Thursday’s Blog – A Word of Advice

Thursday’s Blog – A Word of Advice

Proverbs 13:13 – Whoso despiseth the word shall be destroyed: but he that feareth the commandment shall be rewarded.

Bible Challenges and Comments

Taking heed to instruction is hard for most of us, we rebel when told what to do but we mostly do it anyway and because we did not pay attention the result of what we did is wrong or not up to the standard expected. Through wisdom the house is built and by understanding it is established; Proverbs 24:3. Instruction is a needed way of life, but I am more than convinced. Most of us put the instruction manual of life and projects in life aside and just gut it out!

I once had a part-time work of writing instruction manuals for the assembly of equipment purchased by the military. This was after I retired and only lasted about a year. I thought it was a bit ironic, me who seldom referred to a manual on anything and now I am to be an authority on how to assemble a deck winch on a tug boat or how to install a wiring harness on a patrol boat for the radar.

Here is the rub and no doubt I said this before, my wife and I have read a chapter of Proverbs nearly every day over the past twenty-five years. In our early days reading Proverbs was like eating stale bread. Well here we are today and if you look back at these blogs you we see that I have referred to Proverbs much more than I could ever have thought. One thing I realize is that the way of instruction is wise to the one who heeds it and is the way of destruction to the one who does not.

Reading, talking, listening and applying instruction is really what life should be about but “who is paying attention?” I believe we are a bit upside down when it comes to taking heed to instruction. In fact; you have seen this yourself, you begin to instruct someone (pick any subject) and “wham” they take over the conversation and know the subject better than you do even though they have never done it before.

Having a bit of wisdom is good, but if one does not have instruction on how to use that wisdom is as dangerous as carrying a loaded weapon and not knowing which way to point it to protect yourself. Now these are not things that we have not heard before; actually we hear similar challenges throughout our day at work, or our evening at church. So in a very real sense, if we fail to heed instruction, it is shame on us.

We boast to one another about the things we know and yet I am convinced that most of us should keep the mouth shut, in that; the fool is considered wise when he or she remains silent Proverbs 17:28. Well enough is enough isn’t it because with many words, sin is present, Proverbs 10:19 so I should harness what I am writing and pay attention to the instructions and commands of God’s Holy Word.