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Created For Counsel

Dear sister,

So often when the dark clouds of life’s storms come rolling in along with what seems like a torrent of difficult circumstances, our hearts become cold like getting caught in a down pour of rain. We often choose to run and hide away as though that will make it all go away. Sometimes, we walk around so numb from the chill in our hearts that we walk through life as though we were just a ghost, or at least we look like one.

So which is it sister? Which way do you tackle the problems of life? Do you hide away all alone? Or do you walk through them emotionless? Maybe you like them, after all they do bring a sense of drama to a somewhat hum drum life. Besides, you have been told what a great problem solver you are! Could it be you have convinced yourself “once a victim always a victim”? You may have become so identified with the problems that you sincerely cannot see yourself any other way. Possibly pride has entered the picture and you are going to “pull yourself up by the bootstraps by golly and just keep going” even if it’s in the wrong direction!

These are some of the reasons most people shy away (or run) from the idea of receiving counsel. Did you know that we were created to be counseled? It’s true! In Genesis 3: 2 we learn that God had told the man and the woman ‘You shall not eat of the fruit of the tree that is in the midst of the garden, neither shall you touch it, lest you die.’ I would say that’s pretty direct counsel!

God Himself counsels and His counsel is always good. Here are a few of my favorite verses regarding the counsel of God.

“With God are wisdom and might;
he has counsel and understanding.” Job 12:13

“I will instruct you and teach you in the way you should go;
I will counsel you with my eye upon you.
Be not like a horse or a mule, without understanding,
which must be curbed with bit and bridle,
or it will not stay near you”. Psalm 32:8

“The counsel of the Lord stands forever,
the plans of his heart to all generations.” Psalm 33:11

God has blessed us with His counsel in His Word, the Bible. We were created to be counseled. He created our hearts and only He knows our hearts. The Scripture tells us that out of our hearts spring the issues of life (Proverbs 4:23), so it makes sense that our hearts take the first hit if you will when life becomes hard. When our hearts are heavy from the burdens of this life God gives us counsel.

Jesus is our Wonderful Counselor and when He ascended into heaven at Pentecost His Holy Spirit which He promised (John 16) remained to comfort us and guide us (counsel) in the Truth of God’s word. Even those with faith as big as mountains need God’s counsel. Job is a powerful example of this. It helps us even when we know the word of God well, to receive counsel from another who also knows the word of God and believes in its final authority in life.

If you are struggling sister and you are confused about what to do, or how to respond to life’s undulating circumstances consider the counsel of the Lord. Consider opening your heart to another believer who is strong in the Lord and is trustworthy with the Word of God. If you are at a place where you don’t have someone to talk to seek out a biblical counselor in your area by going to www.biblicalcounseling.com.

I want to leave you with one last verse from the Psalms that speaks to the counsel of God.

“I bless the Lord who gives me counsel;
in the night also my heart instructs me.
I have set the Lord always before me;
because he is at my right hand, I shall not be shaken.

Therefore my heart is glad, and my whole being rejoices..” Psalm 16:7-9a

Because of His Grace,
Susan

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Counsel From The Cross

Dear sister,

We have all given counsel. Most of it is never done officially in an office, yet we do it everyday. We have given it to countless strangers, friends, and family. We have been helpful and probably not so helpful, done it well and done it poorly.

Sisters, we love to talk and share our stories and opinions to others. Think about a time when someone told you of a person with a particular health issue or someone who was pregnant, what did you do? If you are like me, you replied with a story of someone YOU knew of that had/has the same thing and what the outcome was. Then I told the person what they should or should not do based on this account. Look back this day or week and just think of the counsel you have given your husband, child, friends, or stranger. How did it go? Was it biblical counsel?

As believers, we all are called to give biblical counsel (Acts 20:20, Rom 15:14, Col1:28). We are to instruct, teach, admonish, and encourage people to live their life to the glory of God. But how do we do that? Crazy enough, the Bible actually shows us how to give Godly, biblical counsel for any and all circumstances. The Lord inspired Paul and others to write letters to many Christian churches who were struggling with every day issues and questions and Paul gave them biblical counsel. But that begs the question: how did he counsel? From the cross.

Paul starts almost all of his letters with rich theology. He reminds the believers of their history, how they were dead in their transgressions and deserved God’s eternal wrath. That their good works done in righteousness got them no where and are like filthy menstruation rags (that’s the picture the Greek word paints). Then at the right time, Jesus came and bore their sin debt on the cross and granted them forgiveness for all time and put His perfect righteousness on them! Now they are seen by their creator as perfect and adopted into His eternal family as a son complete with all spiritual blessings and inheritance. In light of this theology, he then gave counsel on how they should behave and convicted them of any sin that was seen. He counseled them to love their wives as Christ loves the church, for wives to respect and submit to their husband, for children to honor their parents. He told fighting people to make up, to not get drunk, to always work hard, to not quarrel about what spiritual gift the Lord has given you. He tells believers to rejoice always, to be humble like Christ, to think on right things and not to gossip or speak ill of others. He tells them to love God and love their neighbor. Not to earn favor, but out of thankfulness and joy from what they have in Christ.

Oh sister, the Word is full of counsel for us to give and take. It says that we have an active-responsible heart and not a passive-reactive-victim heart. It says that we may have things that have contributed to our lives but they have not determined our lives. It says we are sinners that need to be forgiven not a being that simply needs more self-esteem. It tells us to repent, have faith, renew our minds, and that we are being sanctified, not that we need our inner needs met or to have more self-worth and confidence. Our worth and confidence need to be in Christ alone (remember what our own righteousness looks like)! Scripture tells us that our Lord is sovereign over all things and to get to know Him and trust Him, not to think that He doesn’t care or see us in some of our most sticky situations.

Can you see and feel the difference? Our counsel should be full of hope! We can face anything because of Christ! There is an answer and ultimate cure for every situation…the Bible says so! Counsel at the heart level…where we think and what we believe…is wise counsel. And wise counsel comes from scripture. Can you see how daily reading of the Word helps with our counsel? Can you see being overwhelmed with Christ’s grace and mercy helps view circumstances differently? Can you counsel someone in light of the sovereignty and character of God? This is discipleship in action. We are commanded to give it. Oh sister, read your Bible, pray, go to a Godly church, feed your mind on spiritual meat so when people come to you for counsel, you can give counsel based on the cross.

~Colleen

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The Challenge of Praise

Dear sister,

This past October, I took part in a blogging challenge that has taken place throughout the blogosphere for a few years now – the challenge to write a blog post every day of the month on a topic of your choice. The idea is to keep yourself motivated and write more frequently. It was great fun! But the topic God put on my heart to write about was not an easy one for me – Praise. I tend to be a reflective, melancholy gal and while feeling emotions deeply is not bad in and of itself, my emotions can tend toward discouragement rather than praise and joy if I am not careful.

Writing about Praise for the entire month was a challenge, but a very worthwhile one for me. I’m sure you’ve pushed yourself through something that did not come naturally and been surprised at the results – you probably felt a sense of accomplishment and joy over reaching a goal you didn’t know you could reach. Making the choice to praise God every day is just like that – we need to choose to do it, even when we don’t feel like it. I do understand that if you are deeply discouraged this won’t come easily…but when you take that step of faith to praise God for who He is, not who He might seem to be in the darkness, you will experience great joy – especially as you continue in this habit! Our emotions are sometimes fickle and change with the weather, but God never changes. What comfort to know that we can cling to God in praise, even when the storms rage within us and around us. I find it particularly convicting that David the Psalmist ends the majority of His Psalms with his eyes lifted up in praise to God – despite his often overwhelming circumstances. He was anchored in the character of God and chose to praise God no matter what he was experiencing.

Making the choice to praise God daily changed me permanently, though I have had to continue choosing this discipline, with God’s help. I realized that I did not have to wallow in my discouragement but could lift my eyes to Christ and His perfections! While we are deeply loved and accepted by God, we are frail, broken sinners and this can bring much discouragement at times. Looking to God in praise and thanks opens the floodgates of heaven – this posture is commanded! (Psalm 100:4) You will find that if you approach God in prayer this way, you will be reminded of His many glorious perfections, and laying down your requests in faith will often seem easier, having reflected on how magnificent HE is, rather than how great your problems might seem to be. No trial, however large, can compare to the wonder of His glory.

May I commend to you a book, dear sister? Please consider reading Becky Harling’s 30-Day Praise Challenge if you are struggling to praise God in this season. She so beautifully elaborates on this discipline and I found it to be very instructive and encouraging. I pray you find comfort as you praise our Great God and Savior. He is so worthy!

“ Though the fig tree does not bud and there are no grapes on the vines, though the olive crop fails and the fields produce no food, though there are no sheep in the pen and no cattle in the stalls, yet I will rejoice in the Lord, I will be joyful in God my Savior. The Sovereign Lord is my strength; he makes my feet like the feet of a deer, he enables me to tread on the heights.” (Habakkuk 3:17-19)

With love ~ your sister,
Ruth

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I Shall Yet Praise Him…

My Dearest Sister,

You know those days where you wish you could just start over? Well, it’s been one of those days. I’ll spare you the gritty details, but let’s just say it involved a stressed husband, a screaming baby, and a long list of errands to run with said screaming baby. The headache I woke up with got worse as the day wore on and our apartment seemed to get messier before my eyes. The last thing I felt like doing in the midst of my frustration and tiredness was praising the Lord. Yet as I reflect back on my day, the words of Psalm 43:5 come to mind: “Why are you cast down, O my soul? And why are you disquieted within me? Hope in God; For I shall yet praise Him, the help of my countenance and my God.”

As my life seems to get busier and full of more responsibilities, I am learning that just because I am stressed or burdened, praising the Lord should still be a priority. In fact, it happens to be the very purpose for which we were intended. Psalm 148 tells us that all creation from the heights of the heavens to the depths of the sea are designed to praise God. Remember the story where Jesus was entering Jerusalem riding on the donkey? He told the disgruntled Pharisees that if His disciples were to stop proclaiming Him as Lord and King, the rocks would immediately cry out His praises. If the stones of the earth are intended to worship God, then how much more the man who was made in His own image?

It is important to remember sister, that not only were we created to proclaim God’s praises, but we do so because He is worthy of them. As Psalm 145:3 says “Great is the Lord and most worthy of praise; His greatness no one can fathom.” It goes on to list all the many reasons why He deserves our praise, from the wonderful works He has done among us (vs. 4-6), to His unfailing goodness, grace, and compassion (vs. 7-9). The Lord is mighty (v. 11), He keeps his promises (v. 13), and He lifts up those who fall (v. 14). Our magnificent Father provides for us (v. 15), is righteous and loving in all His ways (v. 17), and watches over and protects us (v. 20).

Of all these reasons to proclaim God’s greatness, let’s not forget the one that allows us to know Him in the first place: “In Him you also trusted, after you heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation; in whom also, having believed, you were sealed with the Holy Spirit of promise, who is the guarantee of our inheritance until the redemption of the purchased possession, to the praise of His glory” (Ephesians 1:13-14). When sin entered the world through the fall of man, it became a barrier between us and our most perfect Creator. However, in His infinite wisdom, God provided a way for us to be united with Him once again. By sending His precious, sinless Son to take the consequences of our iniquity, He provided a way of salvation from spiritual death and an eternity separated from Him. What could be more deserving of our endless praise than that?

If my attitude had been one of praise today, even though my soul felt cast down, my day would have turned out very differently. Times of frustration would have been opportunities to grow. My son’s inconsolable crying would have been a time to show compassion and love, just like the compassion and love God has shown me. The long list of things to do would have been a chance to thank Him for the family He has given me to clean up after and care for. Praising God through each and every hiccup of my day would have turned my focus from myself and my problems to Him and His glory. And that’s the whole point of praise, really. It’s turning our attention to the One who has created us in His wisdom, redeemed us in His love, and sustains us in His strength. For that, He is most worthy of our praise each and every day, from now until eternity.

“I will exalt you, my God the King; I will praise your name for ever and ever. Every day I will praise you and extol your name forever and ever. Great is the Lord and most worthy of praise; his greatness no one can fathom.” – Psalm 145:1-3

In His love, ~ Lauren

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Worthy of Praise

Dear sister,

To be honest, I have no idea where this letter is going. Sometimes I just have to start typing away before I get a clearer picture of what I’m going to write. So in preparation of writing this letter I did a word study on the word “praise.” (You know how I love words.)

The word “praise” comes from the Latin word meaning “price” or “value.” To praise something is simply to ascribe it worth. The International Standard Bible Encyclopedia expands on this definition: “True praise consists in a sincere acknowledgement of a real conviction of worth.”

If we should be convicted that someone or something is of worth, surely God would be at the top of the list. Anything else we may add quickly fades away in comparison with the glory of our God and King, the Creator of the universe. Do you stop to praise God during the day? Do you consider His creation and praise Him for it? Do you meditate on the faithful works He has wrought in your life?

Praising God is not something that I often struggle with. It is but the natural overflow of a heart that meditates on the works and person of God. Just step outside your door and consider the blueness of the sky or the warmth of the sun or the majesty of the trees and immediately you will be filled with awe.

But that’s not to say that there aren’t days when I’m too focused on myself to notice the awesomeness of God’s creation or acknowledge His faithful hand of providence in my life. Sometimes it is hard to praise God when we are in the midst of brokenness and uncertainty.

But when we fail in this duty we rob God of the glory that is due His name and defraud ourselves of the joy that comes from turning our thoughts away from our circumstances and onto our precious Lord Jesus Christ.

I challenge you today, dear sister, that if you are struggling in the valley, if your soul is downcast within you, to take time out to purposefully praise God. Meditate on His goodness and the work of His hands and remember His faithfulness toward you. I assure you, you will find rest for your soul.

Turn your eyes upon Jesus,
Look full in His wonderful face,
And the things of earth will grow strangely dim,
In the light of His glory and grace.

Running with joy,

Kayla