So David did as God commanded him, and they struck down the Philistine army, all the way from Gibeon to Gezer. – 1 Chronicles 14:16

Today's Scripture Reading (May 21, 2022):  1 Chronicles 14

Benjamin Franklin argued that "Wise men don't need advice. Fools won't take it." I think that he is half right. Franklin's latter point is correct; fools never seem to be able to take advice. But the first part is misstated. It is not that the wise don't need advice, but rather that they understand where they need to go to get advice, and they can discern good advice that should carry weight in their decision making from advice that can and should be disregarded. But a wise person who thinks they don't need advice is a fool in disguise.

I have often wished that I was wise enough to make that distinction. I have to admit that I have too often listened to advice from people that I thought had my best interests in mind, only to find out that they were plotting only to further their own power. And the reverse is also true. I have discarded advice from sources to which I should have listened. All of which is proof of my lack of wisdom. Maybe someday, I will grow to be wise, but I am still lacking right now.

David sought advice from God. God is always a good source of guidance. But David didn't just seek the advice of God, the author of Chronicles says that he did just as God had commanded him. He waited on God for the evidence of what God wanted him to do, and then he gave himself completely to the upcoming battle. And as a result, David defeated the Philistine armies.

Theologian J. Barton Payne summed it up this way.

Because he looked to the Lord for his strength and for his strategy, he was able to beat back the Philistine offences, to secure the independence of God's people, and to terminate forever the threat of Philistine conquest and oppression (John Barton Payne).

David's victory arose from David's obedience to God. David was never considered a fool because he accepted godly advice; David's foolishness was only evident when he rejected such advice. And as a result, David not only became feared among the Philistines, but he was feared and respected among all of the other neighboring nations. His status was raised among the people and in the eyes of his God.

And so are we. Seeking godly advice is the task of the wise, as is following that advice. We are never wiser than when we follow God's wisdom. And we are never more of a fool than when we reject God's wisdom or believe that we are so wise that we don't even need to seek God's instructions to accomplish what needs to be done in our lives and our world.

Tomorrow's Scripture Reading: 2 Samuel 6