Friday, August 19 A man of understanding acquires skillful direction.​—Prov. 1:5.

[Áine]

Friday, August 19

A man of understanding acquires skillful direction.—Prov. 1:5.

 

What could cause someone to reject good counsel from a loving friend? Pride. Proud people like “to have their ears tickled.” They “turn away from listening to the truth.” (2 Tim. 4:3, 4) They have an inflated view of their own opinion and worth. However, the apostle Paul wrote: “If anyone thinks he is something when he is nothing, he is deceiving himself.” (Gal. 6:3) King Solomon summed up the matter well. He wrote: “Better is a poor but wise child than an old but stupid king, who no longer has enough sense to heed a warning.” (Eccl. 4:13) Note the example set by the apostle Peter when he was publicly corrected by the apostle Paul. (Gal. 2:11-14) Peter could have resented what Paul said, focusing on the way he said it and where he chose to say it. But Peter was wise. He accepted the counsel and did not nurse a grudge against Paul. Instead, he later referred to Paul as a “beloved brother.”—2 Pet. 3:15. w20.11 21 ¶9, 11-12

[Wayne]

 

Daily text  Friday, August 19 "A man of understanding acquires skillful direction.—Prov. 1:5

 

 “A wise person will listen and take in more instruction, and a man of understanding is the one who acquires skillful direction.” (Prov. 1:5, 6) The Hebrew term rendered “skillful direction” can describe the actions of the commander of an ancient ship. It implies the ability to guide and direct with skill.

 

Though it calls for effort, we can acquire “skillful direction” and learn to “sail” successfully on the sea of life. As Proverbs indicates, we have to let “wisdom,” “understanding,” and “insight” work together. (Prov. 1:2-6; 2:1-9) And we cannot neglect seeking divine guidance, for even the wicked may know how to ‘steer’ for unjust ends.—Prov. 12:5.The Watchtower-Study Edition_LJune 2012

 

[Gruder]

Friday, August 19

  

   A man of understanding acquires skillful direction.—Prov. 1:5.

 

I'm taking today's text in a different direction from the WT comments. Loved this illustration:

  "A certain man loved to make fun of a child in his town. He used to give the boy a choice between two coins: a five cents one and a dime. The child consistently made the foolish choice of picking the five cents coin, supposedly because it was bigger in size. So everybody laughed at how silly the child was. One day a visitor, perplexed by the kid's pick, asked him why did he keep choosing the one with lesser value. The boy replied that he knew the small one was worth more but if he chose it perhaps the man would stop giving him money for free. 

  This boy was not a fool, the fool was the man that kept falling prey of this boy's trick. This clever boy had the understanding of what was happening, and it gave him the edge. If we have understanding, we will be able to take advantage of different situations, even if they are unfavorable."