DEVOTION / Listening to the wrong voices

Sometimes I'm accused of being deaf to what's being said. Have you ever been accused of that? I have had my ears checked and the doctor said I'm doing well for my age. OUCH! Probably my real problem is selective listening. Yes, I guess, sometimes I just hear what I want to hear.

Sound familiar? A close look at the Scriptures reveals many places where God's people heard what they chose to hear. Sadly, when you don't listen to God's words, the results can be catastrophic.

A Lesson from Jeremiah's Time

Consider the Old Testament people. God sent faithful prophets to them. Men like Jeremiah and Isaiah and many more who boldly shared God's warnings. At the same time, the land seemed filled with false prophets who spoke messages the people wanted to hear. The people listened to the wrong voices, even when the Word of God was being faithfully preached to them.

During Jeremiah's time, the people of Jerusalem listened to what they wanted to hear rather than paying attention to the uncomfortable truth that exposed their rampant sinful ways. They preferred wrong voices -- false messengers whose words totally contradicted the true message and promised that God surely would not allow the city to fall. Jeremiah chapter 28 shares the details.

The city that had once enjoyed God's favor and had been called the perfection of beauty and the joy of the whole earth (Psalm 48:2; 50:2; Ezekiel. 16:14) was laid waste. Instead of heeding the Lord’s messengers, they chose to believe prophets whose promises were empty. In Lamentations 2:14, Jeremiah writes of these false voices: They did not expose your sin to ward off your captivity. The prophecies they gave you were false and misleading.

"Feel Good" - Itching Ear Messages

How often don't we prefer speakers who make us feel good about ourselves? Undoubtedly, we all know people who ignore, discount, or avoid parts of the Bible that make them feel uncomfortable. The words of 2 Timothy 4:3 warn us about the days when people will gather around a great number of teachers who will tell them what their itching ears want to hear.

 316NOW works to spread God's true and saving messages in a land that has been captivated by spiritually wrong voices for generations. False religions & hollow philosophies are wrong voices that lead unknowing victims to spiritual disaster.

 Prayer: Lord God, Holy Spirit, we thank you for your faithful Word that provides faithful, saving guidance for us. Open our ears to clearly hear your message and open our mouth to clearly proclaim that Word. We especially lift up our brothers and sisters in China who are surrounded by false voices that seek to lead them to their spiritual destruction. Clear the way for your saving message to be spread across their wide land and our whole world.

by Dave Payne