GOD SPEAKS

We seek advice. Do not we? This is what we do every day. But, whose plans do we follow in your day to day life?  Is it of your own thoughts or others’ plans?  Both these may please us well sometimes. It is written in the Bible – The advice of Ahithophel, which he gave in those days, was as if one inquired of the word of God; so was all the advice of Ahithophel regarded by both David and Absalom. 2 Samuel 16: 23. Ahithophel’s advice was like as if one inquired the word of God.  The word of God says that the advice of Ahithophel was regarded by both David and Absalom as if one inquired of the word of God. It is not an easy skill to think in such a way. You might have come across such people or you yourself might be such a person. However, it is important to see whether the advice or thoughts are in the will of the Lord or not.

Furthermore, Ahithophel said to Absalom, “Please let me choose 12,000 men that I may arise and pursue David tonight.  I will come upon him while he is weary and exhausted and terrify him, so that all the people who are with him will flee. Then I will strike down the king alone, and I will bring back all the people to you.  The return of everyone depends on the man you seek; then all the people will be at peace.”  So the plan pleased Absalom and all the elders of Israel. 2 Samuel 17: 1-4.

In the above verse, Ahithophel gave advice to Absalom. This plan pleased Absalom and all the elders of the people. It is not an easy task to please or convince all people at a time with your thoughts or advice. This man Ahithophel could do it. What do you see in an advice or in a thought before you accept and implement it?  Just because it has pleased you or just because you think it is logical, you cannot follow it.  We need to bring it into His holy presence. It is because His counsel is better than any advice from any wise-man of this world. But we generally do not prefer to seek his advice. He himself says, as It is written, I will instruct you and teach you in the way which you should go; I will counsel you with My eye upon you.  Psalms 32:8. Then why do seek the advice of men? Why do we follow our vain thoughts? Remember, even if the idea or advice or thought is very good and pleases you well, and if it is not according to the will of the Lord, it may not yield good result. This is what happened to the counsel of Ahithophel. For the Lord had ordained to thwart the good counsel of Ahithophel, so that the Lord might bring calamity on Absalom 2 Samuel 17: 14 Therefore, bring the advice or thought into his presence, thought it seems good to you, and find the will of the Lord. Above all these things, it is better to seek the advice of the Lord than the advice of men. The word of God in the Bible will also guide you in this regard.

And Adam gave names to all cattle, and to the fowl of the air, and to every beast of the field; but for Adam there was not found a help meet for him. Genesis 2:20.

We need to learn to apply our mind for doing his works. God himself can name all his creation but he gave Adam an opportunity to name the cattle. Can Adam give names to all cattle better than God? Then why did God give him a chance to name all the cattle?

There are many instances that can be seen from the Bible in this regard. Let us see two of them. Read this verse: And when they could not come nigh unto him for the press, they uncovered the roof where he was: and when they had broken it up, they let down the bed wherein the sick of the palsy lay. When Jesus saw their faith, he said unto the sick of the palsy, Son, thy sins be forgiven thee. Mark 2:4-5.  In this verse, we may note that the people carrying the man sick of palsy could not come near to Jesus because of the press. But did they stop their attempt? They used their mind and energy. They thought that they could enter from the top and let down the man of palsy along with his bed. Here they applied their mind. They carried him to the top of the house and let down the bed. Here they used their strength. It is written-Jesus saw their faith. Whose faith? Is it the faith of palsy man or of the men those who carried him? Faith also includes proper application of your mind and acting accordingly. Finally, there happened a miracle. Never stop at the hindrances. The Lord God gives you right knowledge. If you move a step forward, He is there right beside you.

Also read: And he said unto them, Have ye never read what David did, when he had need, and was hungered, he, and they that were with him?  How he went into the house of God in the days of Abiathar the high priest, and did eat the showbread, which is not lawful to eat but for the priests, and gave also to them which were with him ?Mark 3:25. David and other were hungered on a particular day, and they ate the showbread.  Was it lawful to eat the showbread for them other than the priests? Did not David know that it was not right to eat the showbread? But still ate? And still they were all guiltless. Why? This was only because David applied his thoughts or mind in a proper way to understand the law of the Lord. This is where we need to learn to apply our mind for doing his works.

And He saw a poor widow putting in two small copper coins. And He said, “Truly I say to you, this poor widow put in more than all of them; for they all out of their surplus put into the offering; but she out of her poverty put in all that she to live on. Luke 21: 2-4.

Do everything in the Lord as the Lord watches everything you do. Have this in your mind that Lord is right there in every situation observing you. This poor widow had put in two small copper coins which were all she had. Others were also putting in their gifts into the treasury. He saw them too. Fellow church mates might have considered those who are putting their gifts into the treasury as great. But the Lord did not. The Lord does not see as man sees. As it written – But the LORD said to Samuel, “Do not look at his appearance or at the height of his stature, because I have rejected him; for God sees not as man sees, for man looks at the outward appearance, but the LORD looks at the heart.”  1 Samuel 16:7

The devout people have this thought in their mind always. Consider how Joseph did when he was forced to do sin by Potiphar’s wife. Read- Now it happened one day that he went into the house to do his work, and none of the men of the household was there inside. She caught him by his garment, saying, “Lie with me!” And he left his garment in her hand and fled, and went outside. Genesis 39:11-12. Joseph simply fled from there saying- how can I do this sin against God as he had this thought that God always observes us from above heaven. He did it even when none of the men of the household was there inside.

Jesus said –“for they all out of their surplus put into the offering; but she out of her poverty put in all that she to live on”.  Lovers of money cannot love God more. The lovers of money cannot shake off money. In this regard read this verse- “No one can serve two masters; for either he will hate the one and love the other, or he will be devoted to one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and wealth Matthew 6:24.” How do you say you love God while being a lover of money? The poor widow gave all she had to the Lord. Then how would she live for the rest of her life?  She believed that God was her provider.  It is because- Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceedeth out of the mouth of God Matthew 4:4. . If you really believe that all you have right now is from the Lord, you will never withhold your hand to give back a portion of it to Him. This gratitude must work in our minds.

Finally, the Lord testified that she had put in all that she had though she was in poverty. God could not stop himself to give this appreciation before all. Following his words in the right spirit always will make Him happy. Why do not we seek such appreciation from the Lord?

Then why did you not put my money in the bank, and having come, I would have collected it with interest? Luke19:23.

God gives us opportunities and sufficient time. Further, He wants to see how best you can make use of them for His kingdom. You may even ask for His direction what actually He wants you to do with them.  Everything given by the Lord is most valuable. Never rate them too low. Most of us fail to notice and underestimate these precious opportunities at this juncture and later on regret about them. What is the use if you regret later?

Our Lord is a God of impartiality. He is a God of justice. He treats us all in the same way. It is we that underestimate His precious opportunities due to many reasons. Our negligence is also one of the main reasons. In the above parable (Read: Luke 19:11-27), a Nobleman called his ten servants and gave them each a mina (A mina is equal to about 100 days wages) and said to them, ‘Do business with this until I come back. This nobleman represents the Lord Christ. He gave each of them the same mina. Did not he give the same thing to each of them? Did he show his partiality? Therefore, it is not correct to blame God that someone else is more blessed than you!

Do not forget that He questions you when He returns. He seeks answers for everything he has given to you. You and I cannot deny that He has not given anything! In this parable, you might have seen the Nobleman recovered the mina from this man and at the same time He questioned this man- “Then why did you not put my money in the bank, and having come, I would have collected it with interest?” Do you have right answers to reply Him at the judgment day? Therefore, it is important to notice that every opportunity given by the Lord is most valuable. Never rate them too low. Do everything for His glory. Even now, notice what He has given to you; and where you have neglected.