Come On Urim...

Ever seek a direct answer from God?

I'm sure you have wanted a "sign" that would give some clear answer, direction, guidance, excuse. We all would like that. But we don't always get it. While we want to live in the "black and white", many times we are left somewhere in the gray area.

I know that God gives clear answers, I've gotten them. I've asked for signs and seen them. I've seen God give these signs to others too, sometimes even through me! There were clear signs that led me here and I still seek the signs that will guide me in the years to come.

But if we only had a system for clear answers from God. You know, like a Magic 8 Ball of God. You could simply go this device, ask it a question, turn it over and voila, the answer!

We could change the world with such a device that spoke for God. (and we could probably make a fortune on it, too!) Always a prompt and definitive answer to every question. No more maybes or unsures, but then again that also means more yesses and noes when we might want just the opposite. Okay, so definitive answers might complicate life just a bit, yet we'd still like them.

The Priests in Moses' day had such a device, although we don't know exactly how it worked or when it stopped being used. It was Urim and Thummim. Some small devices that were placed in the pouch of the Breastpiece. These were "consulted" when asking a question of God. Somehow the priest would see the Urim and/or the Thummim and know if God was saying yes or no. (or this or that) (See 1 Samuel 14:41 for an example.) Interestingly, at the end of Temple Worship (around 586 BC, long before it was rebuilt just before Jesus' time), the Urim and Thummim are not mentioned as used again and are not used in Synagogue worship today.

But to use them was to trust them...

Whether we mean to or not, humans always are seeking an easier way and if we discover one, we not only begin to use it, but we then depend on it. If we had the Urim and Thummim (or God's Magic 8 Ball) then we'd just depend on the answer device instead of the answer giver. And most times, I've discovered, is that the answers we seek are found in the midst of our circumstances anyway. In other words, we should stop and ask God for the things we seek, but we should not always sit and wait for the answers. Instead we should consult God and then move toward the answer we believe God is giving. If we're right, then confirmation will appear. If not, then the brakes will be applied for us.

I'm sorry. It's not as simple as throwing the dice and getting the answers we seek. It's about trusting in God and pushing ahead. The answers will be right in front of us if we keep our eyes open.

No, we don't need the Urim and Thummim. We just need to trust the Answer Giver!

Peace ><>
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