Day 2800 of the 7 day Bible verse challenge.

Isaiah 30:5 NIV

As much as we may not enjoy admitting it, we all need advice. We're all in need of help and guidance and wisdom in life because none of us have this figured out. None of us are able to live entirely self-sufficient, at least in terms of faith. None of us get everything right all the time, and so we begin looking for the help that we know we need to live our lives in a better way. But where we seek that wisdom or advice or input is absolutely crucial. And when you look at the world around us, you can see just how bad things get become should you seek your guidance in all the wrong places.

“We cannot continue to send our children to Caesar for their education and be surprised when they come home as Romans.” I heard that quote from pastor Voddie Baucham months ago and it's been one of those profound statements that's just stuck with me ever since. We can't keep turning to the world to show us how to live and expect that we'll find ourselves able to rise above the pitiful standards of a fallen society. We can't give this place the ability to tell us how to live and expect to live better lives than what the world has clearly settled for.

We cannot look to the world for guidance and expect to find righteousness and morality and decency and respect and responsibility, because those things are no longer priorities that humanity holds in high regard.

We're relying on a broken world to teach us how to live our lives. We're seeking validation and approval and acceptance in a people who have hearts set on anything other than God.

In a massive display of foolishness, we've set out in search of wisdom in a place built on folly constructed by the sinfully insane.

Fear of man is one of the biggest dangers facing the faithful in our world today. There is such a push to make everyone adhere to the opinions that society has largely accepted as truth. If you don't follow the lead of those in control then you're ousted for being a hateful bigot who wants only to see other people miserable and unhappy. Sadly, personal happiness is the most significant goal for almost everyone down here. And so when we look to the world around us to help us figure out what's important, we're only going to learn those foolish lessons such as 'follow your heart'.

How long can we live as if this world has anything useful to teach us? Things are truly warped here in ways that we've grown to not even notice anymore. Sin has become so watered down in public perspective that we don't really even worry about it. We've become so incredibly desensitized to the filth that's invading our everyday lives, and all because the world has told us that it's okay. The cursing, the violence, the hatred, the innuendos, the graphic sexual garbage, the gore and horror. It's all just laughed off as entertainment.

What we don't understand is that everything we let into our lives has an effect on us. It teaches us lessons. It slowly begins to break down our better judgement. It lulls us into falling in line behind the rest of a twisted society that needs further degradation in order to be appeased and amused. The filth in this place is up to our eyes, but since we can still manage to see past it, we remain fully capable of convincing ourselves that it's not there at all.

We are learning how to live from a world that wants only to live apart from God. And so if we keep going along this path looking to those around us to help us do this, then we will find ourselves apart from God as well. If we learn worldly truth, we'll learn to debate God's truth. If we seek worldly approval, we'll stop caring about what God thinks. If we live our lives according to the standards and priorities of this place, we'll lose all appreciation for the gift we've been given in the opportunity to seek something higher.

Much like those who were given this warning back in the days of Isaiah, we're trusting in a people who can do nothing for us. We're putting our faith in a world that couldn't do right if it had to. We're leaning on a broken reed in the assumption that there's strength in numbers, when in truth, the only strength that matters is found in God alone. As much as this world clearly believes otherwise, nobody here can contend with God and make Him squirm. No human has the authority to stand before their Maker and debate His judgement.

This place is on a collision course with a fall back to a reality that they simply assume isn't there. People all around are living as if they're truly free to spit in God's face, reject His Word, deny His truth, ignore His Son, and get away with it. People have learned to find refuge in other people. And as nice as it may be to have company, seeking our refuge, our wisdom, our guidance, our salvation in anything or anyone other than God is simply stupid.

Many in this place "will be put to shame because of a people useless to them." All these opinions. All this acceptance. All of this praise for being so brave and sinning so wonderfully. All of this glory found in social recognition and renown will be shattered on the day of Christ Jesus. It won't matter how much applause we gleaned from the wayward crowds. It won't matter how great every other human told us we were. It won't matter how much this place loved us.

Because this society can, in the end, bring neither help nor advantage. And living our lives to please those around us through learning their ways and conforming to their expectations will achieve for us only shame and disgrace.

Friends, for too long we've looked to the world for input and advice. For too long we've learned how to live from those who are more than happy to live apart from God. For too long we've given this world too much gravity in our hearts, our minds, our lives. For too long we've sought our education from Caesar only to wind up living as Romans. And if we think that God's okay with us learning from a world that refuses to learn from Him, we're in for that same rude awakening one day.

Our Savior is well-known for flipping tables. And coming soon to a reality near you, He's going to flip things upside down once again. Everything this world thinks is right will be proven wrong. Every opinion this place holds as truth will prove unable to overwrite His truth. Every desire this place has will be shown to be sinful and unworthy. Every wayward thought will be called to account. Every selfish decision will be righteously judged. Everything this world has built will be leveled. And all the 'friends' and acceptance and glory and praise and honor and fame and applause we gathered from the masses will prove meaningless.

So why keep living for worldly trophies when they are meaningless to God?

Please do not be left holding a mountain of shame and disgrace as you stand before your Maker. Seeking worldly comfort, or worldly wisdom, or worldly praise will make life more enjoyable. But these lives end, and if we've only ever placed our trust and hope in a world that's hurtling toward disaster, then we shouldn't be surprised if we too meet that same end.

Friends, we have a chance to jump off this bandwagon of foolishness before it crashes into God's righteous judgement. Please do so. Please bail! This world may praise us, they can love us, they can pat us on the back and tell us how awesome we are for doing such a wonderful job of fitting in. But they can't offer us eternal salvation, only shame and disgrace. Please turn to Christ because His acceptance is the only one that comes with a key to Heaven's peace. His path is the only one that leads to anything other than disappointment.

This world will end up being ashamed. But those who look to Christ, who seek His wisdom, who live according to His truth, and who take refuge in His salvation will never be put to shame. That's a promise we can fully count on!

#LeaveNoSoulUntold