Another day in the Proverbs, another day of hearing things that directly challenge and encourage me. I know people refer to the Psalms and Soul Salve, but for me Proverbs fits that bill much better. And today the theme that jumped out and struck me was about listening. About gathering information in order to make informed decisions. This is not always something we are good at, and so it becomes a worthwhile challenge to hear. From today’s passage (all renderings are NLT):

Fools have no interest in understanding; they only want to air their own opinions. (18:2) Spouting off before listening to the facts is both shameful and foolish. (18:13) The first to speak in court sounds right—until the cross-examination begins. (18:17) Enthusiasm without knowledge is no good; haste makes mistakes. (19:2) Get all the advice you can, so you will be wise the rest of your life. (19:20) If you stop listening to instruction, my child, you will turn your back on knowledge. (10:27)

As James chapter 3 highlights so forcefully, the tongue has the most damage-inflicting power of any muscle in our bodies. James tells us it’s full of poison. All the more reason that we should seek council, listen to all the witnesses, and ask for what Paul Harvey would call “the rest of the story”.

As we read yesterday, there is a path that seems right to us, but is less to death. This is what we read about throughout the book of Judges! People did what was right in their own eyes and it led to horrific outcomes! If you don’t remember how bad it got, go read Judges 19 again. And then — after acting like fools — we wonder why God has abandoned us! Like we left Him behind to go our own way, and then act like it was His fault! And if we never learn to listen, we will end up in that same scenario over, and over, and over again.

People ruin their lives by their own foolishness and then are angry at the Lord (Proverbs 19:3)