ESTHER 5:14
Then his wife Zeresh and all his friendssaid to him, “Let a gallows be made, fifty cubits
high, and in the morning suggest to the king that Mordecai be hanged on it; then go merrily
with the king to the banquet.” And the thing pleased Haman; so he had the gallows made.:
America’s first “official” advice giver was a woman whose pen name was Dorothy Dix. Her
first column appeared July 11, 1896, in the New Orleans Picayune.
The column ran for 55 years. By the time of her death in 1951, her column was carried by
nearly 300 papers. She was popularly known as the “Mother Confessor to Millions.”
Miss Dix has been followed by a hoard of others. We have Miss Manners, Dr. Joyce
Brothers, Dear Abby, her twin sister, Ann Landers, and many more.

In fact, most people relish the opportunity to give advice either officially or unofficially.
The challenge on our part is to know whether the advice is good or bad.
Like you and me, Haman also had his advice givers. His wife, Zeresh, and his friends in
the city of Shushan were more than happy to play to Haman’s pride and prejudices. But the
advice they gave ultimately led to his destruction.
As Christians, our best advisor is the Word of God. God never sugarcoats His
commandments to spare our feelings. We can always trust Him to tell us what is right, even
if we don’t want to hear it.
Wisdom dictates that we turn to others for counsel. The Bible says, “Listen to counsel
and receive instruction, that you may be wise in your latter days” (Prov,19:20). It also
warns, “There are many plans in a man’s heart, nevertheless the LORD’S counsel that will
stand.”
There are many places and many people from whom you can get advice, but make sure
the advice you’re being given is consistent with God’s counsel.
FREE ADVICE IS SOMETIMES THE MOST COSTLY KIND. WOODROW KROLL
www.backtothebible.in