True Friendships

"Do not boast about tomorrow, for you do not know what a day may bring. Let someone else praise you, and not your own mouth; an outsider, and not your own lips. Stone is heavy and sand a burden, but a fool's provocation is heavier than both. Anger is cruel and fury overwhelming, but who can stand before jealousy? Better is open rebuke than hidden love. Wounds from a friend can be trusted, but an enemy multiplies kisses. One who is full loathes honey from the comb, but to the hungry even what is bitter tastes sweet. Like a bird that flees its nest is anyone who flees from home. Perfume and incense bring joy to the heart, and the pleasantness of a friend springs from their heartfelt advice. Do not forsake your friend or a friend of your family, and do not go to your relative's house when disaster strikes you--better a neighbor nearby than a relative far away."

- Life is hard when we go through it alone, so God has given us the precious gift of friendships. There are many different types of friendships, and some friends are better than others. So how can we discern what makes a good friend? Honest friends who inform us of our mistakes are better than friends who say nothing at all. Love is shown through our actions: a true friend will let you know when you are in the wrong, even if it is uncomfortable to do so. Verse 9 talks about the sweetness of a friend who gives loving advice when you are going through tough times. Deep and lasting friendships develop through honesty, hardships, and helping one another.

Affectionate Advice

"Be wise, my son, and bring joy to my heart; then I can answer anyone who treats me with contempt. The prudent see danger and take refuge, but the simple keep going and pay the penalty. Take the garment of one who puts up security for a strange; hold it in pledge if it is done for an outsider. If anyone loudly blesses their neighbor early in the morning, it will be taken as a curse. A quarrelsome wife is like the dripping of a leaky roof in a rainstorm; restraining her is like restraining the wind or gasping oil with the hand. As iron sharpens iron, so one person sharpens another. The one who guards a fig tree will eat its fruit, and whoever protects their master will be honored. As water reflects the face, so one's life reflects the heart. Death and Destruction are never satisfied, and neither are human eyes. The crucible for silver and the furnace for gold, but people are tested by their praise. Though you grind a fool in a mortar, grinding them like grain with a pestle, you will not remove their folly from them."

- In these verses, we benefit from some earnest counsel from a father to his son. The author urges his son to live in wisdom because it will give the father honor before others. There is wisdom in being prudent and avoiding danger. On the other hand, loud and obnoxious behavior will usually be cursed. Having good friends will help you to grow in maturity, and diligent work will be rewarded. But if you leave your insatiable desires unchecked, they will lead you to destruction. How you live is a very reliable representation of the state of your heart. If you want to know someone's true character, watch how they respond to praise from others. It will reveal what motivates their hearts.