Substitutes

When you cannot leave the house due to illness, you have a problem. How do you get food from the grocery store?

The problem is compounded because you may not get what you ordered.

The experience of Ajanay Barnes was the worst. They had a yen for strawberry shortcake ice cream, so they placed an order through Instacart. But, instead of the ice cream, they received sausage, egg, and cheese breakfast rolls.

In spiritual affairs, a substitute is not just displeasing to the palate but dangerous to the soul. It happens to the truth. We seek the truth and hear something else.

Isaiah was a prophet witnessing the spiritual blight brought on by the priests of Judah. When he told the people the truth, the priests turned their minds with interpretations. So, Isaiah warned:

“Woe to those who call evil good and good evil, who put darkness for light and light for darkness, who put bitter for sweet and sweet for bitter!” (Isaiah 5:20, ESV)

Our world is full of spiritual substitutes. We hear experts quoted rather than the text speaking. The Bible gets distorted through ego-laden spokesmen.

If you get breakfast sandwiches rather than ice cream, you might complain. But with your soul, demand a genuine message.