DAILY?READINGS: 1 Samuel 16; Isaiah 55 to 56:8; Romans 2
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. Psalm 141:5
Scripture uses metaphors to confirm the necessity of godly exhortation in our lives: “Faithful are the wounds of a friend” (Prov. 27:6). “Iron sharpens iron” (Prov. 27:17). Hebrews instructs us to continue exhorting one another daily (Heb. 3:13). For this reason believers are to be in subjection to each other in the fear of God (Eph. 5:21). None of us are perfect, so the feedback we receive from others may be amiss, but there is usually something to be learned from it. Take advantage of what is profitable, and just forget the rest. —W. A. H.
The call is Thine: be Thou the Way, and give us men, to guide;
Let wisdom broaden with the day, let human faith abide. —L. Benson