For who has stood in the counsel of the LORD, And has perceived and heard his word? Who has marked his word, and heard it? Jeremiah 23:18 (NKJV)
A few verses after the one above, God says, “I have not sent these prophets, yet they ran, I have not spoken to them, yet they prophesied. But if they had stood in My counsel, and had caused My people to hear My words, then they would have turned them from their evil way and from the evil of their doings.” Did you notice the words “stood in the counsel of the Lord” and “stood in My counsel”? These false prophets which were addressed failed to stand in the counsel of the Lord. Like those rebuked in Psalm 106:13, “They did not wait for His counsel.” When we fail to wait on God’s counsel (daily reflecting on His love, faithfulness, purposes and resources), we quickly lose our focus, and in a spirit of idolatry and human foolishness we being to strategise in self-effort to get what we think we need for our happiness, security and satisfaction.
Where do we source our counsel each day? In Psalm 1 we see God’s prescription for blessedness. It opens with the very words, “How blessed is the man who does not walk in the counsel of the wicked.” The whole psalm shows the difference between walking in the counsel of the ungodly verses walking in the ways of God. To achieve the latter, we need to take time to mediate on His Word day and night (or stand in His counsel). The psalmist stated:
Your statues are my delight; they are my counselors. Psalm 119:24 (NIV)
God gently reminds us:
I will instruct you and teach you in the way you should go;
I will counsel you with my loving eye on you. Psalm 32:8 (NIV)
What a verse? Take time now to ponder it and personalise it until it becomes practical in your life. Chew on it and digest it until it is assimilated into your system and disseminated throughout your very personality.
Let’s not hesitate to draw close to the One who is our Wonderful Counsellor and allow Him to help us navigate the issues of life. Allow him to counsel you with His loving eye upon you.