Everyone needs advice, no matter how experienced or knowledgeable they may be. Sooner or later we all need advice; because in some field or other we are at a loss to know what to do, which way to turn, how to decide. So we have to ask someone who knows. And the more readily available the advice the better. It is not necessary to prove this point because we all know how true it is.
Proverbs 11:14 |
"Where no wise guidance is, the people fall: but in the multitude of counsellors there is safety." |
Identifying one's need for advice is comparatively easy. The problem is, whose advice to take. For, believe it or not, in every field of human activity (agriculture, sport, science, economics or health) there are many people ready to give advice - often too many. The choice is so wide it's confusing.
But which one of the many to ask? Here are some guidelines to go by:
Examine the benefits and the cost. What price will you have to pay in terms of cash, time, friendships, health etc. to achieve what you want? Write these down and analyse the facts. Make your own decision at this stage - if you can.
If in doubt locate the experts in the field, the ones who are manifestly better than others in the thing you are trying to achieve. Ask the advice of several experts and compare results.
Then do what the champions tell you.
If the subject of your interest has moral implications, in other words if ignorance could lead to you sinning, then seek counsel (advice) of The Almighty. He is a Wonderful Counsellor.
Isaiah 9:6 |
"For to us a child is born, to us a Son is given; and the government shall be upon his shoulder, and his name shall be Wonderful Counsellor," |
Hebrews 6:17 |
"Wherein God, willing more abundantly to shew unto the heirs of promise the immutability of His counsel, confirmed it by an oath." (immutability = unchanging) |
Revelation 3:17-19 |
"Because thou sayest, I am rich, and increased with goods, and have need of nothing; and knowest not that thou art wretched, and miserable, and poor, and blind, and naked: I counsel thee to buy of me gold tried in the fire, that thou mayest be rich; and white raiment, that thou mayest be clothed, and that the shame of thy nakedness do not appear; and anoint thine eyes with eyesalve, that thou mayest see. As many as I love, I rebuke and chasten: be zealous therefore, and repent." |
Jeremiah 23:18-40 |
"Who hath stood in the counsel of the Lord?" |
Proverbs 1:30-33 |
"They would none of my counsel; they despised all my reproof. Therefore shall they eat of the fruit of their own way ..." |
The tragic examples of people taking the wrong advice are legion. Here are a few examples. Consider the repercussions in each case.
Consider for a moment the terrible repercussions of Eve's foolishness in taking Satan's advice.
Genesis 3:1-6 |
"Now the serpent was more subtle than any beast of the field which the LORD God had made. And he said unto the woman, Yea, hath God said, Ye shall not eat of every tree of the garden? |
Here is the story of a foolish young king taking the advice of his misguided associates. The result was he lost most of his kingdom.
2 Chronicles 10:9-18 |
"And he said unto them, What advice give ye that we may return answer to this people, which have spoken to me, saying, Ease somewhat the yoke that thy father did put upon us? And the young men that were brought up with him spake unto him, saying, Thus shalt thou answer the people that spake unto thee, saying, Thy father made our yoke heavy, but make thou it somewhat lighter for us; thus shalt thou say unto them, My little finger shall be thicker than my father's loins. For whereas my father put a heavy yoke upon you, I will put more to your yoke: my father chastised you with whips, but I will chastise you with scorpions. So Jeroboam and all the people came to Rehoboam on the third day, as the king bade, saying, Come again to me on the third day. And the king answered them roughly; and king Rehoboam forsook the counsel of the old men, And answered them after the advice of the young men, saying, My father made your yoke heavy, but I will add thereto: my father chastised you with whips, but I will chastise you with scorpions. So the king hearkened not unto the people: for the cause was of God, that the LORD might perform his word, which he spake by the hand of Ahijah the Shilonite to Jeroboam the son of Nebat. And when all Israel saw that the king would not hearken unto them, the people answered the king, saying, What portion have we in David? and we have none inheritance in the son of Jesse: every man to your tents, O Israel: and now, David, see to thine own house. So all Israel went to their tents. But as for the children of Israel that dwelt in the cities of Judah, Rehoboam reigned over them. Then king Rehoboam sent Hadoram that was over the tribute; and the children of Israel stoned him with stones, that he died. But king Rehoboam made speed to get him up to his chariot, to flee to Jerusalem." |
Matthew 27:22-26 |
"Pilate saith unto them, What shall I do then with Jesus which is called Christ? They all say unto him, Let him be crucified. And the governor said, Why, what evil hath he done? But they cried out the more, saying, Let him be crucified. When Pilate saw that he could prevail nothing, but that rather a tumult was made, he took water, and washed his hands before the multitude, saying, I am innocent of the blood of this just person: see ye to it. Then answered all the people, and said, His blood be on us, and on our children. Then released he Barabbas unto them: and when he had scourged Jesus, he delivered him to be crucified." |
Oh what a tragic decision Israel made by rejecting the Saviour in favour of Barabbas the murderer. The results are still being witnessed in these latter days.
The rewards of taking good advice are also enormous. Consider a few examples:
Genesis 41:25-45 |
"... And the thing (Joseph's advice) was good in the eyes of Pharaoh and in the eyes of all his servants." |
Exodus 18:13-24 |
Read this amazingly good advice. It has come down through the ages and now operates in the government departments of many nations. |
1 Samual 25:33 |
"And blessed be thy advice ... which has kept me from shedding blood" |
Abigail later became the queen of Israel.
Acts 9:4-6 |
"... Who are you Lord? I am Jesus whom you are persecuting. It is dangerous and it turns out badly for you to keep kicking against the goad, that is to offer vain and perilous resistance, trembling and astonished he asked 'What do you desire me to do?' The Lord said to him. But arise and go into the city and you will be told what you must do." |
It is more blessed to give than to receive. Giving good advice brings great blessing to the giver. In exactly the same way "It is more cursed to give bad advice than to receive it." Woe to those who give bad advice.
Jeremiah 23:9-20 |
"Mine heart within me is broken because of the prophets; all my bones shake; I am like a drunken man, and like a man whom wine hath overcome, because of the LORD, and because of the words of his holiness. For the land is full of adulterers; for because of swearing the land mourneth; the pleasant places of the wilderness are dried up, and their course is evil, and their force is not right. For both prophet and priest are profane; yea, in my house have I found their wickedness, saith the LORD. Wherefore their way shall be unto them as slippery ways in the darkness: they shall be driven on, and fall therein: for I will bring evil upon them, even the year of their visitation, saith the LORD. And I have seen folly in the prophets of Samaria; they prophesied in Baal, and caused my people Israel to err. I have seen also in the prophets of Jerusalem an horrible thing: they commit adultery, and walk in lies: they strengthen also the hands of evildoers, that none doth return from his wickedness: they are all of them unto me as Sodom, and the inhabitants thereof as Gomorrah. Therefore thus saith the LORD of hosts concerning the prophets; Behold, I will feed them with wormwood, and make them drink the water of gall: for from the prophets of Jerusalem is profaneness gone forth into all the land. |
Matthew 5:19 |
"Whoever then breaks or does away with or relaxes one of the least important of these commandments and teaches men so, shall be called least in the kingdom of heaven; But he who practices them and teaches others to do so shall be called great in the kingdom of heaven." |
July 1999
MatanYah Learning Centre, Duiwelskloof, South Africa
/snotes/note0312.html