Heed God's Counsel

The key verse for today’s meditation is taken from Joshua 3:5, “Then Joshua said to the people, “Consecrate yourselves, for tomorrow the LORD will do wonders among you.”” (ESV)

As Joshua led the people of Israel he admonished them that God was willing to do wonders amongst them, but that in order to receive them they would have to sanctify themselves. When God’s counsel came to the people of Israel they obeyed it without any questions or hesitations, and the result was that they had astounding victory.

God is consistently giving His counsel to those of us who are His children, through His ministers, His people, and His word. There are three ways that we can handle the counsel that God gives to us. Firstly, we can obey God’s word implicitly as it comes to us. Secondly, we can listen to the counsel of God, and choose to do the exact opposite. We have been given free-will to choose and we can obey God if we wished to or can also choose to disobey, and it is totally up to us. Thirdly, we could be those who will say that we will obey, but will in reality disobey God’s counsel. However, it is only when we decide to listen to God’s counsel, accept it, and obey it are we prepared to move to the next step, and will receive the mighty wonders that God has in store for us. Let us ask God to help us listen to His counsel and obey it with sincerity, and not shun them in any way.

The Lesson from Lot’s wife

A good example of this was given as a reminder to us by Jesus in his teaching in Luke 17:32, “Remember Lot's wife.” (ESV)

Jesus spoke about Abraham and Noah, and then taught about Lot’s wife as someone from whom we should learn a lesson. We know that Lot and his family were living in the land of Sodom which was filled with wickedness. This was a city filled with sin, and when it came to a point of being destroyed, God graciously chose to save Lot and his family. Think about how loving and gracious God was, to Lot and his family.

The instruction

We read in Genesis 19:15, The next morning at dawn, the angels were trying to make Lot hurry. They said, "This city will be punished, so take your wife and your two daughters who are still with you and leave this place. Then you will not be destroyed with the city." (ERV)

The angels were persuading Lot to hasten, and flee from Sodom along with his family before it was destroyed so that they could be free and safe. However, there was a hesitation on the part of Lot and his family. Not sure what they wanted to take, and what they found hard to leave behind.

When the angel of the Lord noticed this hesitation we read that this is what the angels did.

The hastening

This is found in Genesis 19:16-17, When Lot did not move fast enough, the two men grabbed his hand. They also took the hands of his wife and his two daughters. The two men led Lot and his family safely out of the city. The LORD was kind to Lot and his family. So after the two men brought Lot and his family out of the city, one of the men said, "Now run to save your life! Don't look back at the city, and don't stop anywhere in the valley. Run until you are in the mountains. If you stop, you will be destroyed with the city!" (ERV)

The instruction that was given to Lot, and his family was not a difficult one. They were asked to flee from the city of Sodom, to not look back and to run to the mountains. Think about it that at a time when there was such a grave and impending danger, God in His grace had given them good counsel in order to protect themselves from His righteous wrath.

The disobedience

Let us see what Lot’s wife did in this situation as found in Genesis 19:26, “But his wife looked back from behind him, and she became a pillar of salt.” (ERV)

Lot, his wife and two daughters were fleeing for their lives, but sadly Lot’s wife looked back. One might argue as to why looking back was such a grave sin that needed such a punishment? If the four of them had been in that city they along with all the people of Sodom would have perished, but God in His grace had made a way of escape for them.

God’s gracious plan

So also, if Jesus Christ did not come into this world to take all of our sins on Himself, we too would have to perish. God in His grace sent His son Jesus to be the atoning sacrifice for our sins. The blood of Jesus has redeemed us, and we have the privilege of being called His children. Even if we have to face death we have the assurance that we will live with Him forever. Oftentimes, many who have received this forgiveness of sins are hesitant to obey the counsel of God. The whole world is going its own way, and there is a thought in the mind of many believers as to why they have to follow God’s way. Children of God let us be reminded that God’s counsels are always and only for our own good. Both in small things, and in big we must be willing to obey God implicitly.