Pastor's Ponderings, April 15, 2019

God Has The Final Word

If you are like me and love to read and consume the news from multiple sources, you may be a bit suspicious of its reliability sometimes.  Often, it is difficult to observe social media without suspicions that it is unreliable or fake news. Hans-Bernd Brosius and Christina Peter wrote a book called Selective Exposure. They wrote, “The basic assumption in the study of selective exposure is that people expose themselves to external stimuli in a selective way. … people choose certain types of media content and avoid other types. …it is our common understanding that people can only be influenced by media messages to which they actually expose themselves.”  In other words, whenever anyone hears anything in the media in which they disagree, it is easy to declare that it is fake news. 

We live in a media age where it is often hard to know what is really true. The institutions that we have trusted to preserve our country’s values have been criticized as untrustworthy. Our newspapers, court system, police authority, government, and universities are no longer considered repositories of truth, but merely alternative realities of competing voices. 

The Bible says that in the last days people would say that evil things are good while calling good things evil (Isaiah 5:20-21).  However, we can be grateful that when we ask God, He gives us clarity and understanding of what is and is not true (John 16:13).  We do not have to waste our time trying to reason with unreasonable people (2 Timothy 2:14). We can ask God for wisdom to interpret the cacophony of opinions we hear (Proverbs 2:6). We can remain in God’s perfect peace because we are thinking about the Lord’s word and not about the conflicting information that bombards us daily (Isaiah 26:3).

Let us rejoice knowing that God’s truth will set us free from the bondage of mankind’s bizarre ideas (John 8:32).  We don’t have to fall for devilish arguments or lean to our own understanding.  In the midst of sensational and disturbing news, we can rely on the truth of God's word and know that He always has the final word.  

Isaiah 5:20-21
New International Version (NIV)

20 Woe to those who call evil good and good evil, who put darkness for light and light for darkness, who put bitter for sweet and sweet for bitter.

21 Woe to those who are wise in their own eyes and clever in their own sight.

John 16:13
New International Version (NIV)

13 But when he, the Spirit of truth, comes, he will guide you into all the truth. He will not speak on his own; he will speak only what he hears, and he will tell you what is yet to come.

2 Timothy 2:14
New International Version (NIV)

14 Keep reminding God’s people of these things. Warn them before God against quarreling about words; it is of no value, and only ruins those who listen.

Proverbs 2:6
New International Version (NIV)

6 For the Lord gives wisdom; from his mouth come knowledge and understanding.

Isaiah 26:3
New International Version (NIV)

3 You will keep in perfect peace those whose minds are steadfast, because they trust in you.

John 8:32
New International Version (NIV)

32 Then you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.