THE ART OF LISTENING

THE ART OF LISTENING

Listen to counsel and receive instruction, that you may be wise in your latter days. Proverbs 19:20

Cease listening to instruction, my son, and you will stray from the words of knowledge. Proverbs 19:27

I have these two verse numbers circled in my Bible with a line in the margin connecting them. Like all Freedom Fighters, I need both lines of instruction. Life gets no less complicated as all of us get older. Temptation doesn't retire from our lives when we reach a certain age. We all need increasing wisdom as the days in which we live get more evil.

That wisdom to "live life skillfully" comes our way through counsel and instruction. We receive it in several different ways. Reading the Word of God regularly will counsel and instruct us. Good and godly friends can provide counsel and instruction if we're willing to open our lives to them. Consistent attendance in a good, Bible-teaching church offers God's Spirit time to teach us wisdom and instruction.

Listening is the key, however. If we get all that counsel and instruction without listening, we'll live our latter days without wisdom. If we pay attention to the counsel and attention God brings into our lives, we'll live out our latter days full of wisdom.

The Proverbs Writer brings us to look at the dark side of the listening issue, too. While wisdom comes our way when we do listen, danger awaits us if we don't listen. We all know the consequences of not listening. Most of us have paid heavy prices for thinking we knew better than those who offered counsel and instruction.

If I could paraphrase verse twenty-seven, here is what I would say: Quit paying attention to your teachers, my son, and you're bound to get into trouble. When we learned to drive, the person teaching us continually told us to keep our eyes on the road. I'm a sightseer, and I have to be careful. When I take my eyes off the road, the car often strays from the center of the lane. That's not a good thing!

So it is in life. If we quit listening to wise counsel and godly instruction, we'll stray from the safe path God has for us. We'll get into trouble. The option to listen or not to listen is ours. Freedom Fighters who wage the battle for moral purity and godliness will choose to listen.

Don't forget: Wisdom comes through listening. Danger comes when we don't listen. (Pastor John Strain -- First Baptist of Toms River)

TWO GREAT CONCERTS COMING UP AT AMERICA'S KESWICK:
Dinner Concert with Steve and Annie Chapman -- Saturday, June 24th 6:30 PM -- Call today for reservations: 800-453-7942.
Ralph Carmichael Band and Dave Boyer -- Friday evening, July 7th. Call today for a special Freedom Fighter for this concert only.

Have a great day!