Most of us, when faced with a big decision, find it difficult to hear God counsel. We pray and ask God’s blessings but hear nothing. Perhaps we can’t hear God because we suffer from the spiritual equivalent of ear wax–primarily because we have ignored God’s counsel to be “quick to listen, slow to speak, and slow to get angry” (James 1:19). Thankfully the passage in James tells us how we can hear God: we are to “get rid of all moral filth and the evil that is so prevalent and humbly accept the word planted in you, which can save you. Do not merely listen to the word, and so deceive yourselves. Do what it says” (James 1:21-22).

One of humankind’s most treasured beliefs is that the universe runs according to basic mechanical principles that we can learn to use to our advantage. The ancient name for this belief is magick. These days it is known as either black magic or white magic, and Christians are especially susceptible to the latter. Many of us have been persuaded that the Bible contains formulas that we can use to improve our lives. That if we mix certain ingredients in certain proportions, we will get to do what we want, how we want, when we want.

If you believe that, you believe in magick.