Aug 7

2 Chronicles 10:8 (NIV84)
8 But Rehoboam rejected the advice the elders gave him and consulted the young men who had grown up with him and were serving him.

God gives us wonderful counselors and advisors who have much wisdom and many years of life under their belt (not to mention grey hair). Rehoboam rejected the wisdom of the elders and ask his buddies (even though they were serving him), for advice. I know that we can think of ourselves at a younger age, and we can think of some young people who are doing the same thing - rejecting the advice of elders, but I think us old people do the same thing from time to time because we do "what seems right to us", just like Rehoboam did. Rehoboam had pride. I am sure the decision to have more for himself and to dominate the people came from a heart of lust as well. Our decisions to reject the advice of our elders can come from a heart of pride - this we have to watch out for. Sometimes we say, "everyone is wrong but me, I have heard from God". That could be true, but it reminds me of a woman who is engaged or deeply involved with man who her parents and others don't like. She thinks knows best in her head and goes ahead with the marriage and is now caught in a trap of vexing proportions, only to look back and say, "I wish I would have listened".

There is one thing that Rehoboam did right the some fail to do at all, he sought advice! The danger sign in our lives is when we will NOT seek or hear ANY advice for certain areas of our lives. Maybe it is marriage, maybe it is finances or maybe it is childrearing, the fact that we avoid all advice is a tell tale sign that we have more pride than Rehoboam did.

James 4:10 (NIV84)
10 Humble yourselves before the Lord, and he will lift you up.