As I've been thinking about prayer and God's call to more dedicated prayer lives, I've realized there are many teachers (even with good intentions) that may try to get in the way of our forward progress.
Back when I was in high school and studying for a test, I discovered the following powerful verse. “I have more understanding than all my teachers: for thy testimonies are my meditation.” Ps 119:99.
I was so excited, I told my classmates, “See, if we study the Bible we’ll be wiser than our teachers and we’ll have no problem passing our tests because God will show us what to study!” A bit of a childish interpretation, I must admit now, although I claimed this promise in my College years as well, and I think it worked, cause I passed my tests. (So students take note!) But the reason I wanted to bring attention to this verse is because God has given us His testimonies, His Word, to be our meditation, so that we will be wiser than our teachers. Apparently there are some teachers we should be wiser then. And unfortunately, many of them are found in our own homes and in our own churches.
For example: We have the teacher named “Cynical City” who when we become more passionate in prayer and dig deeper in the Word looking for buried treasure will cry, “Who do you think you are kidding? I’ve already gone digging in that spot! There’s nothing special down there!” We have the teacher named “Comfortable Complacency” who feels unnerved and a bit guilty when he sees us seeking for more and so he plead with us, “Don’t you think you’re going a little too extreme? Why don’t you just enjoy what you have and be happy!” We have another teacher called “Fearful Freezer” who, when she sees us making unnerving and radical steps towards God, will cry in warning, “You know, that really doesn’t look too cool. That could hurt your reputation. Are you sure you want to do that?” Finally we have many teachers named, “Worldly Wiseman.” While having a form of godliness, they deny the power and seek after the wisdom of the world. They have plans, they have methods, and they’ve studied the models for Christian growth and success. So when they see us becoming passionate about really going all out for God, they will sidle up to us with some friendly advice. “ You know, if you really want to succeed in this new journey you’re taking, rather than struggling up the rocky slopes where there are a lot of dangers, you should take this path over here. It’s a bit wider and will be much easier to follow. And it will take you to your destination much more quickly.”
The problem is…through God’s testimonies, we know that the wider road leads to destruction and it is the narrow road, that often appears dangerous and rocky, that leads to eternal life. (Matt 7:13,14)
Jesus counsel to His disciples was: "Take heed and beware of the leaven of the Pharisees and the Sadducees.” Matt 16:6. As the Matthew 16 goes on to say, He was not speaking of bread leaven, he was speaking of a neutralizing doctrine that will destroy the ability of us to walk forward in faith and continue to grow.
In I Cor 1:27 we are told, “But God hath chosen the foolish things of the world to confound the wise; and God hath chosen the weak things of the world to confound the things which are mighty.”
Being a person of passionate prayer and deep Bible Study does not always gain the approval and popularity vote of the church culture in which we live. What gets the vote is busyness, business, and more busyness. If you are doing something, you get points, but if you are praying?? If you are tucked quietly away in your room studying your Bible for hours on end?? Hmmm…..you can just see the concerned looks from your peers. "I think you may be getting a bit fanatical here!!" :-) Just remember, it is God's Word (His Testimonies) that we look to and rely upon for strength and correction…not the culture around us. Only He will make us wiser than our teachers….and teachers we have plenty of. Teachers that will only help us compromise. So seek your strength in Him!
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