Slough

I hiked the Eagle Slough Natural Area Trail this morning. It was beautiful and very peaceful. Not knowing what the word slough meant, I looked it up in a dictionary. The dictionary gave two meanings; 1) a swamp and 2) a situation characterized by lack of progress or activity.

I think these two definitions come together in our lives when we listen and follow the wrong advice or instruction. Wrong counsel is foolishness to the person who wants to do what is right. This foolish advice leads to a swamp of problems and troubles, obviously keeping us from making progress in our lives.

The key to forward progress is listening to and following good counsel and instruction. The Bible calls this good instruction “wisdom” and says that following words of wisdom makes good sense. The Bible also warns us against listening to the words of fools. Proverbs 16:22 says, “Good sense is a fountain of life to him who has it, but the instruction of fools is folly.”

Since God is the author of wisdom, we must seek out His instruction and follow His words. He alone has the words of life, love and peace. Read God’s Word to find the wisdom you need today.