Word of Encouragement for Every New Day ~ 22 Oct 2007

Word of Encouragement for Every New Day ~ 22 Oct 2007

Today’s word of encouragement is dear to my heart. The importance of seeking and discerning wise counsel. The desire to want to learn and grow must never die in us. The moment we lose the passion to learn we will grow stagnant. But, we need to discern wise counsel. There are many people who claim to be wise, but if they do not follow God’s word, honestly it is useless information. In 1 Kings 12:3-15 we can learn so much from the life of King Rehoboam who first asked advice from the elders but then asked advice from his friends. 1 Kings 12:3, “So they sent for Jeroboam, and he and the whole assembly of Israel went to Rehoboam and said to him: 4 "Your father put a heavy yoke on us, but now lighten the harsh labor and the heavy yoke he put on us, and we will serve you." 5 Rehoboam answered, "Go away for three days and then come back to me." So the people went away. 6 Then King Rehoboam consulted the elders who had served his father Solomon during his lifetime. "How would you advise me to answer these people?" he asked. 7 They replied, "If today you will be a servant to these people and serve them and give them a favorable answer, they will always be your servants." 8 But Rehoboam rejected the advice the elders gave him and consulted the young men who had grown up with him and were serving him. 9 He asked them, "What is your advice? How should we answer these people who say to me, 'Lighten the yoke your father put on us'?" 10 The young men who had grown up with him replied, "Tell these people who have said to you, 'Your father put a heavy yoke on us, but make our yoke lighter'-tell them, 'My little finger is thicker than my father's waist. 11 My father laid on you a heavy yoke; I will make it even heavier. My father scourged you with whips; I will scourge you with scorpions.' " How sad it is in this day and age, that people are seeking for advice, seeking for the truth, seeking for the meaning of life. Let us all be wise today, seek advice from wise counsel. We need discernment because there are many fools who claim to be wise, but deep down they are just simply fools. © Oct 2007 Shaun Lee