Devotional Song: … GO TO THIS LINK … Please take the time to take in a video of Clay Crosse, Bebe Winans, & Bob Carlisle singing… I Will Follow Christ, … expressing a Christian’s commitment to follow the ways of our Lord … ALWAYS.
Highlight Passage: Ecclesiastes 9: 17 [NKJV] …
17 Words of the wise, spoken quietly, should be heard rather than the shouts of a ruler of fools.
… Whom one hears and follows is important!
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Highlight Context – Ecclesiastes 9: 13-18 [NKJV] … USE THIS LINK …
… Following wise and Godly counselors is a wise battle strategy in life.
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Reference Passage #1 - Psalm 119: 105 [NKJV] …
105 Your word is a lamp to my feet and a light to my path.
… Finding others who use God’s word as their light in life is wise.
Reference Passage #2 - Proverbs 3:7, 14:33, 15:22, 19:20 [NKJV] … USE THESE LINKS …
… Seeking Godly, discerning counsel from those who closely follow God’s ways is wisdom.
Reference Passage #3 - Jeremiah 17: 9 [NKJV] …
9 “The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately wicked; … Who can know it?
… Our natural heart will lead us astray if we don’t follow God’s ways and His disciples.
Reference Passage #4 - 1st Corinthians 11: 1 [NKJV] …
1 Imitate me just as I imitate Christ.
… Paul was confident in his ability to counsel others.
My Journal for Today: Today’s Our Daily Bread author, Cindy Hess Kasper, wrote of the wisdom which comes from following Godly mentors/leaders/counselors. She writes, The cautions of a discerning friend can reflect the wisdom of God. … Ecclesiastes 9:17 says that the “words of the wise, spoken quietly, should be heard.” … Scripture warns us not to be wise in our own eyes or proud (Prov. 3:7). In other words, let’s not assume that we have all the answers! … Whether it is a friend, a spouse, a pastor, or a co-worker, God can use others to teach us more of His wisdom.
It is true that we are wise when we use God’s truth, i.e., His Word, the Bible, as our GPS, discerning our way in life (see Psalm 119: 105). However, following others who know and follow God’s truth is also important because our natural leanings (i.e., our hearts) are wicked and ridden with deceit (see Jer. 17: 9 above). Therefore, we should find Godly - Bible following - leaders/mentors to help guide us through the minefields of life [see the Proverbs linked above].
The Apostle Paul exhorted his fellow Christians to follow him because he knew he was following Christ (see 1st Cor. 11: 1). This was not bravado, only confidence in God’s Spirit, Who was leading Paul. He knew that as long as he followed God’s truth, others could follow him (as the Psalmist wrote in Ps. 119: 105).
So, my fellow Christian, I hope we all have Godly leaders, mentors, or counselors whom we can trust because we know they are steeped in God’s truth and closely follow our Lord. And as they follow Christ, we need to follow them toward Godly discernment and a walk in God’s ways, … following His will, … through His word.
My Prayer Today: Oh, my Lord, Jesus! … Help me to follow You so that I can lead others in Your ways … to follow Your will through Your word. … Amen
Blogger Note: Everyday during this year, my daily devotional blogs are influenced by the reading and study of the online devotional blog entitled Our Daily Bread, distributed online via email by RBC Ministries. If you GO TO THIS LINK on the date of my blog, you can read/study the ODB blogs; or you can subscribe to the blog via email at that site.
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