The other day my wife and I ventured into a new subdivision to take a peek and then somewhere along the way we passed the same people walking their dog we saw earlier. We were going in circles but not actually getting back to the point we came in. We were getting further away from the entrance point and were about to enter into another subdivision. My wife said it would be easier to see where we were going from above. Today we are looking at what it means to live our life with God’s eyes and not our own. This means we trust God wholeheartedly and seek and follow His direction for every part of our lives. Trusting God means we have put our faith in His word and are guided by it. This means that faith is about seeing with God’s eyes and not our own. Hebrews 11:1 “Now faith is confidence in what we hope for and assurance about what we do not see. 2 This is what the ancients were commended for. 3 By faith we understand that the universe was formed at God’s command, so that what is seen was not made out of what was visible.”
Our faith is based on God’s word, not by what we can see around us. All of us can only see with our own eyes what’s directly around us. Let’s say you’ve decided to head into a corn maze. If the corn is at full height it can be very tough to see where you are going. Sometimes there are towers you can climb to find your way or if you had a drone you could get a view from above and see exactly where you are supposed to go.That has changed drastically these days and with help from today’s technology you can look at places you may never see with our own eyes. I was playing with Google Earth the other day and took a quick trip by clicking the “I’m feeling lucky” button and ended up in France and then I went to Fiji for free. That is amazing. If you were travelling somewhere it is almost like you have already been there. I like to take a peek at Google Maps from the street view, which orients you to the area before you get to your selected destination, or you can just trust your GPS to get you there. This amazing technology gives you a sense of control as if you are the one in charge of your life. This sense of control by what our hands have made have turned people from God’s guidance. Jeremiah 32:30 “The people of Israel and Judah have done nothing but evil in my sight from their youth; indeed, the people of Israel have done nothing but arouse my anger with what their hands have made, declares the Lord.” The problem is that while technology can assist with your earthly view, it cannot guide you spiritually. Yes you may think as many do that you are in complete control but you cannot control life and death as God can. You do not control your surroundings, God does! Man has a tendency to gravitate towards being in charge and by being in charge man has turned away from God by going their own way. As we have seen by this latest pandemic, man is not in charge even though they persist in thinking so. Deuteronomy 32:28 “They are a nation without sense, there is no discernment in them. 29 If only they were wise and would understand this and discern what their end will be!” We must remember how God guides. This also tells us what happens when we do not follow. Isaiah 63:7 “I will tell of the kindnesses of the Lord, the deeds for which he is to be praised, according to all the Lord has done for us— yes, the many good things he has done for Israel, according to his compassion and many kindnesses. 8 He said, “Surely they are my people, children who will be true to me”; and so he became their Savior. 9 In all their distress he too was distressed, and the angel of his presence saved them. In his love and mercy he redeemed them; he lifted them up and carried them all the days of old. 10 Yet they rebelled and grieved his Holy Spirit. So he turned and became their enemy and he himself fought against them. 11 Then his people recalled the days of old, the days of Moses and his people— where is he who brought them through the sea, with the shepherd of his flock? Where is he who set his Holy Spirit among them, 12 who sent his glorious arm of power to be at Moses’ right hand, who divided the waters before them, to gain for himself everlasting renown, 13 who led them through the depths? Like a horse in open country, they did not stumble; 14 like cattle that go down to the plain, they were given rest by the Spirit of the Lord. This is how you guided your people to make for yourself a glorious name. 15 Look down from heaven and see, from your lofty throne, holy and glorious. Where are your zeal and your might? Your tenderness and compassion are withheld from us. 16 But you are our Father, though Abraham does not know us or Israel acknowledge us; you, Lord, are our Father, our Redeemer from of old is your name. 17 Why, Lord, do you make us wander from your ways and harden our hearts so we do not revere you? Return for the sake of your servants, the tribes that are your inheritance. 18 For a little while your people possessed your holy place, but now our enemies have trampled down your sanctuary. 19 We are yours from of old; but you have not ruled over them, they have not been called by your name.”
In order to follow God wholeheartedly and accept His guidance we must declare that there is no other God and follow wholeheartedly! This is how we are to live our lives. Deuteronomy 4:39 “Acknowledge and take to heart this day that the Lord is God in heaven above and on the earth below. There is no other.” Deuteronomy 10:14 “To the Lord your God belong the heavens, even the highest heavens, the earth and everything in it.” Isaiah 45:18 “For this is what the Lord says— he who created the heavens, he is God; he who fashioned and made the earth, he founded it; he did not create it to be empty, but formed it to be inhabited— he says: “I am the Lord, and there is no other.” The truth is that creator of the universe actually knows what He is doing and is in complete control of all that goes on. Isaiah 42:5 “This is what God the Lord says— the Creator of the heavens, who stretches them out, who spreads out the earth with all that springs from it, who gives breath to its people, and life to those who walk on it.” Because many believe they are in control they do not fear God as they should. Matthew 10:28 “Do not be afraid of those who kill the body but cannot kill the soul. Rather, be afraid of the One who can destroy both soul and body in hell.” We must give our praise to God. 1 Chronicles 29:10 “Praise be to you, Lord, the God of our father Israel, from everlasting to everlasting. 11 Yours, Lord, is the greatness and the power and the glory and the majesty and the splendor, for everything in heaven and earth is yours. Yours, Lord, is the kingdom; you are exalted as head over all. 12 Wealth and honor come from you; you are the ruler of all things. In your hands are strength and power to exalt and give strength to all. 13 Now, our God, we give you thanks, and praise your glorious name.” Daniel 2:19 “Daniel praised the God of heaven 20 and said: “Praise be to the name of God for ever and ever; wisdom and power are his. 21 He changes times and seasons; he deposes kings and raises up others. He gives wisdom to the wise and knowledge to the discerning. 22 He reveals deep and hidden things; he knows what lies in darkness, and light dwells with him.” Psalm 75:7 “It is God who judges: He brings one down, he exalts another.”
When we understand who God is, we realize that He is the one who directs our path and is in control of all that goes on. Yes there are tools to give you directions and tools to show you what it looks like when you get there but these tools can do nothing for you spiritually. Even with a better view from technology, people are still blind and deaf to what is around them and they have no control over their lives. As we have talked about already, the church is in desolation and remains powerless and drifting because we have decided that we have a better view on life than God does. Again this pandemic also should have changed that thinking. We were warned that Hebrews 2:1 “we must pay the most careful attention, therefore, to what we have heard, so that we do not drift away.” Ephesians 4:14 “Then we will no longer be infants, tossed back and forth by the waves, and blown here and there by every wind of teaching and by the cunning and craftiness of people in their deceitful scheming.” James 1:6 “But when you ask, you must believe and not doubt, because the one who doubts is like a wave of the sea, blown and tossed by the wind.” As Paul said Ephesians 4:11 “So Christ himself gave the apostles, the prophets, the evangelists, the pastors and teachers, 12 to equip his people for works of service, so that the body of Christ may be built up 13 until we all reach unity in the faith and in the knowledge of the Son of God and become mature, attaining to the whole measure of the fullness of Christ.” If we want to see with God’s eyes, we must follow God’s commands as laid out in scripture, then we will see once again. If we do not obey, we will be blind. Isaiah 59:9 “So justice is far from us, and righteousness does not reach us. We look for light, but all is darkness; for brightness, but we walk in deep shadows. 10 Like the blind we grope along the wall, feeling our way like people without eyes. At midday we stumble as if it were twilight; among the strong, we are like the dead.” When we do not obey we bring the curses upon us. Deuteronomy 28:29 “At midday you will grope about like a blind person in the dark. You will be unsuccessful in everything you do; day after day you will be oppressed and robbed, with no one to rescue you.” You can see this further when Jesus talked about the Pharisees. Mark 7:7 "You hypocrites! Isaiah was right when he prophesied about you: 8 “‘These people honor me with their lips, but their hearts are far from me. 9 They worship me in vain; their teachings are merely human rules. 10 Jesus called the crowd to him and said, “Listen and understand. 11 What goes into someone’s mouth does not defile them, but what comes out of their mouth, that is what defiles them.” 12 Then the disciples came to him and asked, “Do you know that the Pharisees were offended when they heard this?” 13 He replied, “Every plant that my heavenly Father has not planted will be pulled up by the roots. 14 Leave them; they are blind guides. If the blind lead the blind, both will fall into a pit.”
When we follow God’s word, we will be guided from above. Psalm 25:5 “Guide me in your truth and teach me, for you are God my Savior, and my hope is in you all day long.” We will also see the results of His guidance. Hebrews 2:4 “God also testified to it by signs, wonders and various miracles, and by gifts of the Holy Spirit distributed according to his will.” Mark 16:20 “Then the disciples went out and preached everywhere, and the Lord worked with them and confirmed his word by the signs that accompanied it.” If we are not yet seeing what God has for us (the church is not), we continue to persevere in our waiting until the time of His favour. James says James 1:2 “Consider it pure joy, my brothers and sisters, whenever you face trials of many kinds, 3 because you know that the testing of your faith produces perseverance. 4 Let perseverance finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything. 5 If any of you lacks wisdom, you should ask God, who gives generously to all without finding fault, and it will be given to you. 12 Blessed is the one who perseveres under trial because, having stood the test, that person will receive the crown of life that the Lord has promised to those who love him.” James 5:11 “As you know, we count as blessed those who have persevered. You have heard of Job’s perseverance and have seen what the Lord finally brought about. The Lord is full of compassion and mercy.”
The bottom line is that if you want to see clearly, then close your eyes to what is around you and trust God’s word. Yes satan will continue daily to try to deceive you with what you can see. We saw this when Israel was to take the land. Instead of trusting God’s promise to them that no man would stand against them and everywhere they set their foot would be theirs, they rebelled because of what their eyes could see and they refused to trust God. Even though Caleb and Joshua said to take the land, the rest said Numbers 13:31 “we can’t attack those people; they are stronger than we are.” 32 And they spread among the Israelites a bad report about the land they had explored. They said, “The land we explored devours those living in it. All the people we saw there are of great size. 33 We saw the Nephilim there (the descendants of Anak come from the Nephilim). We seemed like grasshoppers in our own eyes, and we looked the same to them.” Numbers 14:1 “That night all the members of the community raised their voices and wept aloud. 2 All the Israelites grumbled against Moses and Aaron, and the whole assembly said to them, “If only we had died in Egypt! Or in this wilderness! 3 Why is the Lord bringing us to this land only to let us fall by the sword? Our wives and children will be taken as plunder. Wouldn’t it be better for us to go back to Egypt?” 4 And they said to each other, “We should choose a leader and go back to Egypt.” That was costly.
Even though all around us there are lies and deception, in the midst of all of it is the truth of God’s word and His truth will prevail. If we seek God we will find Him. He is God and there is none other so we must trust His guidance in the world from His view. This means we will totally submit to Him. God is the only one who sees all things. While man seems to think they know everything, they don’t, yet there is a resistance to trusting the word of God. satan is working hard to discredit God’s word. You constantly hear how the word of God is irrelevant in our day. You see churches adding to and subtracting from as if it was their words to modify. You see individuals distort scripture so that they can live in their sin and feel good about it. We have talked about this before but the bible has been set aside for man’s reasoning, experiences and traditions. These three have been elevated above God’s word meaning man has gone their own way. Deuteronomy 29:19 “When such a person hears the words of this oath and they invoke a blessing on themselves, thinking, “I will be safe, even though I persist in going my own way,” they will bring disaster on the watered land as well as the dry.” Numbers 14:28 “So tell them, ‘As surely as I live, declares the Lord, I will do to you the very thing I heard you say: 29 In this wilderness your bodies will fall—every one of you twenty years old or more who was counted in the census and who has grumbled against me. 30 Not one of you will enter the land I swore with uplifted hand to make your home, except Caleb son of Jephunneh and Joshua son of Nun. 31 As for your children that you said would be taken as plunder, I will bring them in to enjoy the land you have rejected. 32 But as for you, your bodies will fall in this wilderness. 33 Your children will be shepherds here for forty years, suffering for your unfaithfulness, until the last of your bodies lies in the wilderness. 34 For forty years—one year for each of the forty days you explored the land—you will suffer for your sins and know what it is like to have me against you.’ 35 I, the Lord, have spoken, and I will surely do these things to this whole wicked community, which has banded together against me. They will meet their end in this wilderness; here they will die.”
Now there are all kinds of examples of going our own way from subtle changes to scripture to the complete rejection of God’s word. As I give this example remember that God’s word is set aside for the worldview, which means God has been replaced with the prince of this world. Jeremiah 29:23 “For they have done outrageous things in Israel.” For example recently in the news you have a man feel that God has lead him into ministry and to be a woman. One news source said, “A (male) pastor in Mississauga, Ontario who recently came out as a transgender woman says he is receiving overwhelming support after being fired from his congregation. Out of 111 votes, 52 per cent were in favour of removing Joplin as lead pastor.” In another article the church was shamed for firing him. The reality is the vote at this church should have been 100 % because based on the word of God there is no other view. This is just one example of the bible being set aside. The world and many churches hold the view that God is all loving and it really doesn’t matter if you disagree with God’s view or they simply couldn’t care what God thinks on the subject even though God’s word is clear. By following a worldview men and woman are blinded to what God really says and led astray. Paul said 1 Corinthians 6:9 “Or do you not know that wrongdoers will not inherit the kingdom of God? Do not be deceived: Neither the sexually immoral nor idolaters nor adulterers nor men who have sex with men 10 nor thieves nor the greedy nor drunkards nor slanderers nor swindlers will inherit the kingdom of God. 11 And that is what some of you were. But you were washed, you were sanctified, you were justified in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ and by the Spirit of our God.” Romans 1:24 “Therefore God gave them over in the sinful desires of their hearts to sexual impurity for the degrading of their bodies with one another. 25 They exchanged the truth about God for a lie, and worshiped and served created things rather than the Creator—who is forever praised. Amen. 26 Because of this, God gave them over to shameful lusts. Even their women exchanged natural sexual relations for unnatural ones. 27 In the same way the men also abandoned natural relations with women and were inflamed with lust for one another. Men committed shameful acts with other men, and received in themselves the due penalty for their error. 28 Furthermore, just as they did not think it worthwhile to retain the knowledge of God, so God gave them over to a depraved mind, so that they do what ought not to be done.”
Situations like this where people think they are following God’s will for their lives but are not because when you say God is guiding you as this example did, that means His words are guiding you. As you can see from above the words do not line up with the actions. So His words and our lives must line up if we are actually following God’s word. This person stated “I am saying I want to be the person that God created me to be." God has a way of guiding you … to the moment where you can't do anything but speak your big, risky truth, no matter how much trouble it gets you in." "If I have an opportunity to reach one trans youth and say, 'God loves you just as you are' and that message prevents them from becoming another one of those terrifying and sad statistics, then I'll feel like I am fulfilling my calling as a pastor," Joplin said. "If I never work another day in the church again for the rest of my life, I'll know that I've done what I was called to do." The true terrifying and sad statistic is not to inherit the kingdom of God. Galatians 5:19 “The acts of the flesh are obvious: sexual immorality, impurity and debauchery; 20 idolatry and witchcraft; hatred, discord, jealousy, fits of rage, selfish ambition, dissensions, factions 21 and envy; drunkenness, orgies, and the like. I warn you, as I did before, that those who live like this will not inherit the kingdom of God.” The answer is this was not God speaking to this man but the prince of this world.
Situations like this where people think they are following God’s will for their lives but are not because when you say God is guiding you as this example did, that means His words are guiding you. As you can see from above the words do not line up with the actions. So His words and our lives must line up if we are actually following God’s word. This person stated “I am saying I want to be the person that God created me to be." God has a way of guiding you … to the moment where you can't do anything but speak your big, risky truth, no matter how much trouble it gets you in." "If I have an opportunity to reach one trans youth and say, 'God loves you just as you are' and that message prevents them from becoming another one of those terrifying and sad statistics, then I'll feel like I am fulfilling my calling as a pastor," Joplin said. "If I never work another day in the church again for the rest of my life, I'll know that I've done what I was called to do." The true terrifying and sad statistic is not to inherit the kingdom of God. Galatians 5:19 “The acts of the flesh are obvious: sexual immorality, impurity and debauchery; 20 idolatry and witchcraft; hatred, discord, jealousy, fits of rage, selfish ambition, dissensions, factions 21 and envy; drunkenness, orgies, and the like. I warn you, as I did before, that those who live like this will not inherit the kingdom of God.” The answer is this was not God speaking to this man but the prince of this world.
Now having said this I realize that we desperately need the power of God back in the church to overpower the prince of the world so that people can be freed from darkness. While scripture speaks very clearly about not inheriting the kingdom of God, scripture also speaks very clearly about the power to heal and defeat satan so there is hope. 1 John 3:8 “The one who does what is sinful is of the devil, because the devil has been sinning from the beginning. The reason the Son of God appeared was to destroy the devil’s work.” Without the power of God, the church will continue to be defeated by satan and will remain powerless against the evil one. In order for us to see clearly from above, we must turn from our wicked ways so that we will once again have power from on high. Most can only see with their eyes so they negate scripture and ignore its truths. But if we turn from our wicked ways instead of believing God is blessing these wicked ways, Paul’s statement is powerful. “And that is what some of you were. But you were washed, you were sanctified, you were justified in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ and by the Spirit of our God.” Paul said he was sent to Acts 26:18 “to open their eyes and turn them from darkness to light, and from the power of Satan to God, so that they may receive forgiveness of sins and a place among those who are sanctified by faith in me.” This is what the church is supposed to be. There is power to be changed and no we are not talking about manmade counselling as only God can do this washing and sanctifying.
As we return to God and He returns to us, His power to wash and sanctify us also returns. This means we will see the same power Paul talked about and we will have the same power from on High that the early church had. This changes how we see things. Jesus said, Matthew 17:20 “Because you have so little faith. Truly I tell you, if you have faith as small as a mustard seed, you can say to this mountain, ‘Move from here to there,’ and it will move. Nothing will be impossible for you.” John 14:12 “Very truly I tell you, whoever believes in me will do the works I have been doing, and they will do even greater things than these, because I am going to the Father. 13 And I will do whatever you ask in my name, so that the Father may be glorified in the Son. 14 You may ask me for anything in my name, and I will do it.” John 15:7 “If you remain in me and my words remain in you, ask whatever you wish, and it will be done for you.” Exodus 34:10 “Then the Lord said: “I am making a covenant with you. Before all your people I will do wonders never before done in any nation in all the world. The people you live among will see how awesome is the work that I, the Lord, will do for you.” It’s interesting to me how many in the church do not even believe this is possible. One reason is they have not seen it, so they do not believe. The other is they have elevated the worldview above scripture.
The church is supposed to be a powerhouse where people are freed from the hold of satan, not worse off than they were before. 2 Peter 2:20 “If they have escaped the corruption of the world by knowing our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ and are again entangled in it and are overcome, they are worse off at the end than they were at the beginning.” The church was supposed to do as Jesus did and heal people from diseases and free them from impure spirits. The only way this can happen is to return to God and follow His ways so that we can see where we are going once again. God said Jeremiah 29:11 “For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the Lord, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future. 12 Then you will call on me and come and pray to me, and I will listen to you. 13 You will seek me and find me when you seek me with all your heart. 14 I will be found by you,” declares the Lord, “and will bring you back from captivity. I will gather you from all the nations and places where I have banished you,” declares the Lord, “and will bring you back to the place from which I carried you into exile.” This means the God of the universe knows everything about you and where you are going whether you follow or not. Job said Job 42:2 “I know that you can do all things; no purpose of yours can be thwarted.” For many they have decided to reject truth and follow men and woman. Jesus said about the Pharisees, Matthew 15:14 “Leave them; they are blind guides. If the blind lead the blind, both will fall into a pit.” Instead we are to follow and do as Jesus did. Luke 4:18 “The Spirit of the Lord is on me, because he has anointed me to proclaim good news to the poor. He has sent me to proclaim freedom for the prisoners and recovery of sight for the blind, to set the oppressed free, 19 to proclaim the year of the Lord’s favor.”
When we trust God’s word we get a view from above. We do not want an earthly view because that will only lead us to God’s wrath and to be an enemy of God. James 4:4 “You adulterous people, don’t you know that friendship with the world means enmity against God? Therefore, anyone who chooses to be a friend of the world becomes an enemy of God.” we must acknowledge the satan knows his time is short and is filled with fury. Revelation 12:9 “The great dragon was hurled down—that ancient serpent called the devil, or satan, who leads the whole world astray. He was hurled to the earth, and his angels with him.” Jesus tells us John 15:18 “If the world hates you, keep in mind that it hated me first. 19 If you belonged to the world, it would love you as its own. As it is, you do not belong to the world, but I have chosen you out of the world. That is why the world hates you. 20 Remember what I told you: ‘A servant is not greater than his master.’ If they persecuted me, they will persecute you also. If they obeyed my teaching, they will obey yours also. 21 They will treat you this way because of my name, for they do not know the one who sent me. 22 If I had not come and spoken to them, they would not be guilty of sin; but now they have no excuse for their sin. 23 Whoever hates me hates my Father as well. 24 If I had not done among them the works no one else did, they would not be guilty of sin. As it is, they have seen, and yet they have hated both me and my Father. 25 But this is to fulfill what is written in their Law: ‘They hated me without reason.”
The good news is that if we wait as we are commanded to do, God will turn back to us as we return to Him. Just as the disciples were told in Acts 1:4 “On one occasion, while he was eating with them, he gave them this command: “Do not leave Jerusalem, but wait for the gift my Father promised, which you have heard me speak about. 5 For John baptized with water, but in a few days you will be baptized with the Holy Spirit.” 8 But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you; and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.” Revelation 11:15 “The kingdom of the world has become the kingdom of our Lord and of his Messiah, and he will reign for ever and ever.” If we seek God guidance and not the guidance of men, we will see His power flow one again and the church will once again be able to say “And that is what some of you were. But you were washed, you were sanctified, you were justified in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ and by the Spirit of our God.” We must not adhere to the worldview but look to God above. Colossians 3:1 “Since, then, you have been raised with Christ, set your hearts on things above, where Christ is, seated at the right hand of God. 2 Set your minds on things above, not on earthly things. 5 Put to death, therefore, whatever belongs to your earthly nature: sexual immorality, impurity, lust, evil desires and greed, which is idolatry. 6 Because of these, the wrath of God is coming. 7 You used to walk in these ways, in the life you once lived. 8 But now you must also rid yourselves of all such things as these: anger, rage, malice, slander, and filthy language from your lips. 9 Do not lie to each other, since you have taken off your old self with its practices 10 and have put on the new self, which is being renewed in knowledge in the image of its Creator. 11 Here there is no Gentile or Jew, circumcised or uncircumcised, barbarian, Scythian, slave or free, but Christ is all, and is in all.” James 3:13 “Who is wise and understanding among you? Let them show it by their good life, by deeds done in the humility that comes from wisdom. 14 But if you harbor bitter envy and selfish ambition in your hearts, do not boast about it or deny the truth. 15 Such “wisdom” does not come down from heaven but is earthly, unspiritual, demonic. 16 For where you have envy and selfish ambition, there you find disorder and every evil practice. 17 But the wisdom that comes from heaven is first of all pure; then peace-loving, considerate, submissive, full of mercy and good fruit, impartial and sincere. 18 Peacemakers who sow in peace reap a harvest of righteousness.”
As we have talked about before, spend time in Proverbs reading chapters 1-9 and you will see the difference between God’s wisdom and wisdom of the world. One leads to life, the other death.” Proverbs 3:5 “Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; 6 in all your ways submit to him, and he will make your paths straight. 7 Do not be wise in your own eyes; fear the Lord and shun evil. 8 This will bring health to your body and nourishment to your bones.” Proverbs shows us there are two ways. The first is to trust God’s wisdom and find life and the second is the seduction of the unwise, which leads to death. Proverbs 2:1 “My son, if you accept my words and store up my commands within you, 2 turning your ear to wisdom and applying your heart to understanding— 3 indeed, if you call out for insight and cry aloud for understanding, 4 and if you look for it as for silver and search for it as for hidden treasure, 5 then you will understand the fear of the Lord and find the knowledge of God. 6 For the Lord gives wisdom; from his mouth come knowledge and understanding. 7 He holds success in store for the upright, he is a shield to those whose walk is blameless, 8 for he guards the course of the just and protects the way of his faithful ones. 9 Then you will understand what is right and just and fair—every good path. 10 For wisdom will enter your heart, and knowledge will be pleasant to your soul. 11 Discretion will protect you, and understanding will guard you. 12 Wisdom will save you from the ways of wicked men, from men whose words are perverse, 13 who have left the straight paths to walk in dark ways, 14 who delight in doing wrong and rejoice in the perverseness of evil, 15 whose paths are crooked and who are devious in their ways. 16 Wisdom will save you also from the adulterous woman, from the wayward woman with her seductive words, 17 who has left the partner of her youth and ignored the covenant she made before God. 18 Surely her house leads down to death and her paths to the spirits of the dead. 19 None who go to her return or attain the paths of life. 20 Thus you will walk in the ways of the good and keep to the paths of the righteous. 21 For the upright will live in the land, and the blameless will remain in it; 22 but the wicked will be cut off from the land, and the unfaithful will be torn from it.”
After Daniel prayed he was told. Daniel 10:12 “Do not be afraid, Daniel. Since the first day that you set your mind to gain understanding and to humble yourself before your God, your words were heard, and I have come in response to them.” Daniel set his eyes on scripture and trusted His God. So in order to see clearly we must put our faith in God so that He will guide us to His kingdom and life eternal. Isaiah 55:8 “For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways,” declares the Lord. 9 “As the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways and my thoughts than your thoughts.” John 3:31 “The one who comes from above is above all; the one who is from the earth belongs to the earth, and speaks as one from the earth. The one who comes from heaven is above all. 32 He testifies to what he has seen and heard, but no one accepts his testimony. 33 Whoever has accepted it has certified that God is truthful. 34 For the one whom God has sent speaks the words of God, for God gives the Spirit without limit. 35 The Father loves the Son and has placed everything in his hands. 36 Whoever believes in the Son has eternal life, but whoever rejects the Son will not see life, for God’s wrath remains on them.” John 8:23 “But he continued, “You are from below; I am from above. You are of this world; I am not of this world. 24 I told you that you would die in your sins; if you do not believe that I am he, you will indeed die in your sins.”
So as we wait to take back the land, stand firm and trust God’s word; do not turn away. Deuteronomy 11:8 “Observe therefore all the commands I am giving you today, so that you may have the strength to go in and take over the land that you are crossing the Jordan to possess, 9 and so that you may live long in the land the Lord swore to your ancestors to give to them and their descendants, a land flowing with milk and honey. 10 The land you are entering to take over is not like the land of Egypt, from which you have come, where you planted your seed and irrigated it by foot as in a vegetable garden. 11 But the land you are crossing the Jordan to take possession of is a land of mountains and valleys that drinks rain from heaven. 12 It is a land the Lord your God cares for; the eyes of the Lord your God are continually on it from the beginning of the year to its end.” Today many have been led astray by false teaching simply because most refuse to test the spirits. Jesus warned us not to be deceived. For this to happen we must have a view from above. Yes many sound as if they know where they are going and will even tell you God told them but their words do not line up with scripture. One more example shows us the difference of being guided by God and guiding ourselves. 1 Chronicles 13:7 “They moved the ark of God from Abinadab’s house on a new cart, with Uzzah and Ahio guiding it. 8 David and all the Israelites were celebrating with all their might before God, with songs and with harps, lyres, timbrels, cymbals and trumpets. 9 When they came to the threshing floor of Kidon, Uzzah reached out his hand to steady the ark, because the oxen stumbled. 10 The Lord’s anger burned against Uzzah, and he struck him down because he had put his hand on the ark. So he died there before God. 11 Then David was angry because the Lord’s wrath had broken out against Uzzah, and to this day that place is called Perez Uzzah. 12 David was afraid of God that day and asked, “How can I ever bring the ark of God to me?” Then David followed the commands of God. 1 Chronicles 15:13 “It was because you, the Levites, did not bring it up the first time that the Lord our God broke out in anger against us. We did not inquire of him about how to do it in the prescribed way.” 14 So the priests and Levites consecrated themselves in order to bring up the ark of the Lord, the God of Israel. 15 And the Levites carried the ark of God with the poles on their shoulders, as Moses had commanded in accordance with the word of the Lord.”
The church continues to go their own way and not follow God’s ways and we are paying a severe price just as they did in the desert because they did not believe they could take the land God had given them. Our only hope is to turn from our wicked ways and return to the Lord. Psalm 25:4 “Show me your ways, Lord, teach me your paths.” Hebrews 3:15 “Today, if you hear his voice, do not harden your hearts as you did in the rebellion.” Isaiah 30:18 “Yet the Lord longs to be gracious to you; therefore he will rise up to show you compassion. For the Lord is a God of justice. Blessed are all who wait for him!”
