Monday, March 12, 2012

FINDING DIRECTION IN LIFE


"Though these nations you are about to drive out listen to fortune-tellers and diviners, the Lord your God has not permitted you to do this. The Lord your God will raise up for you a prophet like me from among your own brothers. You must listen to him." (Deuteronomy 18:14, 15 HCSB)

Yogi Berra, former Hall of Fame catcher for the New York Yankees, is renowned for his "yogi-isms" as much as his baseball skills. Some of these "yogi-isms" are:

A nickel ain't worth a dime anymore.

Always go to other people's funerals, otherwise they won't come to yours.

Baseball is ninety percent mental and the other half is physical.

He hits from both sides of the plate. He's amphibious.

I never said most of the things I said.

I wish I had an answer to that because I'm tired of answering that question.

I'm not going to buy my kids an encyclopedia. Let them walk to school like I did.

There are many more to be sure. One of my favorites is, "When you come to the fork of the road, take it."

The question is, "What fork do you take?" Yogi's quote is funny, but some of the decisions we make are very serious. It's not likely a big deal what color of socks you wear today (providing they match), but it is a major decision whom you marry or where you work. These are huge in terms of impact. Choices have consequences.

The first choice is where we look to make a choice. Do we look to the constellations or to their Creator? Will we trust in sorcery or Scripture?

It is amazing how many professing Christians consult the horoscope instead of looking into Holy Scripture. That a pagan world would do so is not surprising. But, wouldn't you think that those who attend church would know better?

God warned Israel of this folly. He told them of the dire consequences of occult practices. The Lord would not leave them without guidance. There was the promise of a prophet that would speak directly from Him. We have their writings today--they are called the Old Testament. Every book was authored by a prophet. The Apostles and their associates filled that responsibility in the writing of the New Testament. What we have is the Word of God.
I understand that every decision we need to make will not be specifically addressed in the Bible. You won't likely find a verse that tells you where to go to college or what career to pursue. Yet, these can have profound implications.

What you will find in Scripture, however, are fundamental principles that enable you to orient yourself toward God's perspective. As you set aside your will and submit to God's will, you learn through prayer, seeking godly counsel from others, looking at circumstances, asking God for wisdom that He will guide you. He has promised. The more you immerse yourself in God's Word and spend time intimately with Him in prayer, the sharper your sensitivity will be to the leading of the Spirit. In so doing, we reject the world's rationale and embrace the Word's revelation--resulting in a renewed mind. Consider this:

"Therefore, brothers, by the mercies of God, I urge you to present your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and pleasing to God; this is your spiritual worship. Do not be conformed to this age, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, so that you may discern what is the good, pleasing, and perfect will of God." (Romans 12:1, 2 HCSB)

Psychics or prophets? Mediums or the Master? Seances or Scripture? The stars or the Sovereign? Familiar spirits or the Holy Spirit? This is a fork of the road, and you must take it. Trusting in witchcraft is the way of wickedness. Looking to the Word is the walk of wisdom.

Why would you look to the stars for guidance, when you can look higher--to the One who hung them in space?

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