Second opinions and even more can be great when you are looking at possibly having surgery, buying a house, taking a vacation to somewhere you’ve never been or any number of situations with viable options. But when it comes to needing the one and only right direction to lead a group of people, more “leaders” generally bring more division and trouble. If you’ve ever been on a sports team, in a musical group, on a board or committee, etc. where more than one person was trying to hold the reigns, you know what I mean. Because in Life, the only best Person of Understanding is the Lord Jesus.

Most Christians would quickly agree with that statement. But don’t we still often turn to several human leaders instead of directly turning to Jesus Himself? How many churches are known more for the pastor, teacher, musician, or even celebrity attendees than their devotion to Christ? How many prolific Christian authors are quoted more for insightful or motivational things they say than for proclaiming Jesus? How many Bible colleges, Christian universities and seminaries are more renown for famous members of their staff than for their teaching the Lord’s Word? And how many of us quote our favorite people in social media posts more than we quote Jesus Himself? I know I have been guilty.

Having more than one Prince of Peace divides the Body of Christ.

The last devotional of twelve in this series on a “person of understanding” is appropriately Proverbs 28:2. It tells us that “When a land transgresses, it has many rulers, but with a person of understanding and knowledge, its stability will long continue.”

That translation seems to say that the sins of a land (i.e., a nation or its people) result in having many leaders divided against each other. Other translations seem to say that divided leaders result in their nation sinning. I believe that God inspired the original Hebrew in such passages to be intentionally vague because there is truth in the several possible translations: either problem can be the root of the other bad fruit.

One thing is clear, however. Only Jesus has perfect understanding to lead His people. I’m glad to be of any help or encouragement in Christ through my writings and videos in tools4trenches.net/. But, in the end, it’s not what I think that counts.

“Oh, the depth of the riches and wisdom and knowledge of God! How unsearchable are His judgments and how inscrutable His ways! ‘For who has known the mind of the Lord, or who has been His counselor?’ ‘Or who has given a gift to Him that He might be repaid?’ For from Him and through Him and to Him are all things. To Him be glory forever. Amen!” (Romans 11:33-36)

If you’d like to know more about who publishes the articles, videos, and other materials on tools4trenches, you can click on the picture of me and my wife.