GODLY 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.
When Hollywood is wanting to portray someone who is very wise, they are often shown as being very old. The wise old sage is a thing if we are talking wisdom. And yet age does not always equate with wisdom. Many years does not always mean a wealth of knowledge. I have heard people say, “You don’t get this old being stupid,” but that is not a scriptural truth. Our verses for today present a different perspective.
Listening to counsel and receiving instruction are two elements that enable wisdom when a person is older. One of the biggest challenges of older age is thinking you know everything. And yet Solomon, known for his wisdom, says that you have to keep on listening and receiving. The truth is, none of us knows it all. And even what we do know can be expanded and developed. God’s wisdom is timeless and has the capacity to make a young person wise and keep an older person wise. The hidden key to wisdom and instruction is humility. What is beautiful to see is an older person who is full of wisdom with the heart of a learner.
I have a friend who is a young 78, and his mentor is a young 93. My friend says that his mentor is always looking to learn and surrounds himself with younger people. The mere fact that a man 93 years old, a well-known author and speaker, would take the time to learn from younger ministers is revealing. His heart of humility keeps him younger than his chronological age. And it’s his humility that enables him to listen to counsel and receive instruction from people younger. At 93 years old, this man is full of life and wisdom.
Godly counsel is the counsel of the Lord that is strong and consistent, even when our plans can be flighty and unsound. There are many plans in a man’s heart. We tend to be full of our own plans and ideas. But the Lord’s counsel, if we will listen to it, will continue to stand and be a place of strength and wisdom.
I have also taken that verse to mean that the Lord’s counsel does not evaporate. It does not go away. Our plans may lose steam, and we move on to something else, but the Lord’s counsel stands. A number of years ago, I had the opportunity to take a job that would have paid me quite a lot of money. This opportunity came at the same time we were planning on starting The Ark. For a couple of days, I was excited about the job opportunity. But then, as I continued to focus on starting the church, the idea of the new job completely left me. The man who presented the job to me called me a couple of weeks after our meeting to ask if I had forgotten him. And actually, I had forgotten all about that job. The Lord’s counsel was to keep my current job and start the church. That was counsel that would not go away, and I am so glad I listened.
Godly counsel can make us wise even when we are young and when we old if we will listen. And godly counsel can enable us to stand on a strong foundation, much stronger than the fleeting plans in our hearts.
PRAYER
Lord, help me to receive Your counsel and instruction, and discern when it is Your counsel that is standing in my heart.