Reading your Bible for Today January 30

January 30: Proverbs 18:13-15

KJV Key Verse: Proverbs 18:15
15 The heart of the prudent getteth knowledge; and the ear of the wise seeketh knowledge.

Devotion:
How often do we make our minds up before we hear the whole story? How often do we come up with a conclusion before we hear all the facts? If we are going to be honest, then we would probably say we do that most of the time, but we don't air our views all the time. But how dangerous it is to make up our minds before we know the facts. We see this sort of thing every day as some people go about worshipping their idols in various ways and other go about worshipping gods that declare war on everyone at the drop of a hat. It is the people who have made up their minds without hearing the whole truth who are going to be in for a shock when they do find out the truth!

We face a similar battle internally every day as well. We face the battle against sin and temptations. The more we give in to sin and the more we are tempted by those temptations, the more we find we are not able to resist them – the easier they become to do. That weakness grows within us until it then become Satan's strength. That weakness has grown into something we stood against and it now consumes us from the inside out.

We need to listen to God's Word day in and day out to make sure we will be prepared to stand up to those things that we don't think about – the ones which have become habits. We need to listen to His Word to make sure we do gain strength from Him. We need to grow in that strength, knowledge and wisdom so we have the wherewithal to stand up and fight those temptations. We need to listen to His guidance so we know that we walk with Him all the time. How can we fail to stand against them if we have Him by our side?

God is wonderful. He is our counsellor. He is our strength. He is our guide. All we need to do is listen... really listen to what He has to say about our lives and follow His wisdom!

Points to Ponder:
Do you get into trouble by listening to others?

God will never tempt us! Listen and learn...