SCRIPTURE
"He inquired of the Lord, but the Lord did not answer him by dreams or Urim or prophets. Saul then said to his attendants, “Find me a woman who is a medium, so I may go and inquire of her.” “There is one in Endor,” they said. So Saul disguised himself, putting on other clothes, and at night he and two men went to the woman. “Consult a spirit for me,” he said, “and bring up for me the one I name.” 1 Samuel 28:6-7
SPOTLIGHT
When making a decision, we often seek the advice of people who will tell us what we want to hear. Suppose you want to buy an expensive item that you have desired for a long time. Probably you will consult with friends who already own the same thing or will agree that you should buy it. It is unlikely you will go to a “sage,” someone with great objectivity to find out what he knows.
As seen in 1 Samuel 28:6-7, when God did not answer King Saul the way he wanted, he decided to check out an evil spiritist. What a bad decision. And to make it worse, King Saul knew it was a wrong decision.
To make right decisions, you not only have to ask the right questions but you have to ask the right people.
If you have a heart problem, you don’t consult a podiatrist. If you have a broken arm, you don’t go to the dentist. If you need to borrow money to buy a house, you don’t ask the grocery store manager. If you want to always make good decisions, you never consult with people opposed to God and His ways.
Ask the right people when making decisions! Before going to war, King Jehoshaphat said that it was an absolute must to “first seek the counsel of the Lord.” 1 Kings 22:5 explains that when the King of Israel provided 400 prophets for counsel, Jehoshaphat doubted their advice because they did not appear to have asked God. Instead, they seemed to want to be agreeable rather than wise. They wanted to give the answer they thought would please the King of Israel. So Jehoshaphat made it clear by saying “Is there not a prophet of the Lord here whom we can inquire of?” (1 Kings 22:7.) The King of Israel knew of one man whom he hated because he was not wanting to be agreeable with the King, but desirable of pleasing God by sharing Godly wisdom.
Good decision making requires that you inquire from Godly people, not agreeable people. Never consult spiritists, horoscopes, Ouija boards, etc. Avoid consulting with people who want to just please you. Proverbs 8:13-14 identifies people who offer wise counsel. “To fear the Lord is to hate evil; I hate pride and arrogance, evil behavior and perverse speech. Counsel and sound judgment are mine; I have insight, I have power.” Ask Godly people to help you make good decisions. Ask the right people the right questions and you will be blessed with wisdom!
SOMETHING TO DO
Find a quiet place where you can talk to God about showing you people who will bless you with Godly wisdom and not just agree with you. Choose people who you highly respect because of their knowledge of Scripture and their prayer life. Select people who you know love you enough to tell you the truth. Seek them out. If possible, avoid texting and emailing so that you can hear their voice and even see their face.
SOUL TIME PRAYER
Heavenly Father, I am so glad that you promise over and over again in the Bible that you will lead me into experiencing a life that is rewarding. I know that it will not exclude problems and hurdles, so I am asking that you will reveal to me the people who I should ask for Godly counsel so that I may make good decisions.