“Plans are established by counsel. By wise guidance, wage war.”
-Proverbs 20:18
So I read Proverbs 20:18 and I immediately think about Proverbs 19:21, Many are the plans of man, but it’s the purpose of the Lord that shall stand. At the same time we know we make plans. We need to make plans in our lives, and our families, and our work, for what we’re going to do, how we’re going to do that. So how do we make those plans in accordance with the purpose of God that will stand? Proverbs 20:18 is so helpful because we’re reminded that plans are established by counsel, that it’s good to surround ourselves with others, and particularly others who are wise. How are we wise? We’re wise through the fear of God. The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom.
May we surround ourselves with others who give us wise counsel and may we by God’s grace be able to give wise guidance to those around us.
So let’s surround ourselves with other people who fear God, who worship God, who have a wisdom flowing from this, and make our plans in accordance with counsel that we receive from others. I love this last phrase in Proverbs 20:18, By wise guidance, wage war. Like you don’t wage war without wise guidance. I think about all kinds of things that we make plans for in our lives, in our families, in our work. Like it’s good to have wise guidance around us.
This makes me so thankful for the church. This makes me so thankful for brothers and sisters in Christ in my life who help me with decisions I make in my life, in my family. I need the spirit of God and the wisdom of God and others around me. So do you. This is why every follower of Christ needs to be in a local church. This is one of many reasons why every follower of Christ should be in a local church. Not just like sitting in a seat on a Sunday, but like involved in a community of brothers and sisters who we’re sharing life with and we’re able to receive counsel from. We’re able to glean from their wise guidance.
May Proverbs 20:18 Inspire Us To Surround Ourselves With Wise Council
So God, I pray that You would make me this kind of person in other’s lives. Lord, help me to give counsel and wise guidance that flows from the fear and worship of You. God, I praise You. I praise You for people in my life who have given me counsel like this, who give me counsel like this even now in my life. God, I pray for this for every single person who’s listening. I pray that You would surround each of them with brothers and sisters who will give them wise counsel and wise guidance as they make plans in accordance with Your purpose.
I pray that You would make everybody who’s listening to this, make each of us wise counselors for others around us, pointing people to Your purpose as we fear and worship You. God, thank You. Thank You for not leaving us alone. In the confusion of this world, we need wisdom and You promised to give it. You promised to give it from your hand, and You promised to give it through others. All Glory be to Your name for Your provision of wisdom. So help us to make wise plans then in accordance with your purpose and light of counsel and wise guidance around us. In Jesus’ name we pray. Amen.
David Platt serves as a pastor in metro Washington, D.C. He is the founder of Radical.
David received his Ph.D. from New Orleans Baptist Theological Seminary and is the author of Don’t Hold Back, Radical, Follow Me, Counter Culture, Something Needs to Change, Before You Vote, as well as the multiple volumes of the Christ-Centered Exposition Commentary series.
Along with his wife and children, he lives in the Washington, D.C. metro area.
