You Guide Me with Your Counsel

Psalm 73:23-26 “Yet I am always with you;

    you hold me by my right hand.

You guide me with your counsel,

    and afterward you will take me into glory. Whom have I in heaven but you?

    And earth has nothing I desire besides you.

My flesh and my heart may fail,

    but God is the strength of my heart

    and my portion forever.”

Healthy people typically don’t feel the need for a counselor.  It’s those who are feeling like they’re falling apart, that something isn’t right and they can’t fix it on their own. When things are going badly and life seems to be spiraling out of control, we long for someone who will listen to us and tell us it will get better.  Yet, it’s then, too, that we most often feel quite alone.  

We all have times when we struggle with our emotions and need someone to help us find our footing and ensure that we remain grounded.  When we are faced with a dilemma we want objective guidance that is wise.  And if we’re suffering loss or trauma, we need someone to come alongside us, hold us up, tell us the pain won’t always be this intense.  We want someone to give us glimmers of hope in our shattered world .  It is in those times we desperately want someone to hear us, affirm us and give solid, comforting advice.  We long for a counselor who will fulfill all those things.

Jesus is that Wonderful Counselor who is always with us.  Always.  He is that strong Presence we can cling to when we’re struggling.  Psalm 73 says “you hold me by my right hand”… In ancient times, the  right hand was the symbol of power, control and authority.  So, think about it… if God holds us by our right hand, who is in control?  What is God saying by coming alongside us like that?  He’s saying, “trust me, hold onto me, I’ve got this and I’ve got you- you don’t need to do this alone and you don’t need to figure it out.”

Then, Psalm 73 says “you guide me with your counsel and afterward you take me into glory.”  Oh, friends, when we’re at the end of ourselves, we desperately want someone to guide us, don’t we?  Our wonderful counselor does that- consistently and endlessly.  He doesn’t just stand by us until we’re ‘good’, He stands by us each and every moment of every day until we are in His presence, eternally.  What a wonderful counselor!

Today, let’s pray that  our sons and daughters would take Jesus’ hand and let Him guide them each and every day.  Pray they would look for and listen to His counsel.  Pray that God would be the strength of their heart and their portion forever. Pray, because this world is fighting to pull them in the other direction.

Christmas Season Challenge:

Pray for those who are grieving this Christmas season, that God would indeed hold them by the hand and guide them with His counsel. Pray that they would know His comfort, peace and joy despite the heart-shattering grief they also know too well.  Pray that God would be the strength of their heart and their portion forever.  Pray they would come to embrace and follow the Wonderful Counselor.

Pray without ceasing.