Our Need for Advisors and Guides

"For waging war you need guidance, and for victory many advisers." Psalm 24:6

For a number of years I have been growing a profound respect for those who take and heed counsel. One of the least kind but truly accurate things I have ever said of someone is that.... "you can't tell them anything". Not because they will spread it all over the place, which is a different kind of a problem, but because either they seem to know everything or just won't listen to counsel. We all need advisers and guides. Of course, God is the best counsel and His guidance and advice revealed through His Word is supreme, and most wise. God Himself and His Word are the ultimate truth. That should be the primary source of wisdom for us all.

In addition to all we can learn from Him and the Bible, we also have the amazing resource of those who have been there and done that, and those with rich life experiences. God puts into our lives people who He uses to give us guidance and wise counsel. Sometimes that wisdom comes from sources that we wouldn't necessarily think to seek out if we were considering who to turn to in a time of need. I have received guidance and counsel from children and folks who are approaching 100. Good advice is good advice. If it rings true with the Word of God, counsel should be received and heeded just because it is true, regardless of the source.

In Psalm 24, the writer is advising us that especially in matters of war, we need guidance from a trustworthy source and in order to secure victory we must utilize many advisors. No 'Lone Rangers' are ever recommended in Scripture. The kind of war we are most familiar with these days is the daily 'spiritual battle' we are all involved with because of our old sin nature and the fallen world we live in. We wrestle not with flesh and blood the Bible teaches us, but against powers and principalities of a spiritual nature. Again, the Bible should be our key source for waging this battle, but God does give us guides in our lives to advise us with wise counsel.

Just yesterday someone called me about making a decision with lots of negative ramifications, yet they sensed the need to reconsider actions being taken and decided to seek counsel. After discussion and prayer, a totally different tact was chosen, and the ramifications put into God's hands, thus a very volatile situation was averted. I sincerely had so much respect for the person who was struggling with a decision, and prayerfully decided that it was important to get more input. In the major battles of life, seeking counsel is wise, but note the second half of this verse and what it infers. In order to live victoriously from day to day we must have many advisors.

Day before yesterday, I took advisory input from a young man and applied it to a situation I am facing today. I reconsidered my plan and altered it slightly because of the wisdom of the counsel I received. I am glad I did. It was the right thing to do. I was going to err on the side of being totally transparent at a time when a higher principle was more important. I think the more important the decision, the more counsel may be needed. Caution, we should not seek counsel until we find some we like or like better. There is a difference between getting a few perspectives and fishing for support for what we already have decided in our hearts to do. Our tendency though is to get little, weak or no advice. Then we wonder why we are still conflicted or never seem to experience victory.

In my life, I must continually remain open to counsel, especially from the Word, but also from trusted friends or those God randomly puts in my life to illustrate His guidance to me. There are people that will tell me what I want to hear and there are people who will tell me what the Lord wants me to know. I must seek His counsel to know the difference. Life is a battle and if we want to live it victoriously we must be open to guidance and advice. I pray that today you will find yourself in the middle of God's will, knowing it is He who is leading you every step of the way. With each turn we make may we continually seek Him, His Word and His people to help us along the way He wants to lead us. Lord, help me heed your counsel and those you use to guide me.

Pastor Fred

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