Seeking counsel or instruction from spirits or from the deceased is a wicked practice and demands God's righteous judgment.
Why would the Lord invite those weary from labour to wear a yoke? And then, why would the Lord promise rest by inviting people to labour?
Many of those in the world perceive prayer as a crutch or a tool that shows weakness. Yet, the saint of God knows prayer to be one of the most powerful weapons during times of war. As the Lord Jesus prepared to face the mob that would soon arrest Him, He spent His remaining time in earnest prayer (Matthew 26:36-46). It was during this time that He taught the disciples saying, “Watch and pray, that ye enter not into temptation: the spirit indeed is willing, but the flesh is weak” (Matthew 26:41). Prayer does not distract the believer from the battle at hand; rather, it strengthens him and aids him during even the fiercest parts of the battle. Prayer reminds the believer of who he is, who his enemy is, and it reminds him of the power of his God.
Sin can never be flippantly disregarded. If the Lord is just, and He is, He must mete out consequences for rebellion. The biblical descriptions of the Lord’s reaction to rebellion varies from “he will be wroth” (Joshua 22:18) to “then shall the hand of the LORD be against you” (1 Samuel 12:15) to “ye shall be devoured with the sword” (Isaiah 1:20) to “I will come up into the midst of thee in a moment, and consume thee” (Exodus 33:5) to “I will purge out from among you the rebels” (Ezekiel 20:38) to “I will even send a curse upon you, and I will curse your blessings” (Malachi 2:2). Though there are variations in the response, the constant truth remains that the Lord hates rebellion and responds to the rebellion with judgment.
Separation is the outcome of separation! When a nation (i.e., Israel in the Old Testament) or an individual (i.e., a believer in the New Testament) is set apart by the Lord, that nation (or person) has become disassociated with the rest of the world. Moses made this point in Exodus 33:16 when he said, “For wherein shall it be known here that I and thy people have found grace in thy sight? is it not in that thou goest with us? so shall we be separated, I and thy people, from all the people that are upon the face of the earth.” Separation is not something accomplished through diligence but occurs naturally after a person comes to know Christ as Saviour. Christians who remain attached to the world find little satisfaction with the things of the world or less appeal for the things of God.
Praise is the natural overflowing of affection that occurs when one individual views some positive quality in another. Men praise God because they find His attributes and actions worthy of worship. They may praise Him for His overall greatness (1 Chronicles 16:25) or for His mercy (2 Chronicles 5:13). They may praise Him because of His great name (Psalm 7:17) or because of His power (Psalm 21:13). They may praise Him because of something He has done for them personally (Psalm 28:7). The foundation may vary, but men praise the Lord because they have reason to do so. In other words, the Lord has given His people ample reason to speak of His worth.
Even since the Garden in Eden, God never intended for man to consider Him to be distant or unapproachable. In fact, the Bible repeatedly points out the opposite scenario. God's word proclaims that the Lord did not merely claim His followers as servants, but referred to them as His friends! He specifically referred to Abraham as the "friend of God" (2 Chronicles 20:7; James 2:23). He spoke to Moses “face to face, as a man speaketh unto his friend” (Exodus 33:11). These are not the actions of a God who desires separation from His creation. Though this intimate association with God seems remote and only expressed on a few occasions, John points out that we too can be God's friends (if we obey Him). This friendship must be based on mutual grounds because those who love the Lord are never lovers of the world. James 4:4 points out that “friendship of the world is enmity with God.” Though it appears that few people were called the friend of God, John chapter 15 suggests that this honour is much more prevalent than would appear. Christ told His followers, “Ye are my friends, if ye do whatsoever I command you” (John 15:14). Furthermore, Christ laid down His life for His friends (John 15:13).
