Who should I go to for counsel? Who do I trust (and I mean really lean on) for the answers to life's questions? And what am I ultimately placing my confidence in? I learned the hard way through a difficult experience, that there's only one truly reliable source. The Scriptures give us some direction, helping us to answer the question, Who can I trust in?
Not in man:
Jeremiah 17:5-6 (not in your best friend, your neighbor, not even your family)
Psalm 146:3 (not in human leaders — including the President of the U.S.A, or even your pastor)
Psalm 20:7 and Isaiah 31:1 (not in military might)
Not in me:
Proverbs 3:5-6 (not my own understanding of things)
Isaiah 30:1 (not my own plans or others plans, even if the plans seem fool-proof)
In God and His Spirit:
Psalm 2:12B and Jeremiah 17:7-8 (We are blessed if we trust in God)
Psalm 5:11 (All who trust in God will rejoice)
Psalm 146:5 (All who trust in God will be happy)
Zechariah 4:6 (God's Spirit is the real key to success)
Psalm 118:8-9 (It is better to trust in the Lord than human leaders)
Get counsel from others. The Scriptures support that. But never lean on that counsel in a way that you are putting their counsel above seeking God's. Men will disappoint us. Friends will disappoint us. Job's "friends," with all their religious zeal, totally got it wrong. Even pastor's drift off into their own ways, not reflecting God's wisdom in their ministries. Some of that damage is incalculable.
Bring everything before the Lord. Trust Him as your highest source of counsel. As others offer counsel to you, bring that also before the Lord. Men are fallible. We are fallible. God is not.
Oftentimes it is simply easier to go to others first for counsel. We know that with God it may take time to get an answer. With our "I want it now" culture, it will take some patience to wait on God's best answers. There is no surer path to success than trusting in the Lord.
