Working off bad information

Working off bad information

Bible: Proverbs 23:9-12

Reading

Apply your heart to instruction and your ears to words of knowledge (V.12).

On a recent trip to a big city, I wanted to go out one evening and hire a taxi from the hostel to meet some friends at a restaurant. After entering the journey details into the taxi service’s app, I gulped hard when the screen showed the price for the short trip would be over a thousand pounds! After I calmed down, I realised I had accidentally asked for a ride home—a few hundred miles away! If you’re working with the wrong information, you’re going to end up with bad results. Always. This is why Proverbs tells us to “apply [our] heart
to instruction and [our] ears to words of knowledge”—God’s wisdom (PROVERBS 23:12). If we instead look for advice from people who pretend to know more than they do and who don’t follow God, we’ll be in trouble. They “scorn . . . [sensible] words” and can lead us down wrong paths with unhelpful, selfish or even dishonest advice (V.9). Instead, we can turn our “ears to words of knowledge” (V.12). We can read about God’s instructions, guidance and ways in the Bible. And we can listen to people in our churches who know and love God. The Bible and God’s people will help us go the right way and make smart decisions. God will never lead us the wrong way. If we’re listening, He’ll always guide us towards full life and wholeness.

THE WORLD’S WISDOM ALWAYS LEADS TO DEAD ENDS,

BUT GOD’S WAYS ALWAYS OPEN UP NEW HORIZONS.

Youth Edition – Our Daily Bread Ministries