Teaching and Testimony
“…should not a people inquire of their God? Should they inquire of the dead on behalf of the living? To the teaching and to the testimony! If they will not speak according to this word, it is because they have no dawn.” ESV Isaiah 8:19b-20.
God’s hand of discipline was weighing heavy on the nation when Isaiah penned these words. Things were bad and they were about to get worse. People would no doubt be moaning and groaning about their predicament. The nation as a whole was about to have what I like to call a pity party. Talk around town would center on their problems. Some would speak against God. Some would even consult fortunetellers and try to get advice from the dead!
I don’t know that we are experiencing God’s discipline, but as a nation, we are facing some difficult times. There’s little doubt now that we are in the midst of an economic recession and some folks will lose their jobs or be affected in other ways. Many of our neighbors are facing challenges that have nothing to do with the economy. Struggles with addictions, health issues, depression; the list goes on. I wonder where everyone is looking for answers? Coffee shops? Television? Fortunetellers? Pity parties?
Isaiah’s words bite just as hard today, here and now (and especially to Christians), as they did when he wrote them some 2,700 years ago. “…should not a people inquire of their God?” Why would a people of God turn first to every other means available for advice? Why would we depend on advice from the created instead of the Creator? Why would some go so far as to consult fortunetellers for their answers? Sounds silly doesn’t it?
The one thing that I’d like to communicate today is that Christians should always--no, Christians must--turn to God for advice. How? Through prayer and bible study. I read a book once whose title sums the concept well: “Think Biblically.”
Why is it so difficult to think biblically? Sadly, I think it’s because we sometimes don’t really want to know what God has to say about an issue. It’s much easier and soothing to cry out to a sympathetic friend than it is to lean on the sometimes difficult principles, precepts and truths that come from the Bible. Isaiah had a slightly different take on it. His opinion seemed to be that those who refused to turn to God’s word had never truly experienced God’s light; “it is because they have no dawn.”
So, be careful where you seek advice. Be mindful that God the Creator of heaven and earth is just a prayer away. Always keep in mind that His word is true and His precepts are not a burden. Be courageous and faithful enough to ‘think biblically” in all you do “To teaching and to the testimony!”
Ken Askew
God’s hand of discipline was weighing heavy on the nation when Isaiah penned these words. Things were bad and they were about to get worse. People would no doubt be moaning and groaning about their predicament. The nation as a whole was about to have what I like to call a pity party. Talk around town would center on their problems. Some would speak against God. Some would even consult fortunetellers and try to get advice from the dead!
I don’t know that we are experiencing God’s discipline, but as a nation, we are facing some difficult times. There’s little doubt now that we are in the midst of an economic recession and some folks will lose their jobs or be affected in other ways. Many of our neighbors are facing challenges that have nothing to do with the economy. Struggles with addictions, health issues, depression; the list goes on. I wonder where everyone is looking for answers? Coffee shops? Television? Fortunetellers? Pity parties?
Isaiah’s words bite just as hard today, here and now (and especially to Christians), as they did when he wrote them some 2,700 years ago. “…should not a people inquire of their God?” Why would a people of God turn first to every other means available for advice? Why would we depend on advice from the created instead of the Creator? Why would some go so far as to consult fortunetellers for their answers? Sounds silly doesn’t it?
The one thing that I’d like to communicate today is that Christians should always--no, Christians must--turn to God for advice. How? Through prayer and bible study. I read a book once whose title sums the concept well: “Think Biblically.”
Why is it so difficult to think biblically? Sadly, I think it’s because we sometimes don’t really want to know what God has to say about an issue. It’s much easier and soothing to cry out to a sympathetic friend than it is to lean on the sometimes difficult principles, precepts and truths that come from the Bible. Isaiah had a slightly different take on it. His opinion seemed to be that those who refused to turn to God’s word had never truly experienced God’s light; “it is because they have no dawn.”
So, be careful where you seek advice. Be mindful that God the Creator of heaven and earth is just a prayer away. Always keep in mind that His word is true and His precepts are not a burden. Be courageous and faithful enough to ‘think biblically” in all you do “To teaching and to the testimony!”
Ken Askew
posted by TBC at
12/06/2008 05:03:00 PM
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