In Numbers 13, God has Moses send twelve spies to infiltrate the Promised Land and bring back a report before they cross the Jordan River and begin their occupation of Israel. This story is well known. Ten come back with a fearful report of giants, walled cities, and massive numbers of Canaanites. Two - Joshua and Caleb (we remember their names) - bring back a report of fertile land and excitement over the victory that God will give!
Unfortunately, the children of Israel believe the majority report: [Numbers 13:32b - 14:1]
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So the report of these other scouts was quite disheartening; it made the people question God’s promise.
Other Scouts: The land that we surveyed virtually eats its own, and the people themselves are gigantic. We saw the massive Anakites who descended from the ancient Nephilim! We look like grasshoppers compared to them, and they know it.
At this, everybody with one voice cried out, and the people groaned and wept all night.
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These people paid dearly for their poor judgment and lack of faith. As a result, all (aged 20 and older) were left to wander in the wilderness for another 40 years until every last one of them died; except for Joshua and Caleb! It was their children who would inherit the new land and complete God's plan!There's another story in I Chronicles 19, that highlights a similar folly. King David is solidly established in Israel and has expanded his kingdom by enormous proportions. Nahash, the king of the Ammorites, died and David sent emissaries of condolence. Upon their arrival, the new king, Nahash's son, Hanun, is advised by his chiefs that these emissaries are really there to spy.
Hanun heeds their counsel by humiliating David's messengers; he has them shaved and cuts their garment hems off at their hips! BIG MISTAKE!!!!
David responds as you would suspect. He sends his armies to defeat the Ammonites!
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Having wise counselors in place provides a huge advantage in life! Proverbs 11:14 declares: "...victory is certain when there are plenty of wise counselors."
Those who go-it-alone, or worse, gather foolish advisers suffer for their indiscretion!
I've been fortunate to have intersections with wise counselors throughout my life! This is not to say that there weren't foolish voices as well, but most of the time I was discerning and recognized the voices of wisdom.
Wise people cultivate relationships of trust with wise counselors!
Although I could cite many, I'll choose three examples from my life.
R
First, when I was in my 30's I became aware that a woman was pursuing an inordinate amount of time with me. I noticed that she was dressing up when she knew we would be together. I felt flattered. My imagination began to run wild. I recognized that I was in trouble! I called a peer and asked if I could come for a visit. I drove to his office immediately and confessed my temptation and my fear. I listened to his counsel and maintained a relationship of accountability with him for a while until I felt that I was on solid ground again. His role in my life at that critical time was far more significant than I can express in this blog!
Second, also when I was in my 30's, I faced an emotional crisis of phenomenal proportions. Let's call it a case of major burn-out! Full time pastoring, part-time seminary, a growing church, and the demands of being a husband and father combined to take me down. I resigned immediately from my position with no plans for supporting my family.
Two people stepped into my life. Alma Kelly was on my pastor's cabinet and she took authority to place me on an indeterminate leave of absence with full pay! For the next two months my pay was delivered to my home every Sunday!
During that time, God brought a man back into my life who had been a hero for me. When I was four years old, I idolized my pastor, Glenn Hughes, and wanted to be a preacher Ike him when I grew up! He had intersected my life at two previous critical times, and now God brought him to me again. I don't remember his words. I do remember his acceptance. He didn't judge me as a failure. He comforted me. He made suggestions - which I followed. Between His wise words and a miraculous intervention by God, I returned to my role after several months and never questioned my call again!
Third, our family faced a financial crisis during our time in East Liverpool, Ohio. It was brought on by a lack of wisdom in our financial dealings. We had accrued debt for my substantial educational pursuits. We had also acquired credit card debt. For several years in a row we had taken out a loan to pay our taxes. The stress on me was a contributing factor to the burn-out experience described earlier.
I cannot fully express the pressure that I was under during that time period! Our finances became a trigger for depression that began to destroy my life. My family lost several years of my presence as a result of depression dips that usually lasted for about three weeks. During those times, it took all of my energy to function at a minimal level!
God brought to my side two wise counselors: Pete Muschweck and Ron Kelly. Pete was my treasurer and he had a great deal of practical wisdom that he was willing to share with me. He didn't judge me and offered me hope. Ron's wisdom was in the area of biblical insight. He taught me God's principles of financial management. He was patient with me and raised my confidence that we could change our circumstances through faith and obedience! He prayed with me and for me!
As a result of this guidance, we were able to eliminate our debt over the next ten years! Taking away one of depression's key triggers has brought renewed peace to my life! We could not have done this without the help of wise counselors.
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Do you take advantage of wise counselors? Or are you facing life's dilemmas on your own? Have you experienced the satisfaction and sense of accomplishment that comes from sitting down with someone who is compassionate, understanding and wise?
While pastoring in New Middletown, Ohio, I realized that most of the couples coming to me for marriage had not been exposed to even one long-term, happy marriage. We had five couples in the church at the time who had been married over fifty years! I began to make an assignment to these couples: "Here's a list of five couples who have been married for fifty years. Invite one of these couple out to dinner and interview them. Ask them how they made their marriage work. Be aggressive in asking specific questions - even write them down ahead of time."
I believe this simple assignment had more effect than all the wise counsel I gave them in our pre-marital sessions!
Do you trust your pastor? Is there an older person you admire? Do you recognize someone who has achieved what you only dream of? Are there family members who seem to manage their lives better than you do?
If you feel you could benefit from wise counsel, but don't see anyone on the horizon, why not ask God to bring someone to you?
If you have any trust in me, I'd be happy to sit down with you - call me: (724) 944-3881.
Meanwhile, keep in mind that one of the treasured names for the Holy Spirit is "Counselor"! :-)
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