Are you learning each day? Are you seeking to understand why? Are you doing your own research? What are you looking to understand? Are you seeking to know how to improve your life? Are you seeking to know God?
We see it every day. We see people blindly following someone who is charismatic. We people following a leader. We see people going with the crowd. We see people who don’t really understand why they are where they are. We see people who are not aware of what is going on around them.
We are told not to be out of touch with reality. Often people are following someone who doesn’t really know themselves. Jesus warns against this in Matthew 5:14 as the blind leading the blind and says they will fall into a pit. Though figuratively speaking, the pit alludes to a place of damnation.
It is heartbreaking to see people being led around by their noses and not seeing the reality of the situation. It is especially heartbreaking when those people are family, friends, and coworkers—people we know well.
We want to lead them to knowledge and understanding. Sometimes we don’t know how to do that. Sometimes they simply don’t want to know and understand. Sometimes people don’t want to see the truth but stay in their own ignorance.
God doesn’t want us to be deceived. He wants us to be aware what is from Him and what is generated from evil. Unfortunately, we live in a broken world and much of what we see comes from evil. We see people being led astray day after day.
The psalmist calls this being led like a horse by its bridle. Those of us that know horses, know that they follow wherever the person leading them takes them. If you put a pair of blinders on the horse as well, they won’t see what is going on around them. A horse in this position can run off the edge of a cliff and fall to its death. Though symbolic, we can find ourselves in the same position and fall to our death, if not literally then figuratively.
I pray we all open our eyes to what is going on around us. I pray we all open our minds to understanding. I pray we take time to research and gain knowledge. I pray each of us will choose to follow God rather than following the evil of this world. Be knowledgeable. Seek understanding. Follow God.
Psalm 32:9
Do not be like the horse or the mule,
which have no understanding
but must be controlled by bit and bridle
or they will not come to you.