“So Bill what do you think? I want to start a Youth Mission Center to reach out to struggling young people in our community. I found some empty storefront space in a high traffic area where alot of the kids hang out. And guess what, the price is right. I can get it for practically nothing, provided we turn it back to the landlord in better shape than it was when we started. I really want to do something for the Lord and I think this is it. What do you think Bill?’
“Go for it Andrew. You couldn’t go wrong doing something like that for the Lord. If that’s what’s on your heart – don’t waste any time. Just do it. God be with you.”
King David looked around his elegant cedar mansion and thought: “Here I am crawling out of bed in the morning and going to sleep at night in this cedar castle. It’s an awesome home. But while I sleep with the fragrance of cedar surrounding me, the ark of the covenant of the Lord rests in such primitive circumstances surrounded by curtains. If I dwell in a house of cedar, then the Lord deserves to dwell in a beautiful, even magnificent building made especially for Him. Nothing but the best for the Lord!”
So David shares the burden of his heart with Nathan the prophet who immediately endorses the idea and gives his blessing to the King’s desire: “Do all that is thine heart; for God is with thee.” 1 Chron. 17:3
ummmm – Nathan did you pray about it? Just because you are a prophet of the Lord, don’t you think you should pray about it first and get back to David? What if the Lord has a different perspective on this issue?
Guess what? Nathan’s off-the-cuff advice was wrong – dead wrong! God let him know that night. 1 Chronicles 17:3 “And it came to pass the same night, that the word of the God came to Nathan, saying, “Go and tell David my servant, Thus saith the Lord, Thou shalt NOT build me a house to dwell in….” Nathan had to go back to King David with the revised advice – the direction from the Lord. God’s plan was to have David’s son build it at a later date – but definitely not David.
Beware of counsel that comes quickly without prayer. Beware of off-the-cuff advice even from Godly Christians, if you know they haven’t sought the Lord’s counsel on the matter. Some Christians I esteem, love and value greatly have given me advice that was dead wrong and would have negatively affected my future spiritually had I followed their initial advice.
Yes, by all means, consult with Christians and ask for their advice and counsel but when you go to them, first ask them to pray about it and get back to you. Unless, of course you are asking them something that is already obvious in the Scriptures. Then just listen to them quote the verse. They don’t need to pray about it and you don’t either. Just obey the Word of God. A verse like: “Be ye not unequally yoked together with unbelievers.” (2 Corinthians 6:14) is obvious and direct and there is no room for discussion. You don’t need to pray about whether you date an unsaved person or not. The Bible says: “Don’t!” But where it is not so clear, seek advice from believers whom you respect and then ask them to pray about it too. “Where there is no guidance, a people falls, but in an abundance of counselors there is safety.” Proverbs 11:14
Generally speaking, if your nearest and dearest christian friends are dropping little warnings about your plans or your christian parents are flashing danger-ahead lights over your intentions or a Godly elder is gently trying to steer you in another direction, you should think twice and pray often and get concrete direction from the Lord before you make a decision to bulldoze ahead.