Listening to God

DEVOTION
PROVERBS
LISTENING TO GOD
Prov 12:15
15 The way of a fool seems right to him,
but a wise man listens to advice.
NIV
I know a whole lot of people who would like to make this out as a great saying about listening to what they have to say about how I should live. They might try to convince me that I would be wise man if I would only listen to their advice about how I should be doing something or that there are some things that I am doing which they would advise I stop or adjust the way I do it. I know I have be accused of being stubborn or set in my ways, closed minded, and rigid. Recently I have been accused or judged as one who is not willing to grow, to accept new ideas, new thoughts about or to expand my thinking to include the ideas and thoughts of that person, who happens not to be a believer in the Lordship and deity of Jesus Christ. I have to admit that I am not willing to accept advice from people, because God declares the people’s hearts are deceitfully wicked, which does include mine of course. All people are equal in God’s eyes, as well as in mine, which then surely means no man is wiser then I, nor am I wiser than any man. God declares, in fact, that man’s wisdom is foolishness to him, so why would I ever what to listen to any advice spawned from foolish wisdom. Because my way does seem right to me, it does not make me a fool, because it is not my way, but God’s. The advice I listen to comes from the only qualified source of good and wise consul. What good advice can foolishness provide me? But God’s Word can advise me on every good and perfect aspect of life. I think that in fact those who do not know Jesus Christ as personal Lord and Savior who accuse me of being closed minded and set in my ways are, in fact, closed minded and set in their ways, unwilling to listen to the advice from God, and thus are the real fools. Their end will not be good, but mine will be glorious. When I step into eternity I there will be great rejoicing in my spirit. I have listened to the advice of the Holy Spirit and I have accepted Jesus Christ as my Lord and Savior, and I continue to listen to his advice as to how I should live, where I should live, what I should do with the life he has given me, and how I should benefit his Kingdom through the gifts he has bestowed upon me. This is not about listening to men, but all about listening to God.