Have you ever had an instance where you have given someone good advice but they have done something against what you advised them? In fact they listened to someone else’s advice that was totally wrong. How did you feel? Did you feel hurt, angry, betrayed, upset and said to yourself that you are never giving them advice again? But my question to you and me is, was our advice right but God had a totally different plan. You see the Bible states that God’s ways are higher than ours and His thoughts are higher than ours. What does this mean? It means that God can see further into that person’s or someone else’s future that may be affected, far more than we can. We are looking at us and our hurt feelings in the present but God always has His eyes on the future.
Let’s look at a story so you can see what I mean. In 2 Samuel 17, we read the story of Absalom trying to take the kingdom of Israel away from his father, King David. By the time we get to this chapter, King David had already fled from Jerusalem away from Absalom. Absalom is inexperienced in these matters, especially in war, as it was primarily his father who had conducted Israel’s campaigns, so he did what some of us would do. He sought advice from a wise person. That man was Ahithophel. He gave wise advice and Absalom and the others agreed with it. However, it is always useful to seek two opinions so that is what Absalom did.
He then asked Hushai what he would advise. One of the first things he said was that Ahithophel was wrong and offered different advice – one that sounded more spectacular and would give Absalom more notoriety. However in verse 14, it states that God had determined to defeat the counsel of Ahithophel even though his was the better plan. Why and what was the reason?
The reason was that God could bring disaster on Absalom. You see David was anointed by God to be King long before he became one and God had not changed His mind. Further David said that he would not touch the Lord’s anointed and that was precisely what Absalom was doing to him. We can’t expect God to bless when it isn’t His plan.
So what did Ahithophel do. He killed himself instead of asking God. You see his plan was good but wasn’t God.
Like us, sometimes our advice and plans can be good but they are not God. Instead of berating ourself when our advice is not followed, seek God. He will either show us the plan or advice was not good or it was not the plan God had in mind for that situation.
This week go to God, find out what His purposes are and then go out and do them. You are amazing and created in the image of God.
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