Waiting for Counsel

UV 1402/10,000 Waiting for Counsel
They soon forgat his works; they waited not for his counsel
Psalm 106 v 13

God, the Father created us, God, the Son Jesus redeems us and the Holy Spirit guides, teaches, comforts, counsels and sanctifies us. We tend to forget like the Israelites all His benefits and blessings, miracles of redemption, provision and protection, all the great things the Lord has done for us. We do not wait for the counsel of the Lord in everything we plan and do. The Israelites forgot how the Lord had wrought great miracles to deliver them from slavery in Pharaoh’s Egypt, of how He had parted the Red Sea to prevent their re-capture, the ten plagues He sent on Egypt, of how the Lord gave the Ten Commandments on tablets of stone, the basis of all modern law and justice. We, too, forget where we were and where the Lord in His mercy and grace has brought us.

We make blunders as we forget His wonders. We forget to seek His counsel and guidance. The Word promises that if we do not lean on our own understanding but trust in the Lord with all our hearts, He will direct us step by step. But we are in a haste and do not wait to consult the Lord. We do not seek His peace in our decisions and choices. All the terrible things that had happened to the Israelites and the deliverances the Lord gave them did not knock the fluff out of them. They still sought after their own passion in the desert. They complained when they had no water or meat even though they had experience of God’s miraculous and generous provision in the past.

If we listen to the commands and counsel of the Lord, follow His direction step by step, our peace or Shalom that includes every great blessing promised for the obedient in Deuteronomy chapter 28 shall flow like a river. It will not dry up or meander through a desert. Our grace, righteousness or strength will be unceasing and vast like the waves of the sea. I have gone through experiences that would have made even a donkey a prophet but often I forget the mercy, grace and power of God. Folly is wrapped up in the heart of man. Even the greatest experiences do not kick the fluff out of us. The way to overcome our forgetfulness of the Lord’s goodness is to daily recount all the great wonders, benefits and blessings He has given us or shown us or taught us collectively and individually. Before jumping into action or a new venture, we should pause, pray and seek the counsel of the Holy Spirit. Before undertaking a journey or making a move, we should take a moment to check if we have the peace of God that it is the right thing to do. Apart from forgetfulness and folly, our pride that we know what is good for us as well as our unchecked desires prompt us not to seek or wait for the counsel of the Lord.

Prateep V Philip