Day 227 - Pigs

Faithful are the wounds of a friend. 

—PROVERBS 27:6 

My grandfather told me of the time a neighbor invited him over to see how well his litter of pigs was doing. My grandfather noticed one pig had a large boil on its cheek making it squeal in pain when it tried to eat. He grabbed the pig, who squirmed and protested the whole time, and lanced the boil. Immediately the pig became quiet and audibly sighed; the pain of the cut was nothing compared to the relief the pig received. 

The wounds we receive from true friends and from our Father above release poison and bring relief. These are to be distinguished from infectious wounds received from false friends and the enemy that produce only pain. When we receive a wound, we can ask ourselves if it expels poison and replaces it with life from above, or if it merely points out error to hinder us through guilt and deliver more condemnation. Too often believers have been told they must do better, and yet when they get one heel and two fingertips on the ledge out of the pit of despair, the same person who told them to improve appears to step on their fingers.