Wise Counsel – Day 44

Psalm 16

⁷ I bless the Lord who gives me counsel;
    in the night also my heart instructs me.
⁸ I keep the Lord always before me;
    because he is at my right hand, I shall not be moved.

⁹ Therefore my heart is glad, and my soul rejoices;
    my body also rests secure.

When we are looking for advice, where do we turn?  We look for people who have life experiences, those who display wisdom, and those we can trust.  We look for people who will hear us and be truthful with us.  We look for those who understand us and want to help us.  These are all good traits.  And there is nothing wrong with seeking wise counsel from those who are wise, trustworthy, truthful, and compassionate.  

Let us not forget to also seek counsel from God.  We usually think of those around us who we can turn to for answers.  But do we turn to God?  Do we actually seek out his counsel?  Do we really want to hear what he has for us?  Are we willing to spend the time exploring what God has for us?  It is easier to just ask those around us, especially if they may tell us what we want to hear.  But it is more valuable to seek counsel in the One who knows us better than we know ourselves and still loves us.  

In this writing, the Psalmist seeks counsel from the Lord and invites his heart to be instructed.  Because he does this, he knows God is with him, leading him, and keep his footing firm.  With God at his right hand, his heart is glad, his soul rejoice and his body finds rest.  This is even the case when God doesn’t tell us what we want or give us the answers we seek.  Sometimes his wise counsel is simply to trust him.  And that’s often most difficult.  

What might it look like for us to seek the Lord’s counsel, to feel his presence and to have a glad heart through it all?