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This is the daily devotion from the book, “Holding On and Letting Go” and the companion audio from the July 13, 2021 live social media broadcast of encouragement and prayer by Impact Prayer Ministry’s director, Tom Lemler.

Here is day seven and an important reminder to ask God for the wisdom to know and follow good instruction.

Hold On To Instruction

“Hold on to instruction, do not let it go; guard it well, for it is your life.”
Proverbs 4:13 (NIV)

Are you teachable?  How do you know?  What is the difference between being told what to do and being given instruction?  Which do you prefer?  Why?  How difficult is it for you to follow instructions that you don’t like?  Do you do it anyway?  What are some instructions, from God and from others, that you need to hold on to right now that would give you hope in the midst of your chaos?

You’ve probably heard the phrase countless times — “When all else fails, read the instructions.”  Well, when disaster strikes we would do well to consider that all else has failed and it is time to hold on to instruction.  This instruction will take many forms.  The most important in the long-term will be to continue to hold on to instruction from God’s Word.  Yet, even as we do that, there will be instruction that people will offer that can lead us through the chaos and toward a road of recovery.  Caution must be used when we hold on to instruction as not everyone giving instruction will always be doing so with pure and helpful motives.  Nonetheless, through time spent with God, we must seek out wise instruction and hold on to it even as we put it into practice.  You see, practice really is the key to making good use of instruction.  Whether it is the instruction of God’s Word or the instruction from someone who has experienced a disaster similar to what you are going through, it does little good to simply accumulate instruction if we’re not willing to use it.  When you hold on to godly instruction, you will find He sets you on a path of hope in the midst of your chaos.

As you pray, ask God for wisdom to discern between instruction which is good and that which is not.  Pray that you would be active in holding on to instruction as you put it into practice.  Pray for courage to share the instructions you are holding on to when it will help others.

In prayer,
Tom