Daily Devotional
May 13, 2026—Wise Counsel and Surroundings
Walk with the wise and become wise, for a companion of fools suffers harm.
Proverbs 13:20
As we move through life it is quite difficult to know who to trust and who to seek good advice from. If we align ourselves with people we have to be careful of what they represent and what guidance they give us because each piece of advice has consequences. What is amazing is that if we first seek God’s counsel through prayer and daily study of the Word, this effort can give us a good foundation to help us understand how to judge wise counsel from foolish talk. Throughout the Bible we see countless examples of people and leaders who sought counsel from the wise and we also read of people who were led to destruction from the bad counsel they received. Either way we look at the counsel we receive, we have to place God first—always.
The book of Proverbs informs us to never lean on our own understanding (Proverb 3:5-6). Thus, we must be alert of who we allow into our lives. The Bible expresses that we are to love one another and be in community (John 13:34-35; Romans 12:10; and Hebrews 10:24-25). As we continue to receive God’s guidance through His Word, we are able to deal with the stresses of making difficult decisions knowing that we have a God that will provide and protect us. As we seek Him, He will provide us with the right friends, associates, and colleagues to help us wade through the waters of life so that we can fulfill His mission on this earth.
Today, evaluate the people in your life and go to God in prayer to help you discern who should stay and who you should stay away from. Thank you.
-Steven Pyles
