Wrong Kind of Fun

There are many voices which are trying to get our attention, and Faith Radio desires to be a voice for you that proclaims God's truth. While people seek answers in sources that are not consistent with the teachings of Scripture and seek after spirits that are at odds with the Holy Spirit, we can continue to listen for the voice and direction of God. Here are some sobering words from Isaiah 8:
19 And when they say to you, "Seek those who are mediums and wizards, who whisper and mutter," should not a people seek their God? Should they seek the dead on behalf of the living?
20 To the law and to the testimony! If they do not speak according to this word, it is because there is no light in them.
21 They will pass through it hard pressed and hungry; and it shall happen, when they are hungry, that they will be enraged and curse their king and their God, and look upward.
22 Then they will look to the earth, and see trouble and darkness, gloom of anguish; and they will be driven into darkness.

There is no hope in seeking the ways of the world and the deception of the devil.  Yet, as a Pew Research study shows, there is a significant number of people who are fascinated by and participating in occult practices.  A Faithwire article stated:

“A fall 2024 Pew Research Center survey finds that 30% of U.S. adults say they consult astrology (or a horoscope), tarot cards, or a fortune teller at least once a year, but most do so just for fun, and few Americans say they make major decisions based on what they learn along the way,” Pew reported.

Some of the other takeaways: 27% of U.S. adults believe in astrology — that the position of planets and stars can impact people’s lives. This proportion is much higher among women between the ages of 18 to 49 (43%), with the proportion going down to 27% among women 50 and older.

Not too long ago, I shared about the life story of Jenn Rizza, who is a former psychic and now hosts a podcast called, Ex-Psychic Saved.  Her response to the Pew numbers, according to Faithwire: "“I thought it was horrific, to be quite honest with you, but I can’t say that I’m completely surprised..."

And, even though most of the one-third of Americans who say they engage with these occultic practices do it just for fun, the fact is it's serious business. Pew says, "Most Americans who engage in astrology, tarot cards, or fortune-telling say they do it for fun, rather than for insights or guidance on life decisions,” adding, “Overall, 20% of U.S. adults say they engage in at least one of these activities mostly ‘just for fun,’ while 10% say they do them mostly because they ‘believe the practices give them helpful insights.'”

But, Rizza poses some important questions: "As a former psychic, how sure are we that they don’t believe a little bit? How do we know that, when they go for that reading, it’s not like, ‘Oh, I wonder what they’re going to say or what’s gonna come out for me in the cards or the astrology chart?'” She stresses: 

“Whether you believe or not and you’re just doing it [or it is] for entertainment, you’re opening a demonic door, which is so heartbreaking,” she said. “That’s just the truth of it. If you’re going to use a tool of divination, you’re going outside of God’s boundaries.”

The Bible speaks multiple times about "divination."  A Christianity.com piece stated:

According to the Merriam-Webster dictionary, Divination is “the art or practice that seeks to foresee or foretell future events or discover hidden knowledge usually by the interpretation of omens or by the aid of supernatural powers.”

The article continued by saying: 

Divination in any manner is sin, as a corrupted seeking of spiritual knowledge. The practicing of divination will deceive you and separate you from the wisdom of God. Christians should avoid all endeavors related to divination, including fortune-telling, astrology, witchcraft, tarot cards, and spell-casting. The spirit realm is real, but it is not harmless. As taught by Scripture, spirits that are not the Holy Spirit or angelic beings are malevolent spirits.

The Bible tells us in 1st John 4 to "test the spirits."  There will be spiritual influences that do not line up with Scripture, influences that, if pursued, will lead a person away from the teachings of Scripture and weaken his or her relationship with God.  The old cliche, "all that glitters is not gold."  The Bible says that Satan disguises himself as an angel of light. So, if someone or something seems enlightened, that doesn't mean that the presence of God is there.  We have to follow the true light, as directed by the Word of God and the Holy Spirit. 

Someone might dabble in occultic practices as a parlor game - just for fun, as people in the Pew survey indicated. But, seeking spiritual guidance outside of God-approved practices will open a person up to the influence of the devil. The devil is real, and he is bent on your destruction.  But, the Bible instructs us to resist Him and we can be confident in the great power we have in order to stand strong against him.