In the last two meditations, we established two of the ways by which we can be led divinely. Firstly, God can lead us by closing certain doors. We saw that with Paul when he said there was no more room for him to execute his mandate at a certain place. Secondly, the dominant thought of our heart could be God’s way of indicating divine will. This second one is fraught with some difficulty and must be treated with caution. We know the heart is deceptive. Some desire could actually be a product of our own fertile imagination. Nursing a desire over time can turn it to a dominant thought which we can presumably take as God’s planting. The other danger arises from the fact that the devil never gets tired of counterfeiting what God is doing. He may as well put strong desire in people and coat it with divine flavor. That is why the Bible says Satan sometimes presents himself as the angel of light. This is how many believers are hooked to persons, projects, and programs ostensibly believed to be from God, but they are mistaken.
Timely counsel saved the apostle from a foolish step. It pays to listen to counsel from altruistic people.
As a precautionary measure, we should be ready to subject our inclinations to the examination of other well-meaning believers. One counsel from a mature mind can save us from a lifetime of regret. In our text, Paul was at the verge of breaking into the mob to give an explanation. His friends stopped him from what could have been a suicide mission. With all his apostolic calling and anointing, Paul could not see the danger his action would portend. Those who saw it called him to order. Timely counsel saved the apostle from a foolish step. It pays to listen to counsel from altruistic people.
