Pay it Forward

Reading for Today: Proverb Chapter 19

Gold Nugget

Verse 20: “Listen to counsel and receive instruction, that you may be wise in your latter days.”

Commentary

Many people want to teach and instruct others in areas that they themselves have not learned. We all know someone that seems to have expertise on every subject. If you mention something about hunting, they will begin to tell you all there is to know about hunting. If you mention skiing, they will tell you all about the details of skiing. Hanging around this person long enough will allow you to see them fumble the ball as they speak on something you have actual knowledge of. You find that they are really just experts at pretending. We think of this person and probably get a little embarrassed for them. Now that we have isolated this person, imagine that you are the one who seems to be the expert in all matters. It isn’t difficult if you really try. One of the ways to imagine yourself as the subject matter expert in all things is to imagine your inability to listen and receive instructions from others.

We may not boast of our knowledge, but being too prideful to receive counsel and instructions will put us in the same place. If we listen now and learn, we will one day have the wisdom in our inventory to be able to pay it forward. That is to say, if we receive life preserving counsel and instruction today, one day we will be able to help give life preserving counsel to others. We can pay it forward as mentioned in today’s “gold nugget”, “Listen to counsel and receive instruction, that you may be wise in your latter days.”

Prayer

Lord, help us to gather all of the wisdom we can today through receiving counsel and instruction, so  we may be able to posses and share wisdom in our latter days. Amen

If you are reading this devotional in an e-mail and would like to post a comment, click on this link http://proverbfortoday.org/