To Stand in the Counsel of God

I was lightly reading through Jeremiah (23:22), and this verse pierced my mind:

"But if they had stood in my council, then had they caused my people to hear my words, and had turned them..."

This struck me in such a way. I want to stand in the counsel of God. To be clothed with the Holy Counselor. To have the King before me, the righteous judge.

That is all fair and well, but the reality is my drifting mind. I must ceaselessly submit my thoughts to the Spirit, laying down my imagination, my inner voice. For He does speak, and reveal that which is life. And we are to deliver that to the body, yielding up what portion we have of eternal life.

However, I recently received instruction from the Lord concerning a brother. I struggled with the guidance, weighing it, desperately not wanting to act of my own volition. And He confirmed the message multiple times. Yet, then I struggled with the authority, as if I have any, of the request from the Lord. My mind created this possibility, and that possibility.

I submitted my mind to the Lord again, and He gave me peace, for a while. But the request still stood, and He pushed my faith forward, to where my mind is grasping, fully uncomfortable with the ripe fruit in the spirit. Then this beautiful verse! There were false prophets speaking their visions and words, appeasing the people, proclaiming peace in their day.

Yet God had called up destruction for the rebellious. And He revealed such a word to them. To stand in His counsel. I can not stand at all without the power Jesus wields within me. He has conquered the flesh and the rulers of this world. By returning again and again to the source, to the power He has inside of us, we can subdue the soul, cause it to be still. We can stand in the counsel of God. We can bring forth the word, even the word which will turn hearts.

There is a perfect companion verse in Proverbs (19:21):

There are many devices in a man's heart; But the counsel of Jehovah, that shall stand

Oh the devices in our souls! My mind would steer in random directions, drifting this way and that. Yet His counsel will stand. Immovable. Never changing. It is perfect, it is established from the foundation of the world. If we, by the power of the High Priest, enter into that eternal direction, that everlasting guidance, we will see Him Glorified!

As with verses like this, I looked around for some other examples, and found something wonderful. Paul testifies to the call on his life with this word:

For I shrank not from declaring unto you the whole counsel of God.

Is it shrinking to fall back into our souls? Our words verses the counsel of God?

Lord stand us up, that we would not shrink. Stand us up in your counsel, bring forth your word in power and grace. Stand up in us Lord, put the covering of Spirit upon us. Let us be dead to this world, and fully alive in You, as You live in the Father. Let me stand in Your counsel, for Your people, to Your eternal Glorification.