Day 41, Year 1
Becoming Obedient to God
“Like an earring of gold and an ornament of fine gold Is a wise reprover to a listening ear.” (Proverbs 25:12 NASB)
Yesterday we discussed that God guides sinners to the right path. Sinners need to obey His direction to return to the right path and receive His salvation. Indeed, Jesus will surely save His people from sins, but it requires us to be genuinely willing to obey Him and turn away from sins. Trusting, cooperating, obeying God, and departing from sins must be done according to His wisdom. Hence, it could be concluded that obedience to God in wisdom is key to acquiring biblical faith.
Obeying the truth of the Bible is of utmost importance. Particularly, receiving and obeying wise counsel from the Bible, as today’s verse suggests, becomes like an ornament of fine gold on our appearances. Today’s “wise reprover” refers to a living, wise person. The word “reprove,” yakach in Hebrew, means “to prove to be right, judge, correct, or rebuke.” The word “listen” in Hebrew, shama’, also means “to heed, understand, agree, consent, or grant requests.” In other words, those who obey God are eager to listen to His wise words and always be illuminated by them. Truly, wise judgment and corrections are as precious as fine gold in the hearts of those willing to listen and follow, shining forth the brilliant light of God’s life. Wise people are fully alive. Indeed, over the years, many wise sayings have been compiled into many books.
In reality, we who believe in biblical truth typically begin by accepting other wise counsel, heeding constructive criticisms and corrections, and thus walking on God’s right path. As we grasp the truth in the Bible, we embrace Him with a heart inclined toward goodness and obedience to God, thereby making our lives more precious and radiant. Thus, we who sincerely believe in God and experience transformation usually have a habit of seeking wisdom and changing our lives accordingly. In other words, we need a discerning heart that is open to self-reflection, capable of distinguishing right from wrong, receptive to constructive criticism, and willing to adjust our attitudes and behaviors according to His truth.
The Bible does not exclude alternate sources of wisdom that align with its teachings. For instance, toward the end of the Book of Proverbs, there are sayings of wisdom from other ethnicities. Also, as we will discuss tomorrow, John the Baptist, mentioned in the New Testament, walked in the path of righteousness. The way of repentance he preached paved the way for believers to accept the truth of the Lord Jesus.
Reflection questions:
1) Do you find yourself open to accepting advice, reflecting on it, and changing yourself accordingly? Which of these three is the most challenging for you, and how would you take it successfully?
2) Are you willing to accept constructive criticism without taking offense? If not, what do you need to do to improve yourself?