2 Samuel 17:1-5: in context

As Absalom's rebellion drives David into flight, the shrewd counselor Ahithophel gives Absalom advice that would have destroyed David. Let me pursue David tonight, he says, while he is weary and exhausted; I will strike the king alone, and bring all the people back to you. It was sound, deadly counsel, and it pleased Absalom and all the elders. Yet Absalom hesitates, deciding to also hear what Hushai advises, a small hesitation through which, as the story unfolds, God would overrule the deadly-wise counsel and preserve David.

Ahithophel's counsel was shrewd and dangerous. It was militarily sound, likely to succeed, and aimed precisely at David's destruction; and it pleased everyone. By all reckoning, it should have been carried out, and David should have been lost. But Absalom, for no compelling reason, decided to seek a second opinion, and this small hesitation opened the door for God to overrule the deadly counsel. As the account goes on to say, the LORD had ordained to defeat the good counsel of Ahithophel, to bring disaster on Absalom. God overruled the shrewdest and most dangerous plan against David, turning it aside through a small and unlikely hesitation. This is an assurance about the plans arrayed against God's purposes and God's people. The enemies of God and his people may devise shrewd, sound, dangerous plans, well-conceived and likely to succeed, aimed at destruction. And such plans can seem unstoppable, sure to prevail. But God can overrule even the shrewdest counsel, turning hearts and events, often through small and unlikely means, so that the plan that would have destroyed comes to nothing. There is no wisdom, the proverb says, no understanding, no counsel that can prevail against the LORD. The most cunning plans against God's purposes do not finally succeed, for God overrules them. This steadies us when we face shrewd and dangerous opposition. The plans arrayed against us or against God's work may be well-conceived, sound, likely to succeed, and we can feel that they are unstoppable. But God is able to overrule even the shrewdest counsel, as he overruled Ahithophel's, turning it aside through means we would never expect. The counsel of the LORD, the psalmist says, stands forever, but he brings the plans of the nations to nothing. No plan against God's purposes finally prevails; he overrules them in his own way and time. This calls us to trust God's power to overrule the plans of our enemies and the enemies of his work. Ahithophel's deadly-wise counsel, which pleased all and should have destroyed David, was overruled by God through a small hesitation; and when we face shrewd, dangerous opposition to ourselves or to God's work, we may trust that God can overrule even the cleverest plans, turning them aside so that they come to nothing, for no wisdom or counsel finally prevails against the LORD, whose purposes stand while the plans against them are brought to nothing.

When I face shrewd, dangerous, and seemingly unstoppable opposition, well-conceived plans aimed at destruction, do I fear that they will surely prevail, or can Ahithophel's deadly counsel, which pleased all and should have destroyed David but was overruled by God through a small hesitation, assure me that God can overrule even the cleverest plans of our enemies, turning them aside through unlikely means, so that I trust that no wisdom or counsel finally prevails against the LORD, whose purposes stand while the plans against them come to nothing?