2 Samuel 13:5,(English Standard Version)

“Jonadab said to him, ‘Lie down on your bed and pretend to be ill…’”

Some people have asked me how the Word of God can give them knowledge concerning their questions about life? How can the Word of God work to comfort their broken heart and help them in their hardships? What can the Word of God do when they face practical issues? And more, what in the Word of God can help direct them in the future they want? The uncertainty, the doubt, the worry, the fear… no matter what the reason when they think in that way is actually downgrading the power of God. This proves that they do not truly know who Jesus is! They do not know because they are not in the Word. Again, I remind you: Jesus is the Word! He is a living God, and we cannot know Him only by reading the Word, but we need to also live in the Word!

Because of the reason above, when storms come, they act like the disciples who called on Jesus saying, “Teacher, don’t you care if we drown?” (Mark 4:38, NIV) They forgot that Jesus (the Word) already told them they will go to the other side. Or even worse, the first reaction is to fix it themselves with man’s knowledge instead of God’s wisdom.

Have we all been there? Rather than turning to the Lord for help we go to the person we think may be able to give us the answer. Have you ever heard your kids (or any young people) tell you they made a decision simply based on the input of their peers? As a parent or minister, I have quite often heard people admit that the mistakes they made were a direct result of the advice they received. Can you identify at all with that? Hear this:

“And he said, ‘Who told you that you were naked? Have you eaten from the tree that I commanded you not to eat from?’ The man said, ‘The woman you put here with me—she gave me some fruit from the tree, and I ate it.’ Then the Lord God said to the woman, ‘What is this you have done?’ The woman said, ‘The serpent deceived me, and I ate.’” (Genesis 3:11-13, NIV)

From the time of the first human being, to the time when Amnon sought the council of Jonadab, to now, if we do not seek or receive guidance carefully and receive it from a fool or from an evil source, that advice will become a stumbling block in our lives.

My dear friends, I hope you will be concerned enough to go and read the events surrounding Amnon and understand the advice Jonadab gave him. This advice led him down the wrong path - a path that led to death. Jonadab may have carried the title of counselor, but that did not make him wise or righteous. The truth can only be found in the Word, Jesus Himself. The truth is also only revealed by the Spirit of truth, the Holy Spirit. Therefore, seek the Lord, read His word, and listen and obey.