Who Do You Listen To?

Who can help you out of this life into a new life in heaven someday?  Some say all you have to do to go to heaven is die.  If that right, is that all there is to it?  It depends on who you listen to.  Some say there is no heaven, when you die you die and that’s all there is.  Is that right?  Who are you listening to?

I heard the humorous story of Old Mike, the village drunkard, who was staggering home one night visibly inebriated. As he went his merry way, he came to a section of the road which was being worked on by the street department. In his drunken stupor he failed to heed a red light placed there by the workmen to warn people of the danger, and Old Mike fell into an open manhole.

When he found himself in this hole, he was surprised to say the least, and felt around to see if he could find a way out. There was no ladder available and he couldn't do it.

So he began to holler, "Help me out!" And the echo created by the hole repeated, "Help me out!" No one responded and so he called out again, "Help me out!" And again the echo repeated, "Help me out!" There was no answer, so he resigned himself to spending the night in the manhole. He propped himself up against the side and went to sleep.

After a very uncomfortable night, he awakened in the morning and the sun was up. There was a little circle of light at the top of the hole and Mike started yelling again, "Help me out!" And the echo replied, "Help me out!" He kept calling with no success until Pat, who was on his way to work, passed by, heard a cry and stopped to listen. He heard, "Help me out!" "Help me out!" He listened again to be sure of what he heard, "Help me! Help me out!" And he said, "Sure, and if they can't help each other out, let them stay there."

Sometimes we hear ourselves and we think we are listening to a voice of the wise.  James (1:5) said, “if you lack wisdom ask God, who gives generously.”  God and probably only God has wisdom for this life and the next.  So I ask again, who are you listening to?