Pausing at the door to catrch my breath, I noticed that it was just slightly ajar. Cautiously, I peered through the space of the opening, fearful of what may have slithered back into my prayer closet. What I saw, though, caught me off gaurd. What? There appeared to be a team of counselors who had assembled themselves together and were respectfully awaiting my return. (My naivety had blinded me to the reality that this assembly was there to begin a war council against the Almighty, and I was the missing component. They wanted my buy-in.) Trust me when I say this – I was truly blindsided because their appearance and input was so close to the truth that it seemed feasible.
Psalm 83:5,6,7,8 - “For they have consulted together with one consent: they are confederate against Thee: the tabernacles of Edom, and the Ishmaelites: of Moab, and the Hagerenes: Gebal, and Ammon, and Amalek: the Philistines with the inhabitants of Tyre; Assur also is joined with them: they have holpen the children of Lot. Selah”.
Let me introduce you to the council via their counsel(see what you think – they are gathering in every one of our prayer closets to annihilate faith at its beginnings, its choices, and its foundation):
1. Sir Edom - “Let's get real, we are all incurably human! Suck it up!”
2. Chancellor Ishmael - “God might Hear, but then again He might not!”
3. Prince Moab - “God is a Father, He has so many children, and He may love others more!”
4. Princess Hagerene - “We are destined to be wanderers - commit to no one!”
5. Mr. Gebal - “There are limits and boundaries that we must maintain! Keep our distance!”
6. Mrs Ammon - “It takes a tribe, a village! Just one person cannot make a lasting difference!”
7. Duke Amalek - “The Valley is where we need to stay, it is where we always end up anyhow!”
8. Duchess Philistia - “We must always be in mourning, roll in our ashes, bear the consequences!”
9. King Tyre - “We must always be a Rock, be strong and show no weakness!”
10. Ward Assur - “We are just a step in the process,keep in step, it matters not who we step on!”
11. Prince Lot - “This council will give you a covering! Play it safe in our wisdom, don't take risks!”
SELAH:
Think about it! Make no league with these false advice givers. Make war against them, cast them out of your sanctuary! “Thy Word have I hid in my heart that I might not sin against Thee” Psalm 119:11 Half truths are truly not true even if they seem to have proof at the very core of who we are and how we naturally respond. God's way is not man's way. We must truly seek the whole counsel of the LORD in His Word, in all that we say and in all that we do. If we are truly His by faith in Jesus Christ then we must allow His word to permeate our lives and living ( “Let the Word of Christ dwell in you richly{extravagantly}”- Col. 3:16).
We will live in moments of conflict no matter what we do (In this world we will have trouble). The advice of this present world will bring strong persuasion into our lives that can create conflict in the direction that we really do not want to have conflict, Heavenward. Make no league with the wisdom of this world and be courageous in your “Scriptural” thinking and living … Jesus has Overcome the World.
Listen to the Psalmist’s final words of desire for this council of war, this council of error. Psalm 83:17,18 - “Let them be confounded and troubled for ever; yea, let them be put to shame, and perish: That men may know that Thou, whose name is JEHOVAH, art the most high over all the earth.”
Let's stay close to the Lord daily to have this council confounded and troubled; and their words put to shame and put to death in our lives.
{As I fell to my knees before the Lord in my sanctuary, submitting my heart to Him, these imps from Hell left my sanctuary one by one.}
HLFA,
Jeff