April 19th – Proverbs 19: At the END of the Day

“Listen to advice and accept instruction, and in the end you will be wise.” – Proverbs 19:20

This scripture could be translated: “If you will attentively hear advice and counsel, and take hold of correction, discipline and instruction, in your latter days, you will become wise and prudent.”

I love that we are given the long term picture of the man that hears and attends to wisdom and counsel. This is a big picture, long term promise here. Wisdom is a life long journey and an ultimate destination of the righteous. You don’t wake up one morning and glow with wisdom. Many folks may make a wise decision or two and start immediately reaping the benefits of wisdom and wise choices. But it takes a minute to BECOME wise! And by a minute, I mean a lifetime! But it’s a worthwhile pursuit!

If we will diligently give ourselves to listening and attentively applying wisdom and counsel, we’ll become wise. I think this is telling us that there is no point where you suddenly “attain” wisdom and don’t need counsel and advice any more. Wise people still ask advice and counsel because:

“Plans fail for lack of counsel, but with many advisers they succeed.” – Proverbs 15:22

We’re also told that if we accept and attend to, diligently applying the instruction, correction and rebuke we have received, we’ll become wise. I have received discipline and rebuke in the past and applied it in the moment. But what good is is to me if I don’t continue to apply the wisdom I have received? I’ve watched folks make a couple good choices, obviously applying wisdom, counsel and advice, only to go back and revert to their old, foolish ways. No, the Christian life is a long distance race, not a sprint. We must endure to the END to win.

“But he who stands firm to the END will be saved.” – Matthew 24:13

LIFE LESSON:
Given the decisions you are making TODAY, what does your END portend?