How to Identify Wise Counsel
Over the next three sessions I will be blogging from 2 Samuel 13. This is the story of David’s children Amnon, Tamar and Absalom. Tamar and Absalom had the same mother and Amnon their half-brother. Amnon had an issue in that he loved, but actually, lusted after his sister Tamar. The spirit of lust so consumed him that he became sick thinking about being with her. One of his dearest friends was Jonadab, who was his cousin as his father was David’s brother. But Jonadab had an issue. He had a spirit of hatred and envy guised in craftiness. He liked to come up with schemes and tricks to get what he wanted or to bring down those who had what he wanted but could not have.
Amnon and Jonadab were friends long enough for us to assume that Amnon knew how Jonadab operated or he had at least seen his tricks in action. They were close enough that he should have known his character. But Amnon was in distress not only because of the spirit of lust but also the shame of wanting something he knew he should not want, that being his own sister. Yet, the only one who could find out his issue was Jonadab. Under the guise of helping him, Jonadab did what the spirit inside of him led him to do. He came up with a scheme to help Amnon get what he wanted. If you read the story you’ll find that Amnon followed Jonadab’s instructions, raped and shamed his sister committing her to a life of loneliness and despair, was subsequently killed by his brother Absalom in revenge and sought to then overthrow his father David but was ultimately killed in battle leaving David to mourn.
Look at all the lives destroyed and the civil war created in a kingdom because one person’s shameful lust caused him to take advice from someone he knew was not trustworthy. Who do you listen to when you are feeling distraught or in despair? When we are in these positions it is easy just to focus on our immediate needs and not consider the consequences of quick, ungodly and desperate solutions we think will satisfy our emotional struggle. But I have learned one thing. When I am feeling oppressed, heavy, unsettled or unsure about something I don’t look to the outside first. I consider the source of the oppression and deal with the spirit that is working against me.
One way to deal with it is to grab the Word and recite scriptures that refute everything that oppression and fear is trying to tell you. Pray the scriptures and personalize them. Pray in faith knowing who you are in God. You will never be what the enemy says you are unless you choose to accept it. Stand with your whole armor on Ephesians 6 and fight the fight of faith until your deliverance is won. If you still need help and find you keep falling into temptation and the battle. Seek wise counsel from those you know are faithful, sincere, honest and have the wisdom of God and your best interest in mind. Just realize that the issue is not the ungodly desire. The issue is the spirit of oppression, fear, lust, death or whatever it may be that is fighting you. That is what you need their help to fight. It is a spiritual issue trying to manifest some form of death in the natural. So you must fight the spiritual thing so that life can be maintained in the natural.
