Wisdom and counsel

The whole world sought audience with Solomon to hear the wisdom God had put in his heart. (1 Kings 10:24)

I've been spending some time listening to Don Anderson's sermon messages on the book of Daniel, and today's lesson had amazing lessons for me on how we should act as Christians even in a crisis. King Nebuchadnezzar had ordered all the wise men in his palace to be executed because no one could interpret his dream. And Daniel was to be rounded up and killed too.

"And the decree went forth that the wise men should be slain; and they sought Daniel and his fellows to be slain. Then Daniel answered with counsel and wisdom to Arioch the captain of the king's guard, which was gone forth to slay the wise men of Babylon". (Daniel 2:13-14)

In a time of crisis, Daniel answered with counsel and wisdom to the very captain of the guard who had come to slay him. Wisdom and counsel. That is what Christians (and dare I say, the new guard) need in this Aware saga. Jesus tells us to be 'as shrewd as serpents, as gentle as doves'. We are to 'let our speech be always in grace, seasoned with salt' (Col 4:6). The way Jesus won the kingdom was through the way of love, sacrifice and death, not revolution.

So this quote by Max Lucado spoke much to me:

Nothing is won by force. I choose to be gentle.
If I raise my voice, may it be only in praise.
If I clench my fist, may it only be in prayer.
If I make a demand, may it only be of myself.

I believe this is God's way.

Prayer today: Lord Jesus, I pray that you will grant us wisdom and counsel, that we may always rightly represent you and your ways. Grant that we may be as shrewd as serpents, as gentle as doves. Grant that if we raise our voice, it is only in praise. If we clench our fist, it is only in prayer. If we make a demand, it is only of ourselves. For this is your way. May your purposes shine through us. In Jesus' name, Amen.