Hear Well!

Hear Well!

The ear that listens to and learns from the life-giving rebuke (reprimand, censure) Will remain among the wise. PROVERBS 15:31 AMP

Which of these questions would you consider to be the most important: what you hear, who you listen to or how you react to what you hear? One speaks to your power over the things you allow to leave an impression on your heart; one speaks to the people you give the power to affect your life, either for good or bad; the other speaks to the choice you have on how you react to what you hear. When you consider it all, you realise that really, all the questions are important.

Firstly, I do have power on the things I allow to impress my heart. The world is always speaking, seeking to mold me to its will and pattern; the Word is also always speaking, seeking to mold me to the will of the Father. There is no fence on this one; I must decide one way or the other where my loyalties lie. Secondly, the world and the Word have human agents all around me. Depending on where I want to go or what I want to do, there is no shortage of advice. However, the end of either choice you make has eternal consequences.

Thirdly, because the choice of eternal destination is mine, I cannot hold anyone else responsible for how my life turns out. There is a part of God in me, imparted when God breathed into me. I will always have that part of God in me, and I get to decide to listen or ignore. Today's extract simply hits the nail on the head by saying it is wisdom to listen to the right kind of advice. How would you know what is right? Simply because no matter how evil a man gets, he has a part of God in him that he cannot kill. He can learn to ignore, but he cannot kill it. That's why man will use drugs, wine or women to attempt to fill the gaps in the heart, but unless and until God fills that space, nothing else will work.

Want to be wise? Learn to listen to the wise counsel, correction and advice of the wise. Who is wise? The one who has submitted totally to the only wise God. Even when you make mistakes, God does not let go, as long as you return to Him and cry for his mercy. He wants to guide, and he wants to take glory in and through your life. Would you let him? His time of favour is here.