“For the Lord gives wisdom; from his mouth come knowledge and understanding.”
Early in my career I met with an old southern gentleman. One of the great benefits of moving to a small town in the south is that there were a number of these men and they were easily identified. Everyone knew who they were. I was blessed to be able to sit with a number of them. They were an amazing source of wisdom and knowledge and understanding. I was the interim pastor at one of their churches. He was always willing to take a few minutes to review my message with me. It was an amazing gift. One particular breakfast I remember telling him that I believed my teaching was much more impactful and insightful because of his mentoring. He sat quietly for a moment and than in his soft southern voice he said, “thank you, Kevin, for the compliment but if you only ever hear and take to heart one thing I share with you it’s this…” He than said, “The only absolutely 100%, unfailing wisdom comes from God. Never trust anything else you hear, read or see until you run it through the grid of God’s Holy Word.” Simple, powerful counsel. I’ve been tempted over the decades to embrace things I’ve heard and read because of the source. After taking it to the Bible and checking it against that grid I discovered it was mostly good counsel. However on occasion I found that just because I liked it or it substantiated a perspective I liked it was not biblical. Even well intentioned, honest and godly people can at times have their perspective skewed by cultural bias and experiences that corrupt a portion of truth. It’s inevitable in todays world. His counsel included not only to be careful receiving counsel without sizing it up with scripture but even more to not offer it without being sure it accurately reflects the heart of God. It’s easy today to want our opinion to be right and try and support it with scripture. Today let God’s word be what it is, no more and no less. #BeTheEdge
“I warn everyone who hears the words of the prophecy of this scroll: If anyone adds anything to them, God will add to that person the plagues described in this scroll.” Revelation 22:18 NIV
