How should we educate our children? Should I take that job? Should I ask for that sister’s hand in marriage? Should we move to Haiti? Should we buy that house? The list of questions that we face in life seems to be never ending.
What do you do when you face the need to make a decision?
If you were a pagan living in the Roman Empire during the time of Christ, the answer would be easy. You would talk to your local soothsayer who would find the “answer” on his crystal ball. He would give you a yes or no answer—similar to the “Magic 8 Ball” (a fortune-telling toy developed in the 1950s) that was popular when I was in middle school—then you would pay him and be on your way.
I have found that many well-meaning Christians make decisions in like manner to those pagan Romans. Except instead of talking to a soothsayer, they “talk” to their Bible. They open it, and the first words they see are their “answer.”
Could God ever work that way? I don’t know. Perhaps… but in most circumstances I believe it is bogus. In fact, I feel we should totally avoid this method. Here is a list of reasons why.
1. It is lazy. If we want direction regarding big (and little) issues, we need to pray, seek God, fast, read the Bible, talk with others, and take time. We live in a fast-food society. We want answers right now! But that is not how God works.
2. This method is not biblical. In the Scriptures, God talked to people through prophets, His Word, an audible voice, through Jesus and the Apostles, and through the Holy Spirit. You never find somebody opening the Bible and letting their finger land on a verse, thereby using the Bible as a genie to receive an instant answer.
3. This method tends to encourage superstitious thinking and responses.
4. Lastly, I’m afraid people use this method to get what they want. Many times, a person will “interpret” the meaning of the words their finger lands on, thus “making” it give support to the answer they were hoping for. If you have your mind made up, you will open the Bible and find a verse (or verses) you want to get God’s “support.” This is dangerous! Many Christians make a decision this way and claim it is God’s will, when in fact it is not God’s will at all.
However, I do know of some Christians who (before they were converted) were thinking about repenting, then opened the Bible and read something that led them to repent. I don’t want to downplay that. God may use this method to speak to a seeking soul (but keep in mind, if somebody wants to repent and they open the Bible, they will most likely find a verse that says something about repentance).
I’ll close with an illustration. My grandfather passed away almost 30 years ago. Let’s pretend he wrote me a letter sometime prior to his death. I would cherish that letter. I would read it a lot, possibly even memorize it. Now, what if I am facing a decision and I want to know what Grandpa would want me to do? I would consider Grandpa’s life and ponder what his council would be. Then I would read Grandpa’s letter to see if it provides any insight. However, I would never open his letter and let my eyes fall on several of the words, thinking, “This is Grandpa’s specific answer to this specific decision that I am facing.” That is outrageous.
Brothers and sisters, I am so thankful that we have the Bible in our language! It is God’s Word to us. Read it. Memorize it. And draw close to God, but don’t get confused and become superstitious with the Bible. It is a book. Not a crystal ball.
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