LEARNING DAILY

 

Proverbs 29:18, Where there is no revelation [vision], the people cast off restraint; but happy is he who keeps the law.

 

I am still pretty clear about when I decided to be a teacher. It was in the fourth grade, during the physical education class, taught by the football coach, that I decided I wanted to be a teacher and to coach. When I got into Middle school and met Mr. Nelson, my decision was set. That is what happened; I did get side tracked a few times but I always went back into teaching. I had a vision that kept me doing some sort of teaching, even when I was not in a classroom. Looking back over the years, I have to believe that vision was placed in me by the Holy Spirit when I was very young.

 

The word vision means “revelation”. “It does not refer to some dream of success a person might have but to prophetic exhortation to the community” (David Jeremiah Study Bible). Let me try to explain. In the Old Testament, God revealed His will to the people through the prophets. They communicated to the people what God wanted them to do, where to go,  and how to live their lives so they pleased Him. When there was no clear revelation people did not (and still don’t) walk in God’s will, live to His standards but made up their own standards and followed other gods. In other words, there was moral and spiritual decay. The last statement in the book of Judges states “when there was no king in Israel, everyone did what was right in their own eyes”.

 

Israel ignored God’s standards and decided what was right and wrong. It is interesting that he let them do what they wanted; what followed was sinful living, idolatry, moral decay and oppression. It is inevitable that when people do not follow God’s will, this lifestyle occurs and judgment follows; people perish.

 

By now, you know where I am going with this. Our nation and the rest of the world has turned from following God’s will as written in His Word. All that was once hidden, done in secret, is flaunted and all who disagree with it are being punished and called all sorts of names, even arrested and put in jail. When people’s opinions are followed instead of God’s Word they are in rebellion against God. The Bible is very clear that to be out of God’s will, in rebellion results in judgment.  

 

It seems to me that people doing what is right in their own eyes is the result of people no longer interested in studying the Bible. How many times have I heard someone say or seen it written that the Bible is an outdated writing? Or people are just too busy and do not have time to read/study the Word of God! People do not have God’s vision; they have their own.  The only answer is to keep God’s revealed will as found in His Word, and His righteous demands for walking a narrow way to eternal life in His kingdom continually in our hearts and minds. If this is not done, …. Well, look at the country we live in and the world around us!