Listening to Wise Advice

Hello there.

Welcome in. It's time for another devotional from your friends at Our Daily Bread. The writer for today is Con Campbell, and the reading is titled, Listening to Wise Advice. During the American Civil War, President Abraham Lincoln once found himself wanting to please a politician, so he issued a command to transfer certain Union Army regiments. When the Secretary of War, Edwin Stanton, received the order, he refused to carry it out. He said that the President was a fool. Lincoln was told what Stanton had said, and he replied, If Stanton said, I'm a fool, then I must be, for he is nearly always right.

I'll see for myself. As the two men talked, the President quickly realized that his decision was a serious mistake, and without hesitation, he withdrew it. Though Stanton had called Lincoln a fool, the President proved wise by not digging in his heels when Stanton disagreed with him.

Instead, Lincoln listened to advice, considered it, and changed his mind. Have you ever encountered someone who simply wouldn't listen to wise advice? It can be infuriating, can't it?

Or even more personal, have you ever refused to listen to advice? As Proverbs 12.15 says, The way of fools seems right to them, but the wise listen to advice. People may not always be right, but the same goes for us.

Knowing that everyone makes mistakes, only fools assume they're the exception. Instead, let's exercise godly wisdom and listen to the wise advice of others, even if we initially disagree. Sometimes that's exactly how God works for our good. Now let's hear the wisdom of scripture.

This is today's Our Daily Bread devotional scripture reading, and it's taken from Proverbs chapter 12, verses 2 through 15. Good people obtain favor from the Lord, but He condemns those who devise wicked schemes. No one can be established through wickedness, but the righteous cannot be uprooted.

A wife of noble character is her husband's crown, but a disgraceful wife is like decay in his bones. The plans of the righteous are just, but the advice of the wicked is deceitful. The words of the wicked lie in wait for blood, but the speech of the upright rescues them. The wicked are overthrown and are no more, but the house of the righteous stands firm. A person is praised according to their prudence, and one with a warped mind is despised. Better to be a nobody and yet have a servant than pretend to be somebody and have no food. The righteous care for the needs of their animals, but the kindest acts of the wicked are cruel.

Those who work their land will have abundant food, but those who chase fantasies have no sense. The wicked desire the stronghold of evildoers, but the root of the righteous endures. Evildoers are trapped by their sinful talk, and so the innocent escape trouble. From the fruit of their lips people are filled with good things, and the work of their hands brings them reward. The way of fools seems right to them, but the wise listen to advice. Now let's pray. Heavenly Father, teach us your ways and help us to avoid foolishness. When someone pushes back against something that we've said or some decision that we've made, would you give us humble hearts that are open to the wise counsel of others, knowing that all wisdom comes from you? And so, Lord, we thank you, and it's in Jesus' name that we pray. Amen.