Godly Advice

Prov 12:5 NIV) The plans of the righteous are just, but the advice of the wicked is deceitful.

This morning we continue our series. In this verse Solomon contrasts the thoughts/plans of the righteous with the advice/counsel of the wicked. His point is that we must be very careful where we get our counsel (or advice) from.

I teach a Tuesday night Bible Study here in Newark, California I teach on Faith a lot and as believers, we are called to live the life of faith. To operate in faith, we must operate in the Spirit. Why? Because God is a Spirit and He relates to us in Spiritual ways.

Last night when I was in prayer e the Holy Spirit told me to start a new series of lessons entitled, "Developing the Language of Faith." I know he will give me the wisdom and words that he wants me to share.

As believers, we are to speak a certain language - a language rooted and grounded in the Word of God - and that language will be different from the language of the wicked. Oftentimes, the wicked will not understand why we say what we say and why we do what we do, because we believe different things.

We are supposed to be different, and that is OK. There is actually a danger is trying to explain what we do to a person that does not believe what we believe. They will not be able to understand why we do what we do and it often ends in ridicule. The wicked ridicule what they do not understand.

Paul explains this well in his first letter to the church at Corinth. Paul said, "We have not received the spirit of the world but the Spirit who is from God." Why Paul? Why did God give us His Spirit? Paul goes on to explain: "That we may understand what God has freely given us." See, God's Spirit is the author of the Bible and when we read the Bible, the author Himself can sit down with us and help us understand.

God's ways are above our ways and without His insight we can never truly grasp His revelation. Paul continues: "This is what we speak, not in words taught us by human wisdom but in words taught by the Spirit, expressing spiritual truths in spiritual words.

The man without the Spirit does not accept the things that come from the Spirit of God, for they are foolishness to him, and he cannot understand them, because they are spiritually discerned" (see 1st Corinthians 2:12-14). There is no better way to say it! God is a Spirit and He speaks to us in Spiritual ways. Most of the time, spiritual things do not make sense.
The best the wicked can do is attempt to make sense of everything, but spiritual things don't always make sense. Why? Because God is Spiritual, not sensual. That's why His truths seem like foolishness to the unbeliever.

This leads us back to our text. Solomon warns us about seeking the advice of the wicked. The Psalmist gave us a similar warning when he said, "Blessed is the person who does not follow the advice of wicked people" (Ps 1:1). As believers, if we need any counsel, if we are to seek any advice, we should get it from people of like-faith. If not, we might place ourselves in danger of heeding the wrong counsel. I have seen many believers go to unbelievers to seek advice about a struggling marriage, for example. In many cases, the advice they received was contrary to the Word of God. If the young believer is not careful, they will heed the voice, do the wrong thing, and reap the wrong harvest.

So what does this mean to you today? It means that you must be very careful who you seek counsel/advice from. Know that the advice of the wicked is deceitful. It might sound like good advice in the moment, but in the long run you will wind up somewhere you really don't want to be, and it will not be God's fault. So seek Godly counsel and ensure that your decisions line up with God's Word. Make the right decisions and you will get the right results!

Father, I do not seek the counsel of the ungodly. I realize that You are a Spirit and that I must relate to You in Spiritual ways. I know that unbelievers call your counsel foolish, so I will simply not seek their counsel. I apply Your truth, I line up my thinking with Yours, I make decisions that line up with Your Word, and I know that I will receive Godly results! In Jesus' name. Amen!