June 24th
Seek Him!
Isaiah 8:19-20
And when they say to you, "Seek those who are mediums and wizards, who whisper and mutter," should not a people seek their God? Should they seek the dead on behalf of the living? To the law and to the testimony! If they do not speak according to this word, it is because there is no light in them.
When we don’t know what is happening or where to go from here, we often seek guidance to help us. Some turn inwardly with great introspection to find the answer. Others will look outside themselves to seek aid and advice. They might consult a faithful friend or family member for advice. Or they might confer with a counselor or life coach to help them find their way. For others they might contact a pastor or spiritual mentor to contemplate what to do. Regardless, we will all attempt to find clarity for the route we are to take.
They children of Israel had again “forsaken the God of their fathers” (2 Chron 28:6). The Lord was preparing to bring His judgement upon them for doing “according to the abominations of the nations whom the Lord had cast out before the children of Israel’ (2 Kings 16:3). Their actions were so abhorrent that they participated in human sacrifices by making their own sons “pass through the fire” (2 Kings 16:3). Because of their heinous and horrific sins, the Lord was preparing to use the nation of Assyria to administer His wrath by defeating Israel and delivering them into captivity (Isaiah 7:17).
In the midst of all of these there were many voices trying to speak into the situation. Some of those that spoke, like Isaiah, spoke the truth that God had revealed to them to speak to the people. Others spun a false tale. They spoke what the king wanted to hear. This led to great confusion as to what was going to happen to the people of God. But God was clear and His voice was distinct and direct. He spoke through Isaiah declaring, “The Lord will bring the king of Assyria upon you and your people” (Isaiah 7:17). This was not the verdict or the voice the king or the people wanted to hear. So, they sought other voices, ones that would foretell comfort and not calamity. They rejected what God said and reached for a different more palatal pronouncement.
So, they perceived that they should turn where God had warned them not to go. They sought answers from “those who are mediums and wizards, who whispered and mutter,” but this inevitably led to misinformation and misdirection. Nothing that they would say about the Lord and His plan was validated and verified. Nothing that they would say could authenticate what they announced. As a matter of fact, God suggested the that people should ask those who sought spiritualists, “Should they seek the dead on behalf of the living?” And of course, this line of reasoning would be preposterous, because what kind of counsel can the dead give to the living.
Instead, the question to consider when you don’t know what to do is “should not a people seek their God?” This is the best course for the surest advice. It is seeking the Lord that will give clarity to your concern. If you are uncertain of the counsel of a minister (or a prophet), then don’t take their word for it take His word for it. Isaiah says when you are uncertain about their counsel then go, “To the law and the testimony!” Go to God’s word to get God’s word on it. The sure answer to the situation is the scripture. It is where we are to go to certify what people communicate with us.
Others will say they speak for Him, but if it is not in agreement with what He has said, it is not what He says. Isaiah says, “If they do not speak according to this word (the law and the testimony), it is because there is no light in them. So, those whose words do not line up with His word are not speaking for Him, as Isaiah says of them, “it is because there is no light in them.” Someone who says they speak for God, but what they say is contrary to what God has already said in scripture doesn’t know God or speak for God.
This is our counsel as well. When we struggle to know what is happening or where to go or we are uncertain that the counsel that we are receiving is from God, we should go to His word to help us find our way. But the problem is that the word of God is our last look rather than our first gaze. We don’t often consult His word to gain insight, understand and advice about our situation. We exhaust every other means of counsel before we consult Him. But His consul is to go to “the law and the testimony” and in them we will find what to do and where to go. In them we will find Him.
Today thank Him for His word. Thank Him when the voices around you bring more confusion than clarity, you can turn to His word. Ask Him to help you to love His word, learn His word and live His word. Ask Him to help you make His word the first thing you consult, not the last thing you look at. Ask Him to help you seek Him before you seek them.
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