WISE COUNSEL
Proverbs 19:20-21 NKJV
20 Listen to counsel and receive instruction,
That you may be wise in your latter days.
21 There are many plans in a man’s heart,
Nevertheless the Lord’s counsel—that will stand.
There is a fascinating passage in the Book of Job. These two verses in Job 32:7-8 say that “… Age should speak, and a multitude of years should teach wisdom, but there is a spirit in man, and the breath of the Almighty gives him understanding.” The key word is should. Someone who gets older should get wiser, but that is not always the case. You want to keep going here and not stop to think about all your relatives to whom this verse applies.
So, what is the key to becoming wiser? It’s not age. There are many young, wise people and many older, foolish ones. The key is the willingness of an individual to listen to counsel and receive instruction. What is implied is that the counsel and instruction are of the godly sort. Poor, ungodly counsel does not help anyone.
So, a young person who has a hunger for God’s Word and a willingness to conform their life to God’s counsel is going to be wiser than the older person who will not listen or receive. And if a person continues down the path of listening and receiving, then when they do reach their latter years, they are full of wisdom.
Good counsel and instruction are not limited to scripture. God brings people across our path who can offer godly wisdom and insight. This underscores the importance of a good church and godly people who we can interact with. Always keep in mind that good counsel will always align with Scripture. And do not receive and listen to counsel from people who disagree with Scripture or have lives that do not reflect wisdom. In other words, there should be visible fruit if someone is truly wise. The reason I keep emphasizing this point is that plenty of people love to give advice but are not qualified. They are, as the old cowboy adage says, “all hat and no cattle.”
The second verse of our passage for today is a choice nugget of godly wisdom. People have all kinds of plans, but the Lord’s counsel, that will stand. The Lord’s counsel is what will not leave your heart. This will require some quiet time and prayer time to discern the Lord’s personal counsel to you. For example, the Lord impressed Conroe on my heart as the place to start a church. I found a place in Conroe but then began to explore the surrounding cities to see if there was a better place. But I could not get a peace in my heart until I went back to Conroe and settled on starting The Ark there. This was the Lord’s counsel, and it continued to stand in my heart despite my other plans. Once again, we must listen and receive when He whispers to our hearts by the Holy Spirit.
APPLICATION
Amid the joys of being pastor of a wonderful church, there is a sad side to my job. And that is seeing people who will not receive counsel or listen to instruction and watching how adversely their lives are affected. In a church our size, there is no way I can offer counsel and instruction to every individual, but by the anointing of the Holy Spirit, good counsel and instruction come from the pulpit. Of course, everything I say should be verified by God’s Word. But local churches are a great source of godly help. I had very few face-to-face encounters with my pastor, John Osteen, but I received outstanding counsel and instruction from his ministry. If someone has a heart to hear, God will bring the right people and counsel across their path. He wants us to grow in wisdom and be wise in our latter years.
PRAYER
Lord, I have a heart to hear counsel and instruction, especially the counsel and instruction that comes from You. I want to get wiser and wiser.