I once had a very good friend that had recently become a Christian. He had owned his own business for years and although he kept his men busy with work to do, he could never seem to get ahead. At one point he confided in me that he had become so frustrated with always struggling to stay afloat that he had visited a fortune teller the week before. I was surprised since I thought that he was more spiritual and intelligent than that.
He told me all about what happened and it was pretty much like the movies and TV shows. He said the woman was sitting at a round table with some cards and a crystal ball. She asked him a few questions and then began to talk in vague and random sentences. Her comments all seemed to stop just short of giving him any definite direction. Then of course, she suddenly lost her connection and had to end the session. She said that he should come back in a few days and surely then she could give him more information. “And by the way, that will be $50 please.”
First he asked me what I thought of this and I told him she was a fraud and that she was wanting to take him for as much money as possible. Then, he asked, “Do you think I should go back?” Well, I think it was a famous, foul-mouthed comedian who said, “You can’t fix stupid!”
But then I do believe that we can predict the future. There is a way to very accurately predict what will happen sometimes five, ten, even twenty or more years into the future. We can study history since it always repeats itself. But we can also study the scriptures to see how God sees this kind of activity.
Deuteronomy 18:10-12 says, “anyone who practices divination or tells fortunes or interprets omens, or a sorcerer or a charmer or a medium or a necromancer (one who inquires of the dead), for whoever does these things is an abomination to the Lord.”
Why is this forbidden for Christians? Because in doing so, we are saying that God is not enough for us; we need more than Him. It is also a sign of weak faith which displeases God.
“But without faith it is impossible to please Him.” Hebrews 11:6
So, was the comedian right when he said, “You can’t fix stupid?” I suppose I am the ultimate optimist. Jesus said in Matthew 19:26, “…With men this is impossible; but with God all things are possible.”