5 Ways God’s Word Is Our Best Counselor

1. Because They Are God's Words

The Scriptures are not a product of human invention but the handiwork of God Himself. Men wrote as the Holy Spirit inspired them, giving us direct access to God's mind (please don't gloss over that statement). When Jesus walked the earth, he also validated the Scriptures, frequently quoting from them during his teachings, living them out in his life, and, most importantly, fulfilling them. This displayed his commitment to the word of God.

Since we know the Scriptures come from the mind and heart of God, then we know they are useful in giving us the help we need when we need it. However, the genuine challenge for many is not merely reading and understanding God's word. The challenge is putting it into practice. While it may be easy to just read or quote the Bible, the aim is to obey it. This can often be difficult because you must surrender your will to God's will. Yet, it is through surrender and obedience that we truly experience the power and truth of God's word. God's word can never be your counselor if you don't follow what it says.

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2. Because God's Word Will Challenge You

All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting, and training in righteousness17 so that the servant of God may be thoroughly equipped for every good work. -- 2 Timothy 3:16-17

When I used to coach basketball, part of my responsibility was to get the best out of the kids. My job was to make them the best players and the best team they could be. For this to happen, sometimes I would put them in uncomfortable situations to see how they would respond. I was challenging them, but this was all part of their learning and development. This is how God's word is supposed to work if you will allow it.

If God's word is going to be a counselor, then there should be moments when it makes you uncomfortable. His word will require things of you that go against your fleshly desires or natural instincts. This can create internal tension when you come to his word with an open heart. Just consider some statements Jesus made.

You have heard that it was said, Love your neighbor and hate your enemy. 44 But I tell you, love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you. -- Matthew 5:43-44

For if you forgive other people when they sin against you, your heavenly Father will also forgive you. 15 But if you do not forgive others their sins, your Father will not forgive your sins. -- Matthew 6:14-15

Anyone who loves their father or mother more than me is not worthy of me; anyone who loves their son or daughter more than me is not worthy of me. -- Matthew 10:37

Just think of those three challenges. Is it natural to love your enemy or to even want to forgive someone who has hurt you? What about loving Jesus more than anyone else? These things don't happen naturally, yet God's word challenges us to do this because God desires to make us the best we can be. His word will help us become that, but don't expect it to always feel good.

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3. Because God's Word Will Lead You

Your word is a lamp for my feet, a light on my path. -- Psalm 119:105

God's word will lead you, but only if you are willing to be led. In our complex and often tumultuous world, you will face countless challenging issues that can leave you wondering what steps to take. During these moments of uncertainty, turning to God's word provides the guidance and answers you seek. While the Bible has answers, there is one question the Bible cannot answer for you. Will you follow it? All the wisdom of God's word means nothing if you are not willing to follow what God's word says. Without obedience, God's word is merely a suggestion, and you will not experience the transformative power of his word in your life.

One of my favorite Bible verses comes from the book of James.

Do not merely listen to the word and so deceive yourselves. Do what it says. -- James 1:22

Does it make sense to go through the trouble of searching God's word to discover what he wants you to do if you are going to choose not to do it? Yet, sadly, this is what many people do. The power is not just in getting God's counsel; the power comes in putting it into practice. If you don't, then all you have done is deceive yourself. However, when you hear his word and do what it says, then God's word truly becomes a lamp to your feet and a light to your path.

Therefore, everyone who hears these words of mine and puts them into practice is like a wise man who built his house on the rock. 25 The rain came down, the streams rose, and the winds blew and beat against that house, yet it did not fall because it had its foundation on the rock. -- Matthew 7:24-25

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4. Because God's Word Exposes What Is in Your Heart

For the word of God is alive and active. Sharper than any double-edged sword, it penetrates even to dividing soul and spirit, joints and marrow; it judges the thoughts and attitudes of the heart. -- Hebrews 4:12

God's word exposes what is in your heart by acting as a divine mirror. When you approach it honestly, it will expose your innermost thoughts, motives, and intentions. This can be another instance where God's word can make you uncomfortable, especially when it reveals what is in your heart. His word deals with the hidden places of our hearts where our genuine desires, fears, and even sin can hide. Through regular engagement with Scripture, it can force us to confront truths about ourselves that we might otherwise ignore. While this process can feel uncomfortable (there's that word again), its purpose is not to lead you to condemnation but to lead you to transformation. Sometimes, it may hurt to lay your heart bare before the Lord, but often, that is the only way the truth of what lies in it can be revealed. When you do, it positions you to grow into a deeper, more authentic relationship with him.

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5. Because God's Word Shows No Favoritism

Here's one more basketball analogy, if you don't mind. When I coached basketball, I always wanted fair referees who called the game straight down the middle. I didn't like referees who showed any favoritism because I knew that with those referees, the situation might dictate how they called the game. The best referees called the game as it was, and the conditions did not change how they performed. This is how God's word operates in our lives. While many have tried to dismiss the timeless truths of Scripture and even call them outdated, the truth of God's word remains steadfast.

If we allow it, God's word will cut across denominational lines, social lines, economic lines, and every other line our culture may try to impose against it. I have emphasized "if we allow it" throughout this article because the truth about God's word is that we choose whether or not we will follow it. Despite God's standard remaining constant and impartial, people often show favoritism. We live in a time when many try to conform God's word to fit their decisions rather than conform their choices to fit God's word.

Even with this tendency, God's word shows no favoritism and holds everyone to account equally. It may sometimes feel as if this impartiality isn't always clear, but in the end, God's word will remain true and eternal. The unchanging nature of Scripture ensures that its principles and judgments are always just, irrespective of human preferences or societal changes. Just as a good referee maintains fairness in a game, God's word remains an unwavering guide, offering impartial wisdom and truth for all who seek it.

Heaven and earth will pass away, but my words will never pass away. -- Matthew 24:35

There is only one thing more to say, and you probably know what it is. Go read and study God's word, but don't stop there. Do what it says. When that happens, you will experience all the benefits of God's word as your best counselor.

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