Discover His heart: His Word is a wellspring of counsel and guidance for us
It’s not a surprise to me that Psalms, this wonderful book of comfort, inspiration and guidance, would open with a Psalm directing us to the Source of all comfort, inspiration and guidance. We’ve all heard the old joke about the individual seeking guidance through Bible roulette. One opens the Bible to a random page, places a finger on a random verse that says, “Then Judas threw the silver coins down in the Temple and went out and hanged himself.”(Matthew 27:5) Not receiving any viable direction from this verse, the seeker once again arbitrarily selects a verse which reads, “Then Jesus said to him, “Go and do likewise.” (Luke 10:37) Not good. However, some of our sources for advice and direction can be just as misdirected.
@ Psalm 1
“Oh, the joys of those who do not follow the advice of the wicked, or stand around with sinners, or join in with mockers.” (1) This is one of the verses that my mom drilled into my heart early in life. Even now, I can almost hear her saying, “Phyllis, do not ‘walk in the counsel of the ungodly.’”(KJV) Of course, we would never intentionally seek out the counsel or advice of ungodly people, but our lifestyle seems to lend itself to it at times. I remember working in a bank, sitting around during coffee break and hearing all sorts of counsel coming from my co-workers for me as a young college girl. No, they didn’t openly mock God, but their lifestyles were in and of themselves contrary to God and His commandments. The hair or nail salon where we sit for an hour or two or three is another source of free advice that flies around the salon along with all the fumes. Unless these scenarios are Christian environments, I’d rather take my chances with Bible roulette.
And then there is the mother of all free advice – the internet. According to Google stats for 2017, there were over 3.5 billion Google searches per day – that’s a lot of Googling! These stats represent people searching for advice, guidance, comfort and just a myriad of answers. The internet is great for advice on how to fix the washing machine, where to buy the cheapest copy paper and how to make Paula Deen’s Gooey Butter Cake, but do I really want to find direction for my life there? Even with Christian websites like this blog, if they do not point us to the true Source of counsel, they are joining in with the mockers.
Speaking of the Source, “But they delight in the law of the Lord, meditating on it day and night. They are like trees planted along the riverbank, bearing fruit each season. Their leaves never wither, and they prosper in all they do.” (2-3) If we want to prosper and be successful, let our counsel come from Him, His Word. Meditate on it; get it deep within our hearts so that when advice is needed, we are able to reach down into our roots that are saturated with His Word and bring forth His counsel for our lives. And then others, some godly others, may serve to encourage, inspire and perhaps provide some tools in sync with His counsel. With the counsel of His Word, we will prosper in all we do, and who doesn’t want that!
Moving Forward: As I meditate on His Word, I know He will direct me in the counsel that I will need for this very day because He is the Source and He’s got it covered.
Tomorrow @ Job 1-2
Phyllis Benigas 