“Oil and perfume make the heart glad, and the sweetness of a friend comes from his earnest counsel.” Proverbs 27:9
Devotional Thought For The Day
I hadn’t really thought about it much, why candles, perfumes, and even colognes are so pleasant. I always recognized that such pleasant smells made a person’s nose glad, especially if such fragrances were covering over something malodorous. But the proverb is right – such pleasant aromas do actually gladden our hearts. We could add a number of others – a campfire, freshly baked bread, cookies, pie, or a number of odors that emanate from a good barbecue, rain, a pine forest, flowers. The list could go on and on, and there is comfort, joy, anticipation of pleasure, and warmth of heart that these smells engender in us.
The comparison in our proverb is to the “sweetness of a friend.” However, it is not just “friendship” that is identified with the comfort and gladness of heart that pleasant odors bring. Two aspects of the friend’s sweetness are identified – his earnestness and gravity of commitment to friendship, so that his counsel is directed to the benefit of one’s soul. Such advice and council do not just touch one’s mind, but actually comfort, gladden, and strengthen one’s soul, the essence of one’s inner being. Such a friend is trustworthy, and we anticipate being lifted up and supported and improved just from being around them.
Such friendships are rare. Many prefer only gabbing, trite, and superficial friends. Many want only pats on the back, anesthesia, rather than truly good counsel. Many only want companionship in the activities they enjoy. Many are interested only in what a friend brings to them, and not in being a friend that gives to others. Many are willing to receive external acts of kindness but want no weighty advice. Many are unwilling even to give external acts of kindness and have no awareness at all of deeper friendship of heart. Many friends have no earnestness or commitment – they quickly shut down and look for a way of escape if any serious issues arise. If we are superficial this proverb is meaningless to us, and we remain impervious to any deep friendships. If we are superficial, we remain incapable of providing this kind of friendship to another.
There is one Friend that we have Who is always sweet in giving us earnest counsel and wholesome advice – and this is the Lord Jesus Christ, the Son of God, our dear Savior. And His advice and instruction is always aimed at our inner healing, refreshing, reforming, and renewing our very being in the best things, the ways of love. Sadly, we are often most reluctant to hear and receive His counsel, and to even allow Him to be our true friend. We’ll take a pat on the back, or perhaps His presence when we’re in danger, but we’re ready to take off if He tries to get to our hearts. Thankfully, He is a friend who forgives, who loves truly, who doesn’t give up on us, who is earnest in His love and care for us, and who holds on to us more powerfully than we can flee. It is impossible to overestimate His sweetness and goodness to us.
We can learn from Him, and by being around Him we are changed. Our own earnestness grows, our depth of caring and love for others, even for the health and warmth of their very hearts and souls. We grow more eager for their earnestness as well, and crave such depth of friendship. Most importantly our perseverance grows, our willingness to wait and to hold to friends even when they are fleeing from us. Yes, we forgive, even as our great Friend forgives us. May the pleasant odor of His love permeate your heart, mind, and soul, that you bring this odor to others. May He also grant you the blessedness of true friends who bring His odor to you!
Prayer For The Day
Dear Lord Jesus, thank You for always being our Friend, a true friend, one who has done great acts of love for us – Your redemption and atonement for our sins, and one who loves us enough to continue providing us with earnest counsel. Help us to appreciate Your friendship, and to grow more like You in our friendships with others. Amen.