5 Minute Read
Be Still
To the best of your ability, get rid of all distractions. Take a couple of minutes to breathe deeply, to quiet yourself in the Lord’s presence. Then, prayerfully ask the Lord to speak to you in this time and let Him know that you will be listening and will make whatever adjustments He will reveal to you.
Today’s Bible Reading:
2 Chronicles 1:1–3:17
Romans 6:1-23
Psalm 16:1-11
Proverbs 19:20-21
Listen to the Lord
Slowly and reflectively read the following verses and listen to what God will say to you through them. Then, consider writing down any insights He reveals to you.
Proverbs 19:20 (NLT): “Get all the advice and instruction you can, so you will be wise the rest of your life.”
Reflections from Scripture:
One thing I’ve noticed about most of us – we want others to think highly of us.
So, motivated by this self-centered pride, we find it challenging to take counsel from others. We are afraid that if we are always listening and appearing to learn from others, they may think that we are incompetent or dumb.
That’s why we like to periodically spout off our two cents worth in conversations and why we find it so difficult to listen and learn from others.
Yet, Proverbs 19:20 essentially tells us to swallow our sinful pride, listen and learn from others.
Proverbs 19:20 (NLT): “Get all the advice and instruction you can, so you will be wise the rest of your life.”
Simply put, we don’t learn when we are drawing from our own well. We only learn when we sit at the well of others’ knowledge and draw from it.
A Sunday School teacher once told me: “God gave us one mouth and two ears because He apparently wants us to listen twice as much as we talk.”
That’s great counsel. And when we apply its truth, we will “be wise the rest of (our) life.”
Spend Time in Prayer
Lord Jesus, give me the humility to be honest with my limitations. Develop within me a greater hunger to be a lifelong learner. I desire to spend time with Your Word every day and then listen to others who are more intelligent and wiser than me. In this way, I can have the mind to live a good life and then be a source of blessing to the next generation that is willing to listen and become wise. I pray this in Your Name, Amen.
Matt Ellis is the pastor of First Baptist Church in Polk City, Florida (fbcpolkcity.com). His latest book is God’s Grace in the Real World. Connect with him on Facebook, Twitter, or LinkedIn.
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