Wise counsel is hard to find in
this day and age. Everyone waters down the Word and gives carnal advice (Proverbs 12:15). We
are blessed when we know the difference and refuse to listen to ideology from
sinners or those who mock God (Psalm 1:1). Godly men and women give the best advice (Proverbs 11:14-15). We
give them the details of our circumstances and they pray with us and give us
Biblical advice. Any advice contrary to Biblical precepts is useless and vain.
We are wise to disregard unbiblical counsel.
However, we often close our eyes to the facts, refuse to
trust in the Lord, turn our back on His wisdom and spurn His advice. Then, we
end up eating the bitter fruit of our pride and experiencing the panic of the
path we chose (Proverbs 1:29-32). So often our choices come as a
result of our desires, as well as the advice we receive from others and the
example set by our elders and our peers. However, our choices are more
effectual if we walk in the guidance of the Holy Spirit moment by moment
throughout the day.
When we do things our way, we
step out of God’s will and have no spiritual power in our efforts. We strive
and strain until we give up or burn out (Galatians
6:9). God loves us even when turmoil fills
our heart and we are frail, ignorant and desire-driven. In His rich mercy and
great love, God forgives our sins (Ephesians
2:4-5; Romans 5:8). When we repent, the mighty
Lord, who lives within us, rejoices over us with gladness, He quiets us with
His love and He exults over us with singing (Zephaniah 3:17). How lovely!
When we listen to the Lord’s
direction, we live in peace and safety (Proverbs
1:33). God’s Spirit equips us with
everything we need to accomplish the will of God with our life (Hebrews 13:21). As
we follow the leading of God’s Holy Spirit, He brings ultimate fulfillment and
deep contentment, peace and joy to our life. He holds our right hand and keeps
guiding us with His wisdom and counsel all the days of our life. When we take
our last breath here on this earth, God receives us into the glories of Heaven (Psalm 73:21-24).
At times, we have unfathomable
issues in our heart that we cannot access or understand. However, a Godly
counselor is trained to help us to uncover them (Proverbs 20:5). Sometimes, we depend on our
peers for advise, but they do not have the experience that an older person has (1 Kings 12:6). Our Pastor
and his wife accumulate wisdom from advising people, as well as their own life
experiences. Our parents know us better than anyone, and they too can offer
sound advice. Our spouse should also give us counsel, especially if the
decision involves him/her. Even our children may have wise counsel if they are
Godly.
Prayer:
Father God, all the days of our
life are in Your hands (Psalm 31:15). We cannot live a successful life on this earth unless
we live in the center of Your will (Proverbs
3:5-6). We depend on Your wisdom to guide us
through each day, and to put us in the right place at the right time to perform
Your will in each moment. We thank You for our daily bread, for forgiving our
sins and for helping us to forgive those who sin against us. By Your Spirit we
stand against temptation and we live a victorious life through Christ in us.
Thought for the Day:
Without wise counsel, our
endeavors are often disappointing; however with the wisdom of many counselors
our plans come to favorable fruition. – Proverbs 15:22