“Where there is no counsel, the people fall; But in the multitude of counselors there is safety.” Proverbs 11:14
I was right in the thick of making preparations for one of the biggest transitions of my life when I realized for the umpteenth time how indescribably thankful I was to the Lord for having lovingly and mercifully granted me the biggest, strongest circle of rock solid women Christ followers I had ever had. I knew day and night I had a long list of beautiful, loving, honest, patient, kind, and committed to Christ sisters in the Lord whom I could call on for love, encouragement, prayer, biblically grounded counsel, and godly wisdom, and who would not be afraid to let me know if they saw me in any way, shape, or form displeasing or dishonoring God in any manner of disobedience. And though there is NOBODY in my life more important than the Lord Himself, and NOTHING more important than spending alone time with Him studying His Word, praying, praising, worshiping, singing to, seeking, listening to, hearing, and obeying Him, the only one who gives perfect counsel and wisdom, love and encouragement, chastening and strength 100% of the time, I had long since learned that it is vitally important that we who follow Jesus are solidly immersed in the Body of Christ whereby at any time the Lord so leads us we can reach out to our sisters and brothers in the Lord to help us in our journey following the Lord.
The verse above makes clear there is safety in counsel from children of God. In “counselors”. In those who counsel based on God and His Word. We should NEVER place their counsel above God’s counsel, we should ALWAYS measure what they tell us with God’s Word because God will never speak through His children any wisdom and counsel that is contrary to the Bible, and we should seek the counsel of multiple Christ followers when the Lord so leads us to receive all He desires to pour through His followers to us and if necessary to get confirmation that He in fact is speaking to us through them. And we should be ever ready to offer godly wisdom and counsel to others which we can and should only do when the Lord is our highest priority and we are continually spending time with Him and in His Word.
The counsel of God’s children not only offers safety, but it is truly a blessing beyond measure to be not only founded upon a rock solid personal relationship with God through Christ, but to have in our everyday lives the friendship and fellowship, the love and support, the encouragement and counsel of those who have genuinely committed their lives to the Lord Jesus Christ.
The Lord didn’t create His followers to live isolated lives, but to be united as one Body living for Christ and ever loving and growing and serving in His most holy precious eternal name!