My Counselors

 

Traffic here is CRAZY! I can’t really say its “bad,” just different from the United States. In Indonesia there are very few rules when it comes to driving: 1) drive on the correct side of the road  2) don’t hit anyone. The lanes painted on the road mean nothing. The road signs mean nothing. The horn on your motor bike or car...now that means something. People honk, not out of anger, but to make others aware of their presence or position on the road. There is so much honking, that I am serenaded to sleep nightly by the traffic 30+ stories below.

This morning I read portion of Psalm 119 and was both humbled and challenged. Psalm 119 is a passage entirely devoted to discussing the word of God. There are 22 stanzas, one for each letter of the Hebrew alphabet, and 8 verses in each stanza. Out of the 176 verses, only two do not refer in some way to God's word (biblestudytools.com). As I was reading, this verse stuck out to me: “Your statutes are my delight; they are my counselors.” It made me question, what are my counselors? What is guiding me? 

I’ll just be honest. It’s my feelings. These could be feelings of hope, disappointment, inadequacy, pride, confidence, fear, self-pity, happiness, contentment . . . .So often my feelings lead my thoughts and then my actions. My feelings end up dictating how I view life and how I view myself. Often I will find myself in a state of anxiousness or uneasiness because my feelings change within the day, sometimes within the hour. With my feelings guiding me, I frequently end up somewhere I didn't want to go. 

My feelings should not be my counselors, God's statutes (Bible) should be guiding my thoughts and my actions. Unlike my feelings, God's word does not change. It will not lead me astray.

"All your words are true; all your righteous laws are eternal." Psalm 119:160

Just like the road signs here in Indonesia, God's statutes are present. They exist for a purpose to protect and guide my life. Too often, I ignore them. Not always intentionally, but I look to my own thoughts first. I choose to believe that what I am feeling is true. When I do, I miss out on the peace and delight received from basing my life in something unchangeable and true. What will I allow to counsel me? What will I look to for guidance?

"Your statues are my delight; they are my counselors." Psalm 119:24