Proverbs 24:5-10 says,...

Today's verses are Proverbs 24:5-10, which read,

v. 5, 6 - A wise man is strong, and a man of knowledge increases power.  For by wise guidance you will wage war, and in abundance of counselors there is victory.

We want to be strong and we want to be increasing in power.  We want to win the war and experience victory.  How is that done?  By the counsel of this proverb, it is through the abundance of counselors.  We need each other.  Of course the counselors talked about here are those who are following after God.  These are counselors who are also seeking out the counsel of other counselors for steps taken in their lives.  These are people who are practicing what they are preaching in regards to following after the wisdom of God.  

There is an abundance of counselors out there but many are not to be listened to.  Many of them need to be investigated to see if their lives match up with their words.  Many are flashy and present a great outward appearance but a little dig deeper finds them serving their own interests rather than the unselfish concern for the advancement of the kingdom of God.  Your best counselors are the ones you know, who you can hug, and who you can have a meal with.  They probably don't have letters behind their name but they are known to you as brother or sister by the common blood of Jesus.  

v. 7 - Wisdom is too exalted for a fool, he does not open his mouth in the gate.

At the city gate were the elders.  These are the men who discussed the issues of the city, the cases of injustice to judge, and the guarding of morality within the walls by protecting what and who was coming in.  A fool is not a part of this group.  A fool will not have time for these kind of activities or may consider them as trivial and not pertaining to himself or herself.  A fool also knows his audience and where he can sell his unwise wares and it is not with this group of people.  The gathering of the wise is where you and I need to be.  The absence of that foolish voice helps us to hear what is true and act upon it.  The proverb is telling us where those many counselors are.  Today, this picture should be the church that is following after the word of God.  

v. 8, 9 - One who plans to do evil, men will call a schemer.  The devising of folly is sin, and the scoffer is an abomination to men.

There is a lot made about not judging others today and the Bible says final judgment of salvation is for the Lord only because the Lord knows the heart.  The Bible also says a lot about judging others by their actions in accordance to the Bible.  You are laying their actions up alongside of what the Bible says is right and wrong and giving judgment in accordance to it and not of your self declared righteousness.  It may be hard to separate the two, the message and the messenger, but what happens many times is the message never gets out because we don't want to be labeled a judging messenger.  

If you are planning to do evil by the Bible's instruction, that is wrong.  If you are devising folly by the Bible's instruction that is wrong.  You are a schemer and a scoffer by the judgment of God's word.  Someone who points this out to you is giving you the judgment of the Bible which is far more important than any human judgment that dies when they die but our God is eternal and His judgment is final.  It might be hard to hear from another what they see as your true motives according to Scriptures but if you can hear it, be mournful, be repentant, be renewing your mind on God and then be thankful for the judgment of the Scriptures.

v. 10 - If you are slack in the day of distress, your strength is limited.

We started off with being strong, increasing in power, and having victory over the war.  How?  By seeking out many godly counselors who are concerned about the things of God.  When those wise counselors are absence from our lives or as this proverb says that we are slack then our strength is limited.  When we are in need or distress, we will be operating under our own strength which is nothing compared to God's.  

Have you spoken to a godly counselor lately?  Have you sat down with a brother and sister in Christ and talked about life?  Are you making sure that who you are listening to and filling up your mind is following after God?  Make it a habit to have those conversations with those people at the gate on a regular basis so when something comes up you know who to go to.  Let us pray.

"Lord, we are not alone because You are here and You have given us Your word and You have placed around us others who are also following after You.  May we avail ourselves to all three.  May we be able to spot a fool and his or her schemes because we know Your word.  May Your word make the decision for us.  Amen."

Pastor Adam