Thought from today’s Bible reading from Psalm 32, 51, 86, 122.
“I will instruct you and teach you in the way which you should go; I will counsel you with My eye upon you. Do not be as the horse or as the mule which have no understanding, whose trappings include bit and bridle to hold them in check, otherwise they will not come near to you” (Psalm 32:8-9).
One of the traits that sets mankind apart from the animals is that we have the ability to reason and make thoughtful decisions. Unfortunately, this ability is not always utilized, hence the reason for the psalmist’s admonition.
When we teach others, we must remember that all we can do is what the psalmist says: “I will instruct you and teach you in the way which you should go.” We cannot force people to believe something or to live a certain way. We can, and should, reason with them and persuade them to believe and do what is right. But we cannot change their beliefs or actions against their will. There eventually comes a time when we need to “shake the dust off [our] feet” and move on (Matthew 10:14).
When we are taught, we need to pay attention to what we hear and examine it (Acts 17:11). If it is true, we must accept it; if it is false, we must reject it (1 Thessalonians 5:21-22). We cannot blindly follow any teacher who comes along and tries to move us in a certain direction. We must use the minds that God has given us, determine what is right, and go in that direction.
Tomorrow’s reading: 2 Samuel 13-15
[I’m using the Chronological reading plan on the Bible Gateway website if you’d like to follow along, too.]
Daily Notes & Observations contains all 365 articles from this series and is available in paperback from Gospel Armory.
