Like Water to a Thirsty Soul
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Daily Passage
Reflections
We are entering again into a new section of The Book of Proverbs. Beginning with chapter twenty-five, verse one, the section moves through to chapter twenty-nine, verse twenty-seven and is known as the Proverbs of Solomon and is thought to be collected by scribes of King Hezekiah’s court. They were thought to be copied and distributed.
I did a quick check of King Hezekiah. Biblically, he is referenced in 2 Kings 18–20, Isaiah 36–39, and 2 Chronicles 29–32. He is mentioned here in Proverbs 25:1. The prophets Isaiah, Jeremiah, Hosea, and Micah describe him. He was a respected king, a little too boastful at one point, but one interested in reform. Perhaps that is why he gathered and distributed these sayings of Solomon?
]As I read these words, I am taken by all of the similes. With the use of figurative language, creative mental images are stimulated through this sequence of comparisons, exposing listeners and readers to fresh ways of looking at something that is so common that it is often overlooked.
When I pull them out, as translated by the New Revised Standard Version, I find there are 11 of them within these 28 verses (in other versions, some of them are written as metaphors). I will list them here:
A word fitly spoken
is like apples of gold in a setting of silver (11).
Like a gold ring or an ornament of gold
is a wise rebuke to a listening ear (12).
Like the cold of snow in the time of harvest
are faithful messengers to those who send them;
they refresh the spirit of their masters (13).
Like clouds and wind without rain
is one who boasts of a gift never given (14).
Like a war club, a sword, or a sharp arrow
is one who bears false witness against a neighbor (18).
Like a bad tooth or a lame foot
is trust in a faithless person in time of trouble (19).
Like vinegar on a wound[ ]
is one who sings songs to a heavy heart (20).
Like a moth in clothing or a worm in wood,
sorrow gnaws at the human heart (20).]
Like cold water to a thirsty soul,
so is good news from a far country (25).
Like a muddied spring or a polluted fountain
are the righteous who give way before the wicked (26).
Like a city breached, without walls,
is one who lacks self-control (28).
Most of these are negative images. Out of the 11 here, only 4 are positive: verses 11, 12, 13, and 25.
Verses 11 and 12 work together to describe the importance of the advice of a friend. The wise words of a friend given at the right time are like custom made jewelry. How beautiful! This is definitely something to meditate on today. Sometimes, we are blessed to have someone who has our back in our lives. Someone who knows us very well and who cares deeply for us. When, we need a friend, they are there, and they save their words until the opportune moment and then they share their advice which is custom made, just for us! What a beautiful image, what a blessing! We must be open for times like this. And when considering, I can say that verse 25 also works here - for if we are open to the advice of a good friend it would be “Like cold water to a thirsty soul . . . good news from a far country (25).
friendship
“The way to find a needle in a haystack is to sit down .”
— Beryl Markham, West With the Night
Eight Affirmations of Gratitude
I am grateful for good advice.
I am thankful for friendship.
An give thanks for welcomed news.
I am thankful for messengers.
I am thankful for creativity in writing.
I give thanks for helpful comparisons.
I am thankful for beautiful images.
I am grateful for fresh ways of looking at things that are often overlooked.
Questions to Consider
Am I open to the advice of a good friend?
How can I cultivate my friendships?
Am I there when others need me?
Blessings
Thank you for joining me. Love and light to you my friends. Namaste.