While on a business trip years ago in Hawaii I bought a book called “Listening . . .” (I can’t remember the full name). I wanted to have a book that would teach me something about music. I selected it over another (I should have bought) because of a praise I read: “teaching the tone deaf how to sing”. I said to myself, “I want to be a great teacher”. When back at the McDonald’s off base I began to read it. I found it was very Hindu oriented. There ware long passages where he was speaking of his experience. In one place he spoke of where some sound could be his “mantra”. I thought, “On no, have I wasted my (Lizzie’s, the boys’, the Lord’s) money?”
I wondered, could I read this book, weeding out all the Hindu stuff? Would I be risking harm to myself? Maybe there are good ideas in there I should know and use.
The next morning during my morning reading I was asking the Lord to show me what he thought about the book. I read Psalm 52. It says: “Thy tongue deviseth mischiefs like a sharp razor, working deceitfully, thou lovest evil more than good, lying rather than to speak righteousness, thou lovest all devouring words, o thou deceitful tongue.” It says that God will destroy him (the man who is mischievous, in this case Doeg), take him away . . . root him out of the land”
I said, “Well, all right, I’ll rip up the book” and I did. How much do we refuse to hear what those of other religions have to say about things, specially things that seem to directly relate to spiritual things?
I want to learn, but not that which will separate me from my God. God can teach me the things he wants me to know without the input of the godless.
