WISDOM FOR LIVING DAILY DEVOTIONAL
DECEMBER 17, 2024
TOPIC: REFUSE EVIL ADVICE
BY T. O. BANSO
“God blesses those people who refuse evil advice” (Psalm 1:1a Contemporary English Version).
Nobody has the monopoly of wisdom; a wise person benefits from the wisdom of others. “A fool thinks he needs no advice, but a wise man listens to others” (Proverbs 12:15 New Living Translation). Proverbs 15:22 says, “Plans go wrong for lack of advice; many advisers bring success” (New Living Translation). There’s safety in taking counsel, especially from those you can trust their judgment (Proverbs 11:14).
Since nobody knows it all, take counsel from others but make sure they’re the right people because, ultimately, you’re responsible for the decision you make. You may blame others for the wrong advice they gave you but such a blame doesn’t achieve anything.
Psalm 1:1a says, “How blessed is the person, who does not take the advice of the wicked” (International Standard Version). The Contemporary English Version renders it thus: “God blesses those people who refuse evil advice.” Also, the Easy-to-Read Version says, “Great blessings belong to those who don’t listen to evil advice.” The New King James Version put it this way: “Blessed is the man who walks not in the counsel of the ungodly.” Refuse evil advice. Don’t take ungodly counsel.
Ensure you are convinced about any advice you receive. See that it doesn’t violate the Word of God. Also, let the Holy Spirit confirm it – as many as are led by the Spirit of God are the sons of God (Romans 8:14). If people give you evil advice and you do not refuse it, you will suffer the consequences. The excuse that you only acted on others’ advice will be untenable. People may advise you, it is your responsibility to evaluate the advice based on the Word of God and the guidance of the Holy Spirit. Not all pieces of advice are right or godly. Be warned! Refuse evil advice.
In 1 Kings 12, the older men who had advised Rehoboam’s father, Solomon, advised him rightly on the people’s request to lighten the harsh labour and the heavy yoke his father had put on them and they would serve him. The older men told Rehoboam, “If today you will be a servant to these people and serve them and give them a favorable answer, they will always be your servants’’ (1 Kings 12:7 New International Version).
Unfortunately, Rehoboam rejected this advice and took the advice of the young men who had grown up with him and were serving him. They advised him thus: “These people have said to you, ‘Your father put a heavy yoke on us, but make our yoke lighter.’ Now tell them, ‘My little finger is thicker than my father’s waist. My father laid on you a heavy yoke; I will make it even heavier. My father scourged you with whips; I will scourge you with scorpions’’’ (1 Kings 12:10-11 New International Version).
This was evil advice that Rehoboam should have rejected but he didn’t. Consequently, the kingdom of Israel was divided into two. Rehoboam ruled as king over only the tribe of Judah while Jeroboam ruled as king over ten tribes. Rehoboam’s failure to refuse evil advice provoked the fulfilment of God’s judgment to tear the kingdom of Israel out of Solomon’s hand.
Recording the prophecy of the Prophet Ahijah to Jeroboam in 1 Kings 11:30-33, the Bible says, “And Ahijah took hold of the new cloak he was wearing and tore it into twelve pieces. Then he said to Jeroboam, ‘Take ten pieces for yourself, for this is what the Lord, the God of Israel, says: ‘See, I am going to tear the kingdom out of Solomon’s hand and give you ten tribes. But for the sake of my servant David and the city of Jerusalem, which I have chosen out of all the tribes of Israel, he will have one tribe. I will do this because they have forsaken me and worshiped Ashtoreth the goddess of the Sidonians, Chemosh the god of the Moabites, and Molech the god of the Ammonites, and have not walked in my ways, nor done what is right in my eyes, nor kept my statutes and laws as David, Solomon’s father, did’’” (New International Version).
Despite this prophecy, the break-up of the kingdom could have been postponed if Rehoboam had refused the evil advice of the young men. Be careful whose advice you follow.
Sadly, Jeroboam who was the major beneficiary of the division of the kingdom, ruling over ten tribes of Israel also did not refuse evil advice while trying to consolidate the kingdom under him. He feared that the kingdom could revert to the house of David if the people went up to offer sacrifices at the temple of the Lord in Jerusalem. He thought that if the people again gave their allegiance to Rehoboam king of Judah, they would kill him and return to Rehoboam.
1 Kings 12:28-30 says, “After seeking advice, the king made two golden calves. He said to the people, ‘It is too much for you to go up to Jerusalem. Here are your gods, O Israel, who brought you up out of Egypt.’ One he set up in Bethel, and the other in Dan. And this thing became a sin; the people came to worship the one at Bethel and went even as far as Dan to worship the other” (New International Version). Note the phrase “after seeking advice.” In other words, the golden calves he made were a product of the advice he received. The New International Version says, “So on the advice of his counsellors.” The Amplified Bible renders the phrase as “So the king took counsel [and followed bad advice].”
Jeroboam took evil advice that defined him long after his reign – the sin of Jeroboam: idolatry. If you take evil advice, you must accept responsibility. Don’t blame anybody. In 1 Kings 14:9, the Prophet Ahijah told Jeroboam’s wife to go and tell him, “You have done more evil than all who lived before you. You have made for yourself other gods, idols made of metal; you have aroused my anger and turned your back on me” (New International Version). Refuse evil advice.
Amnon, the first son of David, died prematurely because he didn’t refuse evil advice. He listened to the advice of Jonadab who taught him how to rape Tamar, his half-sister, the sister of his brother, Absalom. When Amnon told Jonadab son of Shimeah, David’s brother, described as Amonon’s friend and a very shrewd man, about his love for Tamar, he advised him, “‘Go to bed and pretend to be ill,’ Jonadab said. ‘When your father comes to see you, say to him, ‘I would like my sister Tamar to come and give me something to eat. Let her prepare the food in my sight so I may watch her and then eat it from her hand’” (2 Samuel 13:5 New International Version). This was evil advice. Someone like Jonadab is an evil adviser that a child of God must never have. If Jonadab were a godly adviser, he would have rebuked Amnon for his immoral thoughts towards her sister and this could have saved him from sin and death.
Sadly, the two of them were birds of a feather. Amnon followed Jonadab’s advice and raped her sister but two years later, Absalom, Tamar’s brother, took revenge, killing Amnon. Amnon’s adviser was not killed or mentioned. That’s why you must refuse evil advice because you may suffer the consequences alone. “Walk with the wise and become wise, for a companion of fools suffers harm” (Proverbs 13:20 New International Version). Refuse evil advice. Follow only godly counsel.
The Bible says of King Ahaziah of Judah, whose mother was Athaliah, granddaughter of Omri, “He walked in the ways of the house of Ahab, for his mother gave him evil advice. So he did what was evil in the Lord’s sight like the house of Ahab, for they were his advisers after the death of his father, to his destruction” (2 Chronicles 22:3-4 Holman Christian Standard Bible). Again, note the phrase “evil advice.” If you follow evil advice, you will do what is evil in the sight of God. Refuse evil advice.
Speaking further on Ahaziah’s error of taking the evil advice of Ahab’s family, 2 Chronicles 22:5 says, “Following their evil advice, Ahaziah made an alliance with King Joram of Israthoughtsel (the son of Ahab), who was at war with King Hazael of Syria at Ramoth-gilead” (Living Bible). Again note the phrase “evil advice.” God was not pleased with Ahaziah and allowed him to be killed during his visit to Joram which coincided with Jehu’s execution of God’s judgment on the house of Ahab. Ahaziah died because he followed evil advice.
Beware of those who give evil advice. In Ezekiel 11, the Spirit of the showed Ezekiel twenty-five men who were giving evil advice in the city. “Now the Spirit lifted me up and brought me to the east gate of the Lord’s house which faced eastward. And behold, there were twenty-five men at the entrance of the gate, and among them I saw Jaazaniah son of Azzur and Pelatiah son of Benaiah, leaders of the people. Then He said to me, ‘Son of man, these are the men who devise wrongdoing and give evil advice in this city, who say, ‘The time is not near to build houses. This city is the pot and we are the meat.’ Therefore, prophesy against them, prophesy, son of man!” (Ezekiel 11:1-4 New American Standard Bible).
Refuse evil advice and don’t be an evil adviser.
TAKE ACTION!
If you are not born again, you need to give your life to Jesus now. Take the following steps: *Admit that you are a sinner, and cannot save yourself, and repent of your sins. *Confess Jesus as your Lord and Saviour. *Renounce your past way of life – your relationship with the devil and his works. *Invite Jesus into your life. *As a mark of seriousness to mature in the faith, start attending a Bible-believing, Bible-teaching, and Bible-practising church. There they will teach you how to grow in the Kingdom of God.
Kindly say this prayer now: O Lord God, I come unto You today. I know I am a sinner, and I cannot save myself. I believe that Jesus is the Son of God who died on the cross to save me and God raised Him on the third day. I repent of my sins and confess Jesus as my Lord and Saviour. I surrender my life to Jesus now and invite Him into my heart. By this prayer, I know I am saved. Thank You, Jesus, for saving me and making me a child of God.
I believe you have said this prayer from your heart. Congratulations! You must join a Bible-believing, Bible-teaching, and Bible-practising church where they will teach you how to live your new life in Christ Jesus. I pray that you flourish like a palm tree and grow like a cedar of Lebanon. May you grow into Christ in all things and become all God wants you to be. I will be glad to hear from you. The Lord be with you.
PRAYER POINTS: Holy Spirit, help me to follow only godly advice. I shall recognize and refuse evil advice in Jesus’ name. Father, deliver me from evil advisers; let there be separation. I shall not be an evil adviser in Jesus’ name.
(For over 900 in-depth and powerful messages by T. O. Banso, visit www.cedarministry.org).
T. O. Banso is the President of Cedar Ministry International, Abuja, Nigeria.
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