July 11

It is better to hear the rebuke of the wise, than for a man to hear the song of fools. For as the crackling of thorns under a pot, so is the laughter of the fool. — Eccl 7:5-6

A friend to chide me when I’m wrong,
My inmost soul to see:
And that my friendship prove as strong
For him as his for me.
— John Quincy Adams.

Our chief want in life is somebody who shall make us do what we can: this is the service of a friend.
— Ralph Waldo Emerson.

Prayer

My Father and Friend, who calleth me to check the progress of the wrong, make me submissive and eager for what is right, that I may learn and uphold to others thy purposes and desires. Amen.