Looking for Truth, but Refusing to Hear it

They say to the seers, "See no more visions!" and to the prophets, "Give us no more visions of what is right! Tell us pleasant things, prophesy illusions. Leave this way, get off this path, and stop confronting us with the Holy One of Israel!" -Isaiah 30:10, 11

 ^{When we look at these verses we see the level to which the people had sunk.  The people had lost their desire to hear a Word from the Lord, and they no longer wanted the prophets to see visions from God.  “Just tell us what we want to hear” was the order of the day.  Understand that when we proclaim the truth of the gospel we will be going against the grain of what people want to hear.  What we would like to hear is that we are fine just as we are – there’s nothing wrong with us and we can keep right on our merry way.  I ask you; does the Bible say any such thing?  The answer is certainly not!  The Word of God says that all have sinned and fallen short of the glory of God (Romans 3:23).  We are not all right just as we are, for we all stand in need of a savior.  The Bible says in Isaiah 53:6 that all we like sheep have gone astray. We have each one turned to our own way, but God has laid upon Him the iniquity of us all.  If we were fine just as we are, then Christ would not have had to come into the world and die upon the cross for the sins of all people.  Thanks be to God; Christ has come and redeemed us from sin, death, the grave, and hell itself.}

^{God’s people claimed to be looking for the truth, but when the truth was given they refused to hear it.  Does that make any sense?  The people were telling the prophets of the Lord.  “Give us no more visions of what is right!” the people said.  “Only prophesy about pleasant things – that’s what we want to hear.” Prophets like Isaiah, Jeremiah, Ezekiel, and Micah would only say what God told them to say; regardless of whether or not it was deemed popular.  God's people no longer desired to hear the truth.  And when they were confronted with it they said, “Stop confronting us with the Holy One of Israel.” When we are confronted with the truth of God’s Word, we are probably going to become uncomfortable.  And that discomfort grows in direct proportion to how far we are out of God’s will.  Don’t expect to be way out of God’s will and then come to church and feel comfortable listening to the Word being proclaimed.  If people are convicted in the heart is that something the preacher can take credit for?  The answer is absolutely not.  The Bible says in Hebrews 4:12: “For the word of God is living and active. Sharper than any double-edged sword, it penetrates even to dividing soul and spirit, joints and marrow; it judges the thoughts and attitudes of the heart.”  The preacher proclaims the Word, but the Holy Spirit of God is the One who convicts the heart.}

^{For the believer, our desire is to hear the truth of God’s Word, and then having heard it, we respond to it by believing it with all of our hearts.  Without that divine and wonderful revelation we would simply dry up spiritually.  Remember that the vision, the revelation from God is not for the super-saints, or the ultra-holy, but the revelation from God is for all who will look to the Lord and by faith listen for His voice.} 

^{The more we listen to God, the more able we are to listen to the needs of those around us – thus facilitating our sharing with them about the love of Jesus Christ.  Those who need the Lord are indeed all around us, and their numbers are growing.  Let us always be open to hearing the truth of God's Word, and then be willing to share it with those around us.}