Good Advice

Jeremiah 40:16  But Gedaliah said to Johanan, “I forbid you to do any such thing, for you are lying about Ishmael.”

Michael P. Green shared this story: A man was on the practice golf course when the club pro brought another man out for a lesson. The pro watched the fellow swing several times and started making suggestions for improvement, but each time the pupil interrupted with his own version of what was wrong and how to correct it. After a few minutes of this interference, the pro began nodding his head in agreement. At the end of the lesson, the student paid the pro, congratulated him on his expertise as a teacher, and left in an obviously pleased frame of mind.

The observer was so astonished by the performance that he asked, “Why did you go along with him?”

“Son,” the old pro said with a grin, as he carefully pocketed his fee, “I learned long ago that it’s a waste of time to sell answers to a man who wants to buy echoes.” 

In today’s verse, Gedeliah is told that Ishmael is coming to kill him. He has been warned twice. Both times he cannot believe that Ismael would do such a thing.

In the next chapter, Ishmael and his men kill Gedeliah. Ooops.

If only Gedeliah had been warned. If only he had someone who loved him and cared enough for him to give him good advice. Oh, that’s right, he had it. He just ignored it.

There are people who have repeatedly been given advice but chose not to act on it. Why? Sometimes it is because we aren’t interested in answers, only echoes. We don’t want anything that goes contrary to what we think or feel. And just like the golfer, we get what we want to hear, but our lives are not better off.

The best source of good advice is the Bible. Open it up, start reading it daily for wisdom, peace, and good advice. You won’t find any echoes, though…

Today’s Readings:  2 Kings 25; 2 Chronicles 36; Jeremiah 40,41; Revelation 12

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