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When we are in need of wisdom, it is very easy to go to others first instead of going to God. The bible tells us to seek wise counsel. My question for today is, how will we know that we are connecting with those who will give us wise counsel unless we first go to God in prayer and dig into his word. Opposites are great in assisting us to understand a word. The opposite of a person of wisdom is one who is a fool. The word fool is not one we use very often in today's' language, but it is used, in the bible. In fact it is found in 62 verses.

In Proverbs 14:7 we read; Stay away from a foolish man, for you will not find knowledge on his lips. This is a verse that should caution us very clearly, to not seek counsel from a fool. Why, because we read in Proverbs 18:2; a fool finds no pleasure in understanding, but delights in airing his own opinion.

As I read through scripture today I focused on the word wisdom, I found the answer to my questions. If we go to someone for counsel, and we have a discussion, and follow their counsel we skipped a step. It is best to go to God prior to carrying out the words of counsel. In James 1:5 we read; If any of you lacks wisdom, he should ASK God who gives generously to ALL without finding fault and it WILL be given to him. Secondly, when we look back at the fool he or she is self-confident, trusting in his own wisdom rather than in God and the counsel of those who are wise. As a reminder we are talking about seeking wise counsel, and the decision is to be made by the one seeking counsel, not the counselor.

As I waded through this as a personal study this morning., I reflected on a few of my decisions in life from the past and asked myself if they were wise or they were foolish. In honesty I reflected on decisions that I made when I sought God's wisdom, and wise counsel from others. I reflected on times when I made mistakes in seeking counsel from a fool and followed their counsel. In the bad decisions, only I can take responsibility for my outcomes. I have no excuse, because God instructs me to ask him for wisdom. In this I repented, trusting that as I move ahead and learned from my mistakes, that God WILL give me wisdom when I ASK, and most importantly when I follow his instructions for wisdom instead of the world's or the counsel of fools, I will gain understanding. Now it is time to return to God's pattern; Ask him for wisdom on who to go to for wise counsel, once we receive the counsel go back to God and then make the decision. As a reminder, titles do not necessarily mean the person is wise.

Are you courageous enough to ask God which side of the equation you are living on? Are you asking God for his wisdom and believing he WILL give it to you? Are you seeking counsel from the wise or from the foolish?

Additional Scripture; Proverbs 2:6, Proverbs 3:13-14, Proverbs 4:6, Proverbs 9:12, Proverbs 19:11, Proverbs 24:14, Proverbs 28:26, Check out the verses that use the word fool(s).

A final word from Jesus in Luke 21:15; For I WILL give you words and wisdom that none of your adversaries WILL be able to resist or contradict.

Definition of counsel; Noun, advice, council, guidance, consultation. Verb, recommend, consult

Note: All scripture taken from New International Version 1984, by International Bible Society. Emphasis in scripture references are mine and not from the New International Version.

"Today's Little Lift" from Jim Bullington

Mercy and not Sacrifice (Sept. 30, 2010)