NearnessNäide

Think of the last time you asked someone for advice—how helpful was their counsel? Can you think of people who should say less, and others whose wise words you find helpful? Today’s Proverb speaks about this!

Ecclesiastes 3:11 shows that there is a tension between knowing when to speak and when to refrain. I’m sure we can all think of times when we wish we had listened instead of spoken and, alternatively, times when we wish we had spoken up when we stayed silent.

Sometimes we experience this tension with God’s word. Perhaps the Lord has spoken about some things on which we wish He was silent. At other times, we say more than God’s word will allow us!

As faithful Christians, we want to affirm what the Scriptures affirm without making our opinions or interpretations equal to God’s word. Consider moments when something you've heard felt like it went further than what Scripture teaches. What might be behind that? Is the Lord trying to tell you something you don’t want to hear, or did the answers stray from the Word?.

Today, ponder this: How might you provide answers from the word of the Lord to people who ask you anything about the Christian faith while wisely keeping silent when needed?