by Jim Hughes
Is. 36:10 What's more, do you think we have invaded your land without the LORD's direction? The LORD himself told us, "Go and destroy it!"
What strikes me here is that not everyone who claims to have direction from the Lord does. Israel was under attack and the invading army was pressing in on Jerusalem. The leader of the army was trying to convince the king to surrender. He boasted of his military might and then he declared that God had sent him to destroy the city where His people dwelt.
We need to be careful whom we listen to. Not everyone who claims to speak for the Lord does. Words can be very convincing. It is imperative that we be discerning. It is important that one gets to know the heart of man before he buys into what he hears. It is important that we always evaluate what we hear by what the Word says. And by the way, in order for us to know what the Word really is saying, we must be in sync with the Holy Spirit. Proper understanding comes from a heart that is right with God. Sin distorts truth so he who wants to hear from God must not allow sin to dwell in the heart.
Don't be persuaded by flowery speech or the appearance of man. Don't let anyone deceive you. Accept what you hear on your knees before God. Seek His affirmation before you accept what you hear. The Lord never contradicts himself or violates His holiness. Never. If the Word consistently affirms the message and the message leads to holiness of life, then it truly comes from God.
If you are right with the Lord, you will be able to discern truth from error. It's all the more reason why we must stay diligent in our pursuit of holiness and diligently watch over our souls. We dare not let anything in that may cause us to be led astray from God. Let God's Word be your shield and protector. Listen first and foremost to what God says before you accept what man says.
About the Author:
Spending his formative years in Ft. Wayne, IN, Jim followed the love of his life to southeast Iowa where they married and have spent the majority of their lives. Jim has pastored several churches throughout his life and has worked many years in local factories to help support his family. The father of two married adult children and one son still at home, Jim is a first-time author.
C Through Marriage came into being through many years of pastoral and life experiences. The book first took on a life of its own over 20 years ago when I sought to address the much publicized moral failures of prominent leaders in the church. In the chapter on Chasity, I include the guideliness that I developed then to protect one's self from such failures.
I am a firm believer in order to make sense out of life you have to use much common sense. We need to get back to the basics of what has worked for many, many generations. If is isn't broke, why try to fix it? I strive to return to the basics of what really works in all my writings.
