Counsel

Keeping right kind of company goes a long way, if you really want to have a peaceful and balanced life. Do we have friends who are mature, balanced and regular readers and keepers of the word of God? Or, we have slanderers, gossipers, back biters, haters, problem creators and conspirators, who have nothing else to offer, apart from belittling others and creating more confusions in everyone’s lives with their foolish counsel and conspiracies and loose talks?

Our life tells a lot about the kind of friends we keep, without saying a single word.

Reading the book of Psalms gives me great joy. It depicts the state of mind of a worshipper (depending which one he/she can relate to, at a particular time). It’s lucid, simple, relatable and filled with wisdom, guidance and practical advices. Author of psalms have been a few, dating from 1000BC till 300BC approximately. Whenever I need counsel, advice, guidance and need to make a right decision, I simply go through the book of Psalms. It gives me an insight, to God’s heart and advice for my immediate concern.

Psalm 1, also called ‘The Preface Psalm’, is one favourite of mine. It in itself is a complete sermon. It offers solution to almost all our problems in our life. It guides us to keep the kind of people in our life or associate with, for our own personal growth.

We may have read it many times before.

Let’s read it once again, paying attention to every single word, while understanding what it’s trying to convey. The wisdom filled psalm, opens with a benediction, as does our Lord’s sermon, on the Mount (Matt 5:3)…..

Psalm 1:1…“Blessed (happy, fortunate, prosperous and enviable) is the man who walks and lives NOT in the counsel of the ungodly (following their advice, their plans and purposes), nor stands (submissive and inactive) in the path where sinners walk, (sits down to relax and rest) where the scornful (and the mockers) gather”.

Let me demonstrate, message of the Psalm, with a practical example.

We come across various kinds of people who cross pathways in life. Some we get very close to, some remain acquaintances, few are relatives (whom we cannot choose but come along 😀 whether we like it or not) and many more categories. Some genuinely wish good for us, but mostly we find, are superficial. They might show they are happy for us, but that is not the truth. And you know that in their hearts, they are jealous, but outwardly, they put on a fake smile.

Now consider yourself going through a difficult time. You will notice everyone comes to give you some advice. Not all are productive, or fruitful. Most of them gather to counsel, just to spend their time, because they don’t have anything else to do. If not checked, their ungodly and fruitless plans and purpose turn to gossips, which is of no good use, rather detrimental for the well being of all the participants. And if we are not careful enough, we might fall into the trap of their gossips, eventually that will become our lifestyle, getting us deeper and deeper into troubles and giant sized problems. And if are living away from God’s Light, there wouldn’t be any chance of redemption and we will have absolutely no future. Psalm 1:6 says, “……but the way of the ungodly (those who are living outside God’s will) shall perish (end in ruin and come to nought).

Now let’s consider what Psalm 1:2 says.

The ones who are completely dependent on God, “ his delight and desire are in the LAW OF THE LORD AND ON HIS LAW (the precepts, instructions, the teachings of God) he habitually meditates ( ponders and studies) by day and by night. (Rom 13:8-10, Gal 3:1-29, 2 Timothy 3:16).

Psalm 1:3 goes on to explain, “he shall be like a tree firmly planted (and tended) by the stream of water, ready to bring forth it’s fruit in its season, its leaf also shall not fade neither wither, and everything he does, shall prosper (and come to maturity). (Jeremiah 17:7, 8)

Beauty about the Word of God is, it has solutions for every single challenge we face on earth. Also it explains beautifully, the advantages of being in “His Presence’ and the things we miss out on and might fall prey to, if we do not earnestly seek ‘His face’.

If we sincerely meditate on them, we will never lack wisdom, neither ever run out of solutions for our specific problems. Because the Word of God covers every single emotion, situation or challenge, any human can ever face while his/her journey on earth.

James 3:17, “ But the wisdom from above is first of all pure (undefiled) , then it is peace loving, courteous (considerate and gentle). (It is will to) yield to reason, full of compassion and good fruits, it is wholehearted and straightforward, impartial and unfeigned (free from doubts, wavering and insincerity).

It would be folly to depend on human wisdom for our situations in the first place. And ungodly counsel, is a strict no. We don’t want to add miseries to our already existing problems, right? 😀

Isaiah 44:24-26, says, “ Thus says the Lord, your Redeemer, and He Who formed you from the womb, I am the Lord, Who made all things, Who alone stretched out the Heavens, Who spread out the earth by Myself, I am the Lord, Who frustrates the signs and confounds the omens (upon which the false prophets forecasts of the future are based) of the (boasting) liars and makes fools of diviners, Who turns the wise backward and makes their knowledge foolishness, (1 Corinthians 1:20).

Who are we? We are children of faith. We live by faith. “But our way is not that of those who draw back to eternal misery (perdition) and are utterly destroyed, but we are of those who believe (who cleave to and trust in and rely on God, through Jesus Christ, the Messiah) and by faith preserve the soul. “ (Hebrews 10:39)

“By faith we understand that the worlds (during the successive ages) were framed (fashioned, put in order and equipped for their intended purpose) by the word of God, so that what we see was not made out of things which are visible” (Hebrews 11:3)

Our delight and desire should be the ‘law of the Lord”. Only then we will be like a tree ‘firmly planted ( and tended by the streams of water, ready to bring forth it’s fruit in its season, it’s leaf also shall not fade neither wither, and everything we do shall prosper and come to maturity ( as Psalm 1:3 says ). To put it in another way, it actually means, that ‘if’ we meditate on God’s word day and night and make it our lifestyle, and ‘if’ God is top most priority of our life, a productive, fruitful and prosperous ( in every way, not only financially) life is guaranteed. We will be blessed with the fruits of the Spirit and labour of our hands will bring prosperity.

You might be wondering…….what about those who behave so wicked, fight and create confusion ? What happens to them?

Well, the word of God is very clear about those. First of all, those who counsel evil conspiracies, will be turned to foolishness. And they themselves are like “chaff (worthless, dead, without substance) which the wind drives away. Because they are disobedient, wise in their own eyes and living without God. They shall not stand ( justified) in the Judgement. The way of the ungodly and their foolish counsel, will bring them to ruin and come to nought, because for them word of God is foolishness. Hence they will perish. (adapted from Psalm 1:4-6). For the wicked, message of the Cross is foolishness. But for us, the ones He saved, it’s God’s power at work.
But our job is not to be vindictive, or judgemental. We aren’t here to judge any. We are here with a purpose. Our purpose is to keep God as our priority. And follow His law. Focus should only Him, priority is to walk in His statutes and keep His laws

Bless you all.

(“”The writer has been a Cover page Model for various fashion magazines , anchored various musical shows for youth Channels and a (short film) filmmaker for Discovery Channel. Currently busy writing her own book””)