Take Heed What You Hear

"Then he said to them, 'Take heed what you hear.'" Mark 4:24 In the very first book of the Bible, in Genesis 3:1, we see Satan casting doubt on the Word of God, as he suggested to Eve, "Did God REALLY say ....?" When Jesus said to be careful what you listen to, he might be saying to us, "Did that reporter, or that counselor, or that social media, or that friend say...? Be careful what you hear! Be very careful whom you listen to. Never forget that you are listening to something with a personal spin behind it. If it's a news reporter, you can hear the same story with a totally different spin on the subject just by going to a different channel. If it's a friend, he's going to tell you something he thinks is right, and he could be very wrong, or something he thinks you want to hear, which can be very wrong also. If it's a counselor, he is going to give you answers based on his own experiences - which can be very much in error. Also remember that to become a licensed counselor he had to study the philosophies of the great "fathers of psychology," and almost every one of them was involved in the occult. Be very skeptical of counseling. Their counsel is often poised toward making you feel good, getting you to "self esteem." The Bible calls it pride and tells us again and again that it is among the greatest of sins. Pride is what got Satan kicked out of heaven. "For I know that in me, that is, in my flesh, nothing good dwells..." Romans 7:18 “The heart is deceitful above all things, And desperately wicked; Who can know it?" Jeremiah 17:9 When Jesus said, "Take heed what you hear," this is counsel from the Lord God warning us that what we hear can be very, very wrong, very deceiving, often from a very pointed agenda. The only truth you can trust to be truth is the truth found in the Word of God. The right answer to your situation can only be found reliably in God's Word. If you read it daily I don't have to tell you that - you've discovered it for yourself. But if you don't, I challenge you to pick up the Word of God and begin not only reading it, but abiding in it by carefully taking it in daily. Have a quiet time of prayer before you read the Word of God, because you'll find that oftentimes he will answer you through what you'll read today. If he does, but you're unsure, ask for confirmation to confirm it, that's perfectly legitimate. In my Old Testament reading this morning I read: "I will deliver you and this city from the hand of the king of Assyria and I will defend this city. AND THIS IS THE SIGN FOR YOU FROM THE LORD, THAT THE LORD WILL DO THIS THING which he has spoken..." Isaiah 38:6-7 When you are in doubt, when you don't know which way to turn, AFTER you have brought your situation to the Lord and have received what you believe is an answer from him, it is permissible to ask for a confirmation that what you have received is truly from him. In matters of great importance this can be very necessary. The Lord does not expect you to receive answers from "the world" and put your trust in them. He advises us to "take heed what you hear." Ask him to confirm his Word to you that you might proceed in all confidence that it is the way he would have you go. The only safe place to be is in seeking the Lord's guidance and finding out what his will is in every situation in life. He is the way, the truth, and the life. John 14:6