TO KEEP FROM FALLING
Proverbs 11:4, 14, and 28 NKJV
4 Riches do not profit in the day of wrath,
But righteousness delivers from death.
14 Where there is no counsel, the people fall;
But in the multitude of counselors there is safety.
28 He who trusts in his riches will fall,
But the righteous will flourish like foliage.
I encourage you to go back and read Proverbs chapter eleven again. I was surprised with just how much wisdom is found in verse after verse. I have connected three of the verses for this devotional purpose, but the connection regarding the better life of the righteous is hard to miss.
Where there is no counsel, the people fall. I have seen too many falls during my time as a pastor. Some are simply spiritual attacks of the enemy. But many are people acting without counsel. I am speaking more of spiritual counsel that is available through scriptures, the Holy Spirit and contact with other believers. There is safety in the multitude of counselors, and God’s Word is the best source of counsel available. I am all for receiving counsel from others, but it needs to be based on the spiritual truth of scripture. As I have watched the body of Christ move farther and farther away from God’s Word in the past 20 years as the source of counsel, I have seen more and more falls.
The other source of falls connected to lack of counsel is verse 28. Trusting in money is not the most stable foundation for life. Verse four says money won’t work when the day of wrath comes. When the heat is on there are situations, many situations that money has no answer for. This is not saying money is evil, nor is it saying that we should not have money at all. The problem is not money. The problem is putting our trust in money above trusting in God.
So, how do we keep from falling? Endeavoring to live righteously before the Lord is a path of deliverance and the way to flourish. Seeking God and His ways and His wisdom is the safer way. As with most things with the Lord, this is about the heart. Having a heart to live for God and please God positions us in a strong place. Having the humility of heart to realize we need God’s counsel in our lives more than we need a huge bank account is a path that leads to flourishing as opposed to falling.
I am not preaching poverty. I am preaching what Jesus said. That if we would seek God’s Kingdom and righteousness first, the other things we need in life would be added to us. We all want a life where we have answers for the challenges we face. We all desire to live with the knowing that we are in a good place with the Lord, and that gives us a sense of confidence. We all want to live in such a way that our lives are flourishing, not merely surviving, waiting for the next “shoe to drop.” Jesus said that He came that we might have life and have it more abundantly. He sent the Holy Spirit to be our guide and teacher. And God has given us His inspired word to equip us for all that life brings our way. We are people with counsel and people with an advantage. Let’s use what God has blessed us with for our good and His glory!