Yesterday in the #CornerstoneVerseOfTheDay we talked about how we receive grace and peace through the knowledge of God and Jesus. Today's verse is telling us to get all the advice and instruction that we can so we can be wise. I know I have quoted this before, but this quote defines wisdom perfectly:
"Wisdom is the ability to live according God's pattern in all areas of life." Dr. Robert Jeffress
We are to glean as much advice and instruction as we possibly can from others. Another wonderful quote is from a well-respected horseman:
"It takes 3 lifetimes to perfect horsemanship; but we are only given one. So we must borrow from as many others as we can." Jack Brainard
We are meant to commune with one another, learn from one another, and build one another up. One of my favorite non-fiction books, is 'The Genius of Ancient Man'. In it is a bar graph showing how Noah was less than 100 years from actually knowing and speaking to Adam. Methuselah lived long enough to know both Adam and Noah. Can you imagine all of the wisdom that could have been shared? The first man to ever live, live in the perfect Garden of Eden and then suffer through the fall of man. He could have shared all of his wisdom and knowledge with others after him; if they would have listened.
We know how that account ended, it ended in the Lord destroying the whole earth by flood because He was grieved by the wickedness of man (Genesis 6:5-7). If man had only listened to the advice and instruction of those who lived before them it may have been different; or it may not have. You see we have a problem with sin, we are tempted by our own flesh and we give in all to easily because the flesh is weak. It is only by the spirit that we can resist temptation.
Jesus, who is God personified, showed us exactly how we are to combat temptation in Matthew 4:1-11. Every time the enemy, Satan, tempted Jesus in the wilderness, Jesus always responded with scripture by saying, "It is written." This is exactly how we are to combat sin in our lives as well.
The Bible is full of advice and instruction, if you don't understand it then find someone who lives according to the scripture and ask them to teach you. We can find no better advice or instruction than that which comes from the Word of God. We are not to be just hearers of the word, we are to do what it says (James 1:22).