Proverbs 27:9 – Ointment and perfume make the heart glad, and the sweetness of a friend comes from his earnest counsel.
The sweet-smelling aroma of ointments and perfumes fills the space around them and can create strong memories as the olfactory system connects to the brain’s limbic system. The limbic system aids in memory and emotion. When I smell freshly cut grass, I return in my mind to my Grandparent’s property, where I cut grass for many hours on summer days. Sometimes, when I enter a room, it will have a smell that connects me back to a chapel in college where I often prayed. These are pleasant memories, making my heart glad. This is not the case with all smells!
This wise saying in Proverbs 27:9 parallels a glad heart arising from a pleasing aroma to the earnest counsel of a friend, creating a sweetness or gladness of heart. My heart is made glad when I think of a mentor who has earnestly counseled me. In my journey with the Holy Spirit, I find that He desires to earnestly counsel me throughout my daily life as I move my heart toward Him. Through brief pauses, giving Him what concerns, and inquiring, like a good friend, He gives me counsel that directs me in the way of integrity. In recent days, experiencing internal anxiety about a life transition, when I quiet myself and lean toward the Lord, I receive rest and gentle instruction that I am putting too much pressure on myself.
We have God as our Counselor and Comforter with us at all times. This does not mean we resist community with our brothers and sisters in Christ, but it does mean that we have One within us, closer than any other, that knows our hearts more than we do or any human. You can experience His earnest counsel arising from friendship with Him.
Thank You for Your earnest counsel, Holy Spirit. I want to live a life of fellowship with You, creating many memories of a life lived with a dependent heart filled with your joy and peace.