Tag Archives: For lack of guidance a nation falls

Many Advisers

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Discipleship Devotional Study Guide – Becoming Like Christ - Day 325 - Proverbs 11:14 - Many Advisers - Growing As Disciples

Discipleship Devotional Study Guide – Becoming Like Christ – Day 325 – Proverbs 11:14 – Many Advisers – Growing As Disciples

For lack of guidance a nation falls, but many advisers make victory sure. Proverbs 11:14 (NIV)

Advisers

That is what I need. What is it that you need? I need wise advisers to give me good counsel. Why is that? I can’t tell you how many times I have rushed a decision without seeking good counsel from wise and trusted advisers. What has been the result of rushing your decisions without seeking wise counsel? Quite often, I have fallen flat on my face. I have suffered harm. I have wasted time and energy and resources. I have had to retrace my steps. I have had to start over. I have had to begin again. That is not a fun process. No, it is not. It is a very painful way to learn valuable life lessons. Why do you suppose that you have failed to seek out wise advisers to give you good counsel? Here may be an even harder question for you. Why do you think you have failed to listen to the wise advisers that I have brought into your life? The answer seems obvious to me. I have been filled with pride. I have been stubborn. I have been independent. I have been self-reliant and self-sufficient. I have thought that I knew it all and that I had all the answers. I have foolishly been wise in my own eyes. On top of that, I have been impatient. That is not good. No, it is not.

What is the danger of being proud and stubborn, independent, self-reliant and self-sufficient, impatient and wise in your own eyes? I will not be able to receive your instruction. I will not be able to accept your guidance. I will not be able to know and do what you ask of me. My life will be unfruitful and unproductive. I will go through life bouncing from one thing to another. I will walk a crooked path. I will not accomplish or fulfill your plans for my life. You understand the danger before you quite well. I have learned by every one of the mistakes I have made. Yes, you have learned well.

How are you now living your life differently? I am admitting that I need advice. I don’t know it all. I need wise counsel. So, I am listening attentively to you. I am also listening closely to the wise counselors that you have brought into my life. I am receiving your instruction. I am following your guidance. Why is that? I want to go and do your will. I want to bear fruit for your kingdom. I want to bring glory to your name. I want to live a life that is good and right and pleasing to you. I want to live a life that has no regrets. One day I want to hear you say, “Well done, good and faithful servant.” Keep on listening to me. Keep on receiving wise counsel. Keep on following good advice. Yes Lord, I will. That will be very good. 

Lord, I have made many mistakes because I rushed a decision. I did not seek wise counsel. I did not listen to good advice. I did not rely on you or any wise counselors you brought into my life. Forgive my pride. I will act on all the good counsel you give to me. Amen

Key Question…  Why will you rarely regret taking a little extra time to receive advice before making a decision?

Living It Out… Allow the Lord to give you wise counsel through trusted advisers He brings into your life.

Seeing It Happen… Have faith that the Lord will give you wise counsel through trusted advisers He brings into your life.

Get Ready To Share…  Share with another person or your small group how you listen to and act on wise counsel from trusted advisers.

Prayer To Bless Others… May you listen to wise counsel from trusted advisers that the Lord brings into your life.

For today’s complete 4 page Discipleship Devotional Study Guide click here:

Becoming Like Christ – Day 325 – Proverbs 11-14 – Many Advisors – 4 Page Discipleship Devotional Study Guide

Please consider sharing these devotionals with others through the social media you use.

Individual users may save the Discipleship Devotional Study Guide to their desktop for private use. All the blanks in the study guides are fields that allow typed responses. To use the fields on the study guide you may need to open the guide with a free version of adobe reader.

By Jon Ulrich © All rights reserved                   Copying not permitted                      www.GrowingAsDisciples.com

Many Advisors

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Discipleship Devotional Study Guide - Guidance - Proverbs 11:14 - Many Advisors - Growing As Disciples

Discipleship Devotional Study Guide – Guidance – Proverbs 11:14 – Many Advisors – Growing As Disciples

For lack of guidance a nation falls, but many advisers make victory sure.  Proverbs 11:14 (NIV)

Wise Counsel

Do you want to be able to make wise decisions? Do you want to spare yourself the pain of making dumb mistakes? Do you want to know what wise people might have to say about a decision you are going to make or a course you are going to take? How many times have you seen someone about to make a bad decision that would most likely end in disaster? When have you known someone, who thought they knew it all and needed no wise counsel from others? When have you watched a stubborn person fail to benefit from wise counsel and make dumb decisions and stupid mistakes? That sounds a lot like me. I have not been the best listener. I have not been entirely open to wise counsel from others. There have been many times when I felt completely capable of making my own decisions without any help and advice from anyone. I thought I knew it all. I thought I had considered every possibility. I thought I had accounted for every eventuality.  I felt so confident and sure that I was making a good and wise decision. How has that worked out for you? I was wrong. I could not see what others could see. I did not know what others already knew. I had only my perspective. That has not been enough. I needed help. I needed counsel. I needed advice. I didn’t want it. I didn’t ask for it. I didn’t receive it. So, I have made many dumb decisions and stupid mistakes that have been costly in life. I’ve noticed. 

What have you learned? What have your dumb decisions and stupid mistakes taught you? What will you do now that you would not do before? I have learned that it is my pride that has made me unwilling to ask for and receive wise counsel from others. It has been my pride that has told me that I could make all my decisions alone without help from others. It has been my pride that has made me so falsely confident and unreasonably sure. What will you do with your pride? I will set my pride aside. I will acknowledge that I need all the help and wisdom I can receive from others. I will know without a doubt that I do not know it all. That’s good.

Do you know that I want you to be able to make wise decisions? I want to counsel you. I want to guide you. I want to guard you from the pain that stupid decisions and dumb mistakes has caused you. You must listen to my counsel. You must receive counsel from wise advisors that I will bring into your life. Will you listen to me? Will you listen to wise counselors that I bring into your life? Yes Lord, I will listen. You have my full attention. That is very good.

Lord, help me to listen to the wise counsel you want to make available to me. Protect me from making quick decisions before I consult with you. Guide me by your word as well as fellow believers that you have brought into my life. Amen

For today’s complete 4 page Discipleship Devotional study guide click here:

Guidance – Proverbs 11-14 – Many Advisors – 4 Page Discipleship Devotional Study Guide

Please consider sharing these devotionals with others through the social media you use.

Individual users may save the Discipleship Devotional Study Guide to their desktop for private use. All the blanks in the study guides are fields that allow typed responses. To use the fields on the study guide you may need to open the guide with a free version of adobe reader.

By Jon Ulrich © All rights reserved                   Copying not permitted                      www.GrowingAsDisciples.com