I went out to get the mail yesterday afternoon. It was pretty chilly out, so I hurried back inside, closed the door and then sat down to open the first piece of mail; it contained some important information I needed. Then, right before I ripped open the next envelope, I noticed a name that didn't look quite familiar. Turns out, my mailman mistakenly delivered my neighbor's mail from a few doors down, to my house.
Then, as the day went on, I received several phone calls. Two of them were from individuals I know who both told me they felt led to tell me something they believed God had divinely inspired them to to share. Well, I always try to remain open to hearing from God, so I listened attentively. One caller was very on point and accurate. The other person, on the other hand, just like the mailman, ended up delivering the "wrong mail" to the wrong house. Though well-intentioned, what they said was very misguided and inaccurate.
Yesterday's events reminded me that human error is unavoidable. Simply put, people make mistakes, even when they mean well. That's why we have to remember that every piece of "mail" or advice we receive is not from God. In truth, we frequently internalize, accept and apply things to our lives that we really shouldn't. As a result, we end up unfulfilled, distracted and outside of the will of God for our lives.
So, before we're influenced by what we hear, let us be very sure that what is being spoken is sent by God to us. The Bible says, "Dear friends, do not believe every spirit, but test the spirits to see whether they are from God, because many false prophets have gone out into the world" (1 John 4:1).
You see, it is crucial that we be discerning about the things we take in. This applies to all of our daily affairs, both practical and spiritual. We have to constantly weigh things before accepting them as truth. We must remember to consult the Lord. Acknowledge Him in all things and allow Him to direct us. (Proverbs 3:6) If we avail ourselves to Him, the Holy Spirit will lead and guide us into all truth. (John 16:13)
I'm reminded of a Bible story found in 1 Kings 13 about a man of God who listened to someone that told him to do the opposite of what the Lord had instructed him to do. Sadly, it cost the man of God his life, because he failed to obey God's word, rather than the word of another merely claiming to be from God.
I really want you to get this today, so that you're not led astray by false words, motives, or advisers. Although we, unlike the man depicted in the Bible story, may not necessarily be at risk of physical death from taking poor advice, there is a principle at work here. That is, we get in trouble when we allow the voice of fallible people to override the voice of our infallible God.
My prayer is that the Lord would continually lead and guide us on the path of truth. Let us seek His face and draw close to Him, because the closer we get to God, the more clearly we'll hear His voice.
At the end of the day, some mail just needs to be returned to the sender, amen?
As always, thanks for reading and until next time... may you be empowered to prosper!
Dianna Hobbs
