MEMORISE:
Where no counsel is, the people fall: but in the multitude of counsellors there is safety. Proverbs 11:14
READ: Isaiah 9:2-7
2 The people that walked in darkness have seen a great light: they that dwell in the land of the shadow of death, upon them hath the light shined.
3 Thou hast multiplied the nation, and not increased the joy: they joy before thee according to the joy in harvest, and as men rejoice when they divide the spoil.
4 For thou hast broken the yoke of his burden, and the staff of his shoulder, the rod of his oppressor, as in the day of Midian.
5 For every battle of the warrior is with confused noise, and garments rolled in blood; but this shall be with burning and fuel of fire.
6 For unto us a child is born, unto us a son is given: and the government shall be upon his shoulder: and his name shall be called Wonderful, Counsellor, The mighty God, The everlasting Father, The Prince of Peace.
7 Of the increase of his government and peace there shall be no end, upon the throne of David, and upon his kingdom, to order it, and to establish it with judgment and with justice from henceforth even for ever. The zeal of the LORD of hosts will perform this.
MESSAGE
Some Christians feel that they have outgrown the need for counselors in their lives, but nothing could be further from the truth. The unfortunate thing is that such Christians who erroneously think this way gradually graduate to the level of believing that they can also live their Christian lives in isolation. The resultant effect of this is that they stop fellowshipping with other believers, contrary to our Lord's injunction in Hebrews 10:25, which says:
“Not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together, as the manner of some is; but exhorting one another: and so much the more, as ye see the day approaching”.
Every one of us will always need a counselor at one point in time or the other till we see Jesus in glory (1 Corinthians 13:9-12). I recall the story of the first dump truck we bought at the Redemption Camp in Nigeria. It was a result of the wise counsel I got from our Camp Manager. We had received some money that looked substantial to me, and I felt we should go ahead to execute some of our building projects. As I was contemplating on the next project to embark on, the Lord spoke to me, instructing me to seek counsel from our Camp Manager. When my Commander-in-Chief speaks, I don't waste time in carrying out His bidding. I got to the Camp Manager, and contrary to what I had in mind, he recommended that we should buy a dump truck for transporting sand from the quarry, where we could buy sand for construction at a cheaper price, instead of purchasing from resellers at exorbitant rate as we had been doing. He was of the opinion that we would need a lot of sand for the projects at hand, and having our own truck for getting sand at a cheap price would reduce the cost of these building projects substantially. That was how we got the dump truck, and this opened our eyes to other opportunities that further reduced the cost of our construction projects drastically.
Isaiah 9:2 says that the people who walk in darkness have seen a great light, and those who dwelt in the land of the shadow of death have received the light of life. How did this happen? The Holy Spirit answers this in Isaiah 9:6, saying:
“For unto us a child is born, unto us a son is given: and the government shall be upon his shoulder: and his name shall be called Wonderful, Counselor, The mighty God, The everlasting Father, The Prince of Peace”.
Jesus is the Counselor of counselors. How yielded are you to the counsel He gives you through His word, through the voice of His Spirit inside you, and through the people He has placed around you? If you do not receive His counsel, His gentle Spirit will not force you, but you will bear the consequences that follow.
PRAYER POINT:
Gentle Holy Spirit, I acknowledge Your knowledge is beyond mine; I therefore yield to Your counsel in all my ways. Please lead me to the place of heaven’s rest in Jesus Christ.
BIBLE IN ONE YEAR: Jeremiah 35-36, Luke 14:25-15:10
AUTHOR: PASTOR E. A. ADEBOYE
HYMN 2: I NEED THEE EVERY HOUR
1. I Need Thee every hour,
Most gracious Lord;
No tender voice like Thine
Can peace afford.
Chorus:
I need Thee, Oh, I need Thee,
Every hour I need Thee;
Oh bless me now, my Saviour;
I come to Thee.
2. I need Thee every hour;
Stay Thou near by;
Temptations lose their pow'r
When Thou art nigh.
3. I need Thee every hour,
In joy or pain;
Come quickly and abide,
Or life is vain.
4. I need Thee every hour;
Teach me Thy will,
And Thy rich promises
In me fulfil.
5. I need Thee every hour,
Most Holy One;
O make me Thine indeed,
Thou blessed Son.
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