Listen to Godly Counsel

[Sue J Love]

“Listen to counsel and accept discipline,
That you may be wise the rest of your days.
Many plans are in a man’s heart,
But the counsel of the Lord will stand.
What is desirable in a man is his kindness,
And it is better to be a poor man than a liar.
The fear of the Lord leads to life,
So that one may sleep satisfied, untouched by evil.” (Proverbs 19:20-23 NASB1995)

The counsel that Christians should be listening to must not contradict the counsel of God. It must not be opposed to the will of God for our lives. So we are not to listen to and to heed all counsel that we receive from anyone who gives it to us, but we must pray for spiritual discernment, for not everyone has the mind of God. And not everyone has our best interest in mind, either. And not all church pastors have the mind of God in the counsel that they give to the church or to individuals within the body of Christ.

So, just because Pastor so and so, or Doctor so and so gives you counsel, it doesn’t necessarily mean it is good counsel or that it is not opposed to the counsel of God. I have been given bad spiritual counsel and bad medical counsel many times in my lifetime, and some of the bad medical counsel did some serious damage to my body. The Lord had me stop taking medicine 17 years ago, but doctors still try to get me to take meds. And I am going through a series of medical tests right now, so I am praying for wisdom.

And discipline doesn’t necessarily mean punishment. If we are disciplined spiritually, it can just mean that we make it our aim to please God in all that we do and are and speak, that we are serious students of the Scriptures, that we take God and his word to heart, that we are walking in obedience to our Lord’s commands, and that we are self-disciplined in the area of resisting the devil, fleeing temptation, and no longer giving way to sin, in practice. And disciplined physically means getting proper nutrition and exercise.

So, if we are to be wise, we need the counsel of God, and we must pray for much wisdom when receiving the counsel of other humans, including from pastors, elders, and medical doctors, too. And with regard to physical ailments, God doesn’t always heal in the same way with everyone. The apostle Paul pleaded with God 3 times to remove a “thorn” (not sin) from his flesh, but God said that his grace was sufficient. Joni Eareckson Tada was not healed physically, but God has used her greatly to minister to others.

I am praying for God’s will to be done in my body, whether in life or in death. I am praying for healing, but I am also surrendering my life to the will of God for my life. God has allowed this time of suffering physically in my body for a reason, and I am trusting him with the results. And I am taking all the counsel I receive from humans to the Lord in prayer to make certain that I am following the leading and the counsel of God over and above any worldly wisdom. For God has allowed this time of testing for my good.

It is good for us always to seek the counsel of God in whatever decisions of consequence that we must make in this life. We should not be quick to make decisions without the counsel of God, especially in matters of life and death. And then we must submit to the will of God, trusting him to work all things for our ultimate good, even if it is physically painful. For the Lord never promised us that life would be easy. He said that the Christian life is a life of suffering, but which is for our good, to make us more like Jesus.

[Matthew 5:10-12; Matthew 7:13-14; Matthew 10:16-39; Matthew 24:9-14; Luke 6:22-23; Luke 21:12-17; John 15:18-21; John 17:14; Romans 5:3-5; Philippians 3:7-11; 1 Peter 1:6-7; 1 Peter 4:12-17; 2 Timothy 3:12; 1 Thessalonians 3:1-5; James 1:2-4; 2 Corinthians 1:3-11; Hebrews 12:3-12; 1 John 3:13; Revelation 6:9-11; Revelation 7:9-17; Revelation 11:1-3; Revelation 12:17; Revelation 13:1-18; Revelation 14:1-13]

And with regard to human kindness, this must be according to the word of God and not according to humanistic philosophy. For humans often regard kindness as only saying to them what makes them feel good, even if it is lying to them. But lying to people to make them feel good is never kind! Kindness is in speaking the truth of God’s word to people for their freedom from slavery to sin so that they can now serve the Lord in walks of surrender to God in obedience to God, so that they have eternal life with God, in truth.

[Matthew 7:13-14,21-23; Luke 9:23-26; John 10:27-30; Acts 26:18; Romans 1:18-32; Romans 2:5-10; Romans 3:23; Romans 6:1-23; Romans 8:1-14; 1 Corinthians 10:1-22; Galatians 5:16-24; Ephesians 2:8-10; Ephesians 4:17-32; Ephesians 5:3-6; Titus 2:11-14; Hebrews 3:1-19; Hebrews 4:1-13; Hebrews 10:19-39; Hebrews 12:1-2; 1 Peter 2:24; 1 John 1:1-10; 1 John 2:3-6; 1 John 3:4-10; Revelation 2:1-29; Revelation 3:1-22]

What the Lord Says

Based off Isaiah 43:1-44:5
An Original Work / February 24, 2014
Christ’s Free Servant, Sue J Love

This is what the Lord says to you:
Fear not, for I have chosen you.
I have summoned you by your name.
You are mine. I died, you to save.

When you go through your trials, so deep,
I will be with you; you will not sink.
You are so precious always to me.
Trust in your Lord, Savior and King.

This is what the Lord says to you:
He who gave salvation to you;
Who delivered you from your sin;
Takes your burdens now upon Him:

Forget the former things of your life.
Give of your heart not now up to strife.
See all the new things I have for you.
Walk in vict’ry. Trust in what’s true.

This is what the Lord says to you:
He who made you; who will help you:
Do not fear what humans may do.
Walk in freedom. Follow what’s true.

Drink of my Spirit given for you.
Trust in my mercy, for I love you.
I have a plan for all of your life.
Follow my ways. Do what is right.

Listen to Godly Counsel
An Original Work / October 10, 2025
Christ’s Free Servant, Sue J Love