of those who do
not apply God’s Word to their lives is more of a burden.
A
stone used in foundations (massive and strong) is much like wet sand, both are so
heavy it produces pain when it is lifted and moved. However, the hot anger that is carried around
by those who reject God’s Word creates much more pain and difficulty for
themselves. Due to their hot anger, they
mistreat and harm others constantly which brings upon themselves enmity and
recompense from those they have abused.
It
is this type of anger that will separate between the closest of friends and
place a lasting enmity between them.
“For wrath killeth the
foolish man, and envy slayeth the silly one.” (Job 5:2)
4) Wrath [is] cruel, and
anger [is] outrageous; but who [is] able to stand before envy?
When
the Lord blesses us with the friendship of others, we should avoid envy…
1. Hot, uncontrolled anger is fierce and
unrelenting
2. Uncontrolled passionate opposition overwhelms
as a flood
3. Who is able to remain unmovable in the path
of jealousy?
Another
great destroyer of friendship is jealousy.
Although extremely harmful, in some cases, anger and cruelty can be
overcome by resolving whatever issue(s) is causing the enmity. However, when it comes to jealousy, it is
very difficult to satisfy those who are envious of our persons or
possessions.
“And even as they did not like to retain God
in [their] knowledge, God gave them over to a reprobate mind, to do those
things which are not convenient; Being filled with all
unrighteousness, fornication, wickedness, covetousness, maliciousness; full of
envy, murder, debate, deceit, malignity; whisperers, Backbiters, haters of God,
despiteful, proud, boasters, inventors of evil things, disobedient to parents, Without understanding,
covenantbreakers, without natural affection, implacable, unmerciful: Who knowing the judgment
of God, that they which commit such things are worthy of death, not only do the
same, but have pleasure in them that do them.”
(Romans 1:28-32)
5) Open rebuke [is] better
than secret love.
When
the Lord blesses us with the friendship of others, we should cultivate open,
honest, beneficial relationships …
1. Correction that is done in the sight of all is
more desired and beneficial
2. than a love that is unrevealed
As
difficult as it is to accept public correction, when done from a motive of love
and concern, it can be a wonderful gift that can work lasting benefits in our
life. This is far better than someone
who keeps their concern and love a secret, and in doing so, will not give kind
words of correction when needed.
When
we think about it, what good is it to love someone when we are not willing to
intervene in their life and attempt to help them at every opportunity? True friendship will “step up” and do what is
difficult to help a friend when they need it.
“He that rebuketh a man
afterwards shall find more favour than he that flattereth with the tongue.” (Proverbs 28:23)
6) Faithful [are] the wounds
of a friend; but the kisses of an enemy [are]
deceitful.
When
the Lord blesses us with the friendship of others, we should promote faithfulness…
1. Beneficial and trusted is the pain given from
a friend.
2. Misleading and ravaging are the gentle
touches of one who opposes us.
Although
many times, needed counsel and criticism can bring us short term pain, when we
know it is coming from someone who is concerned for our welfare, we know it was
meant to profit us. However, when we receive
outward displays of affection from those who are motivated by personal gain and
antagonism, we must realize they are
only meant to deceive and work eventual harm to us.
One
of the ultimate blessings of friendship is knowing that a true friend can be
trusted at all times. We can rely on
them to only do what is for our best motivated from a heart of love and
concern.
“Let the righteous smite
me; [it shall be] a kindness: and let him reprove me; [it shall be] an
excellent oil, [which] shall not break my head: for yet my prayer also [shall
be] in their calamities.” (Psalms 141:5)
SUMMARY:
One
of the greatest, and perhaps overlooked, earthly blessings from the Lord is the
blessings of friendship. When we possess
a true friend we can know that they can be counted on to always do what is for
our benefit whether help in times of need or correction to get us back on
track.
May
we all possess Godly wisdom and live our lives for Him.
By
God’s grace, let us all study these proverbs diligently, giving them the value
that they deserve.
May the
Lord bless us as we receive this sound wisdom and then “Think On These Things”.
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