Working off Bad Information
"Apply your heart to instruction and your ears to words of knowledge."
Proverbs 23:12
Proverbs 23:12
On
a recent trip to New York City, my wife and I wanted to brave a snowy
evening and hire a taxi for a three-mile ride from our hotel to a Cuban
restaurant. After entering the details into the taxi service’s app, I
gulped hard when the screen revealed the price for our short jaunt:
$1,547.26. After recovering from the shock, I realized I had mistakenly
requested a ride to our home—several hundred miles away!
If you’re working with the wrong information, you’re going to end up with disastrous results. Always. This is why Proverbs encourages us to “apply [our] heart to instruction and [our] ears to words of knowledge”—God’s wisdom (Proverbs 23:12). If we instead seek advice from those who are foolish, those who pretend to know more than they do and who have turned their back on God, we’ll be in trouble. They “scorn . . . prudent words” and can lead us astray with unhelpful, misguided, or even deceptive advice (v. 9).
Instead, we can bend our “ears to words of knowledge” (v. 12). We can open our heart and receive God’s liberating instruction, words of clarity and hope. When we listen to those who know the deep ways of God, they help us receive and follow divine wisdom. And God’s wisdom will never lead us astray but always encourages and leads us toward life and wholeness.
If you’re working with the wrong information, you’re going to end up with disastrous results. Always. This is why Proverbs encourages us to “apply [our] heart to instruction and [our] ears to words of knowledge”—God’s wisdom (Proverbs 23:12). If we instead seek advice from those who are foolish, those who pretend to know more than they do and who have turned their back on God, we’ll be in trouble. They “scorn . . . prudent words” and can lead us astray with unhelpful, misguided, or even deceptive advice (v. 9).
Instead, we can bend our “ears to words of knowledge” (v. 12). We can open our heart and receive God’s liberating instruction, words of clarity and hope. When we listen to those who know the deep ways of God, they help us receive and follow divine wisdom. And God’s wisdom will never lead us astray but always encourages and leads us toward life and wholeness.
Today's Reflection
God, bend my ears and heart toward wisdom. Help me be open to Your truth and push away every kind of foolishness.
That story is horrifying and yet funny! It is easy to get caught up in the misinformation that bombards us at every turn...the world's definition of what is valuable, entertaining, etc. It is so important that we constantly aspire towards God's definition of what is valuable and worth our time and effort. It can be too easy to put off His direction for our lives and this is a great reminder to hold steadfast to His word and guidance and not be sucked in to the wrong direction.
ReplyDeleteToday's devotion taken from Proverbs 23: 12 reminds of a scene from a Australian movie called "Muriels Wedding." The character of the father is portrayed as a corrupt politician. At the end of the movie with his family is disarray and his career in tatters, he says something very telling
ReplyDeleteBill : I was nearly in State Government. Four million votes I needed. No one knew who won for three days 'till the postal vote came in. For three days I was almost there... You reap what you sow. You'd think I'd learn that growing up on a farm. You reap what you sow.
Wow this story is so interesting! When I was reading, I was shocked at first! Why so much! I do love this overall message. The Lord wants us to listen and follow good knowledge and wisdom. To seek Him, to find the truth! I love this verse what it talks about. The enemy wants us to stray and seek those that lead us astray, but the Lord is mighty and puts amazing people in our lives to help us along in leading us towards wisdom and good decisions.
ReplyDelete“apply [our] heart to instruction and [our] ears to words of knowledge”—God’s wisdom (Proverbs 23:12) Thank you so much for sharing.
Hah! Good reminder to also be open to be wrong and corrected!
ReplyDeleteOur media today is easy to consume only our own perspective and not hear or regard any other way of seeing. It is so important to try to maintain a bigger perspective and not close down into our own tidy little bubble. God help us to do this in these contentious times!
ReplyDelete