Daily Devotion: Proverbs 27:17

Proverbs 27:17 "Iron sharpeneth iron; so a man sharpeneth the countenance of his friend."

I remember, growing up, having a whet rock in one of the kitchen drawers. When a knife became dull, that stone would be taken out and the knife edge rubbed back and forth, making it sharp. That stone was well worn from use.

Solomon tells us that our friends should make us sharper just as that stone makes the knife sharper. The book of Proverbs has much to say about seeking wise counsel. There is safety in true counsel of a friend. There is encouragement in the true counsel of a friend. There is direction to be found in the true counsel of a friend. Friendly wisdom shared with another makes us sharper in our own decision making and actions.

We are told from childhood to be careful in choosing our friends (acquaintances, companions). We saw back in chapter 18 that there is a friend who sticks closer than a brother. His name is Jesus, Wonderful, Counselor, the Mighty God, Prince of Peace. His friendship sharpens us more than any other.

Daily Devotion: Enter With Thanksgiving - Psalm 100:1-5

One of the most beautiful Psalms of Thanksgiving is the 100th Psalm. Please turn to it and read verses one through five. With all my heart I believe we are a people and a nation that has truly been blessed by God. Of all those who “give thanks to Him and praise His name” we should be at the top! It is not uncommon to compile wish lists at Christmas, and draw up a list of resolutions for the new year. But there is another list we often overlook - a Thanksgiving Day list of all for which we are thankful. What would your list contain? Most likely, a good part would be material possessions. I’m convinced that we would find that we have much more for which to be thankful than just our material possessions. Like you, I’m sure my list would include the major things - life, health, family, friends, and the nation we live in, despite all its flaws. But even more than that, I’m thankful for my salvation, my Church family, and the mercy that God showers upon us each d...

Daily Devotion: Psalm 100:4-5 - Thanksgiving

Psalm 100:4-5 "Enter into his gates with thanksgiving, and into his courts with praise: be thankful unto him, and bless his name. (5) For the LORD is good; his mercy is everlasting; and his truth endureth to all generations." Many songs have been written about these verses and with these words included. What do they mean? Today, we celebrate the holiday of Thanksgiving. I've listened to many people speak about their family traditions and most of them include family, food, and football. These are wonderful and fun things that enrich the day, but is it the true meaning that was intended when the day was established? The Psalmist instructed us to include a special action with our words of thankfulness. We are to "enter into HIS gates." The heartfelt words of thanksgiving allow us to enter the gates of the Lord, but there is a much deeper place into which we can go. Not only are we to enter into HIS gates, but He invites us to come much closer to H...

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