1 Kings 1; Galatians 5; Ezekiel 32; Psalm 80
I have many good friends. Even so, there are only a few that I also call trusted advisors. One of these trusted advisors recently noticed my life accelerating into high gear. He sent me a simple email asking, “Are you ready for me to begin meeting with you regularly to ask good questions, think outside the box & keep you oriented towards Jesus, your wife, and kiddos?” When first read it, I wasn’t thrilled with the implications. Today, however, I have a new perspective. It comes from watching the Prophet Nathan. His relationship with David was not simply friendship, he was a trusted advisor. What are the characteristics of a trusted advisor?
- Trusted advisors encourage us to lean into our dreams and vision
In 2 Sam 7:3 Nathan encourages David to run with his dream of building a Temple for God. He says, “Go, do all that is in your heart, for the Lord is with you.”
- Trusted advisors help us align our activities with God’s will
In 2 Samuel 7:8-17, Nathan discerns the full will of God. Once he understands that David is not the one to build his Temple, he immediately relays the information accurately and rigorously to David. His willingness to speak truthfully to David fosters alignment with God’s will, so that God can receive full glory
- Trusted advisors hold us accountable
In 2 Samuel 12:1-31, Nathan learned that David caused Uriah’s death. Cunningly, he led David to self-discover the truth of his actions. The result was David’s complete surrender to God, which paved the way for reconciliation.
- Trusted advisors wake us up from our malaise
In 1 Kings 1:22-27, Nathan illustrates to an elderly King David the effects of his failure to name a successor. This wake-up-call causes David to reaffirm his commitment to Solomon. Realizing the indiscretion, David stepped up, announcing, “as I swore to you by the Lord, the God of Israel, saying, ‘Solomon your son shall reign after me, and he shall sit on my throne in my place,’ even so will I do this day.”
God has blessed me with several “Nathan’s.” My guess is that you can name them in your life too. Maybe it’s time to reconnect with them. When we do, like King David, we are better able to focus our activities so that God receives all the glory.