🏳️‍🌈✝️ Listen to Your Teachers

Written by Debbie West 

01/21/2018

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“…Give us no more visions of what is right! Tell us pleasant things, prophecy illusions…stop confronting us with the Holy One of Israel!” Isaiah 30:10-11 

 

I would not want to be a prophet in Israel in the Old Testament. On the whole, they were not well liked. They often had the job of delivering bad news. When God wasn’t pleased, He sent a prophet to tell the people to change their ways or there would be consequences. As you might imagine, the people often directed their anger toward the prophet instead of actually taking the warning and turning back to God.

 

Today, God speaks through His Holy Spirit living inside of the believer. But He still uses prophets and teachers to guide, counsel, and convict. I know some people who don’t like to go to church because they don’t want to be “preached at.” The truth is none of us want someone else, whether it’s another person or God, telling us what to do — even if it is done out of love and for our good. Pride keeps us from hearing what God wants to say to us.

 

Prophets from the Old Testament warned the people against behavior that would harm or ultimately destroy them. Those God calls today to teach and preach His Word act in a similar capacity. But they do it to confirm the Word we have in front of us or the Spirit who speaks within us. When we put the three together, and we are willing to consider the message, God can change us, protect us and mold us into the people we were made to be.

 

Lord, may I consider the words of teaching, correcting, and training from a teacher of your Word. Show me through your Spirit what is true. Humble my heart to accept what you may be saying to me. Amen.

 

Go Deeper — God calls men and women to teach His Word and His principles. But He also challenges the believer to study for him or herself to find out if what the teacher is saying is correct. When presented with a teaching, read the passage in context. Use a Bible study app like Biblegateway, Youversion or another resource to verify and confirm what is said. 

 

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