It’s not good if people tell you just what you want to hear. Do you realize that? It’s easy to surround ourselves with people who praise and confirm whatever we say and think and do, but it’s not good if people only tell us what we want to hear. We need people who tell us the truth about ourselves and the truth about God. False teachers and preachers—and false friends—do a lot of damage in our world.
God once said this about the Israelites: “If a liar and deceiver comes and says, ‘I will prophesy for you plenty of wine and beer,’ that would be just the prophet for this people” (Micah 2:11). What a sad statement! The Israelites would rather listen to someone who promised them lots of beer and wine than to someone who shared God’s Word with them.
May that not be true for you and me. Find friends, find a church, find a pastor who won’t tell you what you want to hear. Who won’t fill you with empty, self-centered promises. Find friends, find a church, find a pastor who will share with you God’s Word. Learn to ask, “This sounds good, but is it what God says?”
God’s Word often tells us what we don’t want to hear. It convicts us of our sins. It shows us our blind spots. It reveals the wickedness we try to hide inside. But then God’s Word does something else: It tells us about God’s grace. About how Jesus died on the cross to forgive and save us. About how special we are in God’s eyes because of Jesus. The true message of Jesus is way better than promises of more beer and wine. Surround yourself with people who tell you the truth from God. You will be blessed if you do.
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