Contributor: Alex Kokobili

INTRODUCTION

The previous discussion in the series focused on wasted years (Joshua 5:6) dwelling on Israel’s derailment from God’s plan as they journeyed forty years in the wilderness instead of forty days on their way to the Promised Land. Wasted years and time on the pathway of destiny can only be recovered by the grace and mercy of God. For instance, the end of the life of Solomon regarded as the wealthiest and wisest king of Israel was with deep caution when he referred to life as “vanity upon vanity” (Ecclesiastes chapters 1 and 2). Solomon wasted years pleasing his numerous wives and concubines who derailed his heart from the God of His father David.
Today’s study aims to expand on the previous, with a focus “on the lack of fulfilment” realizing the importance of living in the fullness of Godliness; (Ephesians 1: 22-23)
“God has put all things under the authority of Christ and has made him head over all things for the benefit of the church. 23 And the church is his body; it is made full and complete by Christ, who fills all things everywhere with himself.”
Failure to discover God’s plan for life will lead to a miscarriage of destiny or a lack of fulfilment in life. True satisfaction in life is dependent on our relationship with God (Psalm 107: 9)
“For he satisfies the thirsty and fills the hungry with good things."

Being with God entails a relationship of fellowship and not necessarily a material achievement but He fills our lives with His goodness and true richness”
Also (Psalm 68: 19) says:
“Blessed be the Lord, Who daily loads us with benefits, The God of our salvation”.
The measurement of fulfilment in life is not by material assessment or secular progression, but by experiencing the fullness of God. The real test of fulfilment in life could come at any stage in life which we must be always prepared for.

Who are Those Likely to be Unfulfilled or Derailed from God’s Plan?
Psalm 1: 4-6

"The ungodly are not so: but are like the chaff which the wind drives away.5 Therefore the ungodly shall not stand in the judgment, nor sinners in the congregation of the righteous.6 For the LORD knoweth the way of the righteous: but the way of the ungodly shall perish."

The Backdrop
The first two verses of this chapter lists out the requirements for a fulfilled life. The 3rd verse reveals the characteristics of a fulfilled life. And then in verse 4, the comparison with the unfulfilled life referred to as the “ungodly”
This implies that people cannot quite call themselves “godly” if they do not adhere to verses 1 and 2. As a matter of fact, the Bible refers to those who do not as the “ungodly”.
1. The Ungodly - an Unbeliever not Having Regard for God: These are those who do not believe in the redemption power of Jesus Christ. Although there is an allowance for them to partake in God’s plan for the salvation for, if they refuse, they will have no place in God in all spheres of life. According to 1 Corin 1: 18 the ungodly cannot even recognize God’s plans from their human mind. They trivialize it. You cannot get blessed by anything that you trivialize.

2. Christians That Compromise and Toy with Sin: This category is those who know God’s plans or have even experienced them before, but the desires of this world have adulterated their experience of God’s goodness. – Mathew 13:1-8 “The Parable of the Sower” reminds us about how the cares of the world derail us from the plan of God for our lives.

Implications of Being Outside God’s Plan
In this section we will consider instances in the Bible where people who strayed away from God’s plan experienced unfulfilment
1. Jonah: The case of Jonah shows us the implications of how he tried to run out of God’s plan for His life to be a missionary to the country of Nineveh. Jonah 1: 1-14 tells us how the people opposed Jonah due to his disobedience. Jonah himself could not do anything because God caused the weather to work against them. He experienced Spiritual and Physical Opposition. We have to be spiritually sensitive to any form of opposition in life which could be spiritual or physical resulting from a derailment from God’s plan. The solution is to ask God for His mercy and go back in alignment with what God expects us to do.

2. The Young Prophet. 1 Kings 13: 1-33, Tells us about the story of the young prophet who derailed from God’s plan based on the advice of the old prophet that caused his death).

3. Gehazi. The story of Gehazi in (2 Kings 2: 26-27) also tells us how he missed God’s plan for him to succeed Elisha as the national prophet of Israel but died unfulfilled as a leper. Nonalignment with God’s plans could be very costly; it leaves us exposed to Grievous Mistakes. Some people have even died in that process or caused havoc to themselves or loved ones.

4. The Israelites: Haggai 1:5–6 Tells us of God’s pronouncement “Now, therefore, thus says the LORD of hosts: Consider your ways. You have sown much, and harvested little. You eat, but you never have enough; you drink, but you never have your fill. You clothe yourselves, but no one is warm. And he who earns wages does so to put them into a bag with holes.”
The people in Haggai’s day worked hard, but their efforts were not bringing the expected result; they never had enough and were never satisfied, as a result of straying away from God’s purpose for them.

5. The Compromising Believer (Ungodly) Psalm 1:4 tells us that the ungodly will be blown away like chaff which the wind drives away. Are you living a life of secrecy, always doing things yourself without revelation, godly counsel, or wisdom because you are ashamed of being called a religious fanatic? You will end up unfulfilled at some point in life because you have limited the grace of God to depend on your self-effort and ultimately the Unfulfilment of Destiny

Aligning with God’s Plan for Fulfilment of Life
1. God’s plan as a mandate for Sonship: This is what qualifies you to benefit from God’s plan and purpose (John 1: 12) “But as many as received Him, to them gave He power to become the sons of God, even to those who believe in His name”.
He does not give pearls to swine!! The believer who is ignorant of His place in Christ will live as a slave and not a son.

2. Harmonizing our life with God’s Will: Once you know your place as a Son of God then you can easily harmonize with His plans for your life and be full of His blessing
(Jere 29: 11, For I know the plans I have towards you says the Lord, plans of good and not of evil, to give you a hope and a future). The unbeliever believes they can benefit from God’s blessings without His plans. Those who lack God shall never be satisfied. Hosea 4: 6 says:

"My people are destroyed from lack of knowledge. “Because you have rejected knowledge, I also reject you as my priests; because you have ignored the law of your God, I also will ignore your children."

The case study of David, King of Israel shows he inquired of the Lord concerning the Amalekites (2 Samuel 5: 23). Ask God about His plans for your life as often as possible. Don’t impose your will against His desires for you. God is not wicked to cast us away! Commit your way unto the Lord and He shall direct your path (Psalm 37: 5).

3. Cautiousness about the Plan of the Devil: Do not be deceived! The devil also has plans he expects to implement at any possible opportunity. Please don’t be his victim. (John 10: 10 The thief came to steal, kill, and destroy but I have come that you may have life and have it in abundance), also, (1 Peter 5: 8 Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil walks about like a roaring lion, seeking whom he may devour). You cannot use the spoon of the devil to eat lunch at the Lord’s supper, we have to realize that a derailment from God’s plan gives the devil a leeway to express his plans in a person’s life.

CONCLUSION
The measurement of fulfilment in life is not by material assessment or secular progression, but by experiencing the fullness of God. The real test of fulfilment in life could come at any stage in life which we must be always prepared for.
The Bible admonishes us to commit our ways unto God’s hand and He will direct our part (Psalm 37: 5). It is only when we commit our life, decisions, and destiny to God that he gives us satisfaction. This is because God’s definition of satisfaction might not be what we think would satisfy us (Isaiah 55: 8) especially if it does look popular but we must also be assured that God understands all that gives us satisfaction as human beings (Hebrews 4: 14-16).
Eccl. 3:11 tells us that God “has put eternity into man’s heart”. In other words, though His image in us is marred by sin, ultimately within every human soul we have an awareness that there is something more than what this world offers. It is a God-sized void that only He can fill and so, when we are separated from God and his plan, our rebellious hearts in futility are constantly, running after things to fill this void reserved exclusively for our Creator. The ultimate life’s fulfilment is to be in the plan and purpose of God

Contributor: Ngozi Roberts

INTRODUCTION - Being out of Gods plan
Having learnt about Gods plan for us in our previous lessons I believe by now we understand what Gods plan for us are. We have also understood that the enemy as it is in his nature does not want us to achieve our God given plan. So he fights tooth and nail to make sure we do not achieve our goal in life - fulfilling Gods plan for us. Therefore he fuels his plan through making sure we are rebellious; live a life of bitterness, unforgiveness, ignorance, and sin amongst others. Unfortunately, many a times he succeeds in his place and we keep falling and going back and forth. It then seems as if we are not getting any headway with the plan of God for our lives but if only we can sit down and have a reasoning with ourselves we will be schooled and understand the places we have fallen short, would it be as a result of rebellious; bitterness, unforgiveness, ignorance, and sin? Whatever it is, once we acknowledge these vices, then ask the help of the Holy Spirit, trust me we are already thwarting the plans of the enemy to hinder us from achieving Gods plan. However, when we are unable to identify any of the vices or where the enemy is holding us down, and do a turnaround then we are bound to experience the consequences of being out of Gods Plan. So today we are going to touch on one of these consequences – Wasted years.

Joshua 5:6
6 The Israelites had moved about in the wilderness forty years until all the men who were of military age when they left Egypt had died, since they had not obeyed the LORD. For the LORD had sworn to them that they would not see the land he had solemnly promised their ancestors to give us, a land flowing with milk and honey.

Wasted Years – (time)
One of the consequences of being out of Gods plan is wasted years. When God gave us dominion over the earth, it was all encompassing and It included time. I have come to understand that no matter what seems to be missing in our lives, when we have dominion over time, brethren, we have real dominion. You see, it takes time to Know our maker. It takes time to study his word and build a relationship with him, it takes time to be rewarded, it takes time to worship and be in his presence, it takes time to achieve his plan and purpose for us. It is much more that we think. If you don’t believe me ask Hezekiah.

2 Kings 20:1 - “Thus says the LORD: ‘Set your house in order, for you shall die, and not live.’ ”

God was not happy the way he was bringing ups his household and God promised him death! But for the Mercy of God! Yes, that was what found Hezekiah. Lets read further, Verse 2-3

"2 Then he turned his face toward the wall, and prayed to the LORD, saying, 3 “Remember now, O LORD, I pray, how I have walked before You in truth and with a loyal heart, and have done what was good in Your sight.” And Hezekiah wept bitterly. 4 And it happened, before Isaiah had gone out into the middle court, that the word of the LORD came to him, saying, 5 “Return and tell Hezekiah the leader of My people, ‘Thus says the LORD, the God of David your father: “I have heard your prayer, I have seen your tears; surely I will heal you. On the third day you shall go up to the house of the LORD. 6 And I will add to your days fifteen years. I will deliver you and this city from the hand of the king of Assyria; and I will defend this city for My own sake, and for the sake of My servant David.” ’

We see, how mercy found Hezekiah, he cried and repented and God forgave him, healed him, and added more years! God restored the wasted years. So it is still within the power of God to restore wasted years. So today we are not only going to talk about the wasted years, we are also going to talk about how the wasted years can be restored.

What does wasted years mean?
• Wasted years in a relationship and Wasted years in not living authentically – when some of us live falsely, hanging out with those that we do not have business with. Especially our young ones, in the bid to belong or be classified as happening people or worry about what people will think about them, end up with wasting youthful years that God said we should use to know him –

Proverb 22:6- Train up a child in the way he should go,[a]And when he is old he will not depart from it.

Psalm 144:12 That our sons may be as plants grown up in their youth; That our daughters may be as pillars, Sculptured in palace style

• Wasted years in a job/career -Wasted years studying a course that we never used. I tell you this one, most of us adults in the house are culprits of this one. That is why we now train youth coordinators, parents and guardians, in our career counselling course how to counsel and guide their wards early in life so that they do not end up wasting years in the wrong path of life or career.

• Wasted years living others agendas and never our own. Years missed when we don’t find God early. We find ourselves always tagging along. When we do not spend time with God to understand our purpose and knowing God for ourselves, we end up walking in the path of another’s. Pastor Clem used to encourage the youth to strive to know the area of their gifting early and focus on that area through studying so they do not end up doing a course that is chosen by their guardian for them. If they do not know the area to go or what course to do then others will fill in that blank space for them. My prayer is that this will not be the portion of our children in Jesus name. Our children will know God early and for themselves in Jesus name.

• Wasted years through living in disobedience
JOSHUA 5:6
6 The Israelites had moved about in the wilderness forty years until all the men who were of military age when they left Egypt had died, since they had not obeyed the LORD. For the LORD had sworn to them that they would not see the land he had solemnly promised their ancestors to give us, a land flowing with milk and honey.

So in the case of the Israelites we note that because of their disobedience and rebelliousness, God was not happy with them and as a result, one of the consequences was that God delayed them from entering into the promised land. God had to ensure that those men that had committed the evil had died and it took them 40 years before the plan of God for the Nation of Israel was fulfilled. What a waste!

It is easy for us to condemn the children of Israel but I tell you this same thing is playing out in the lives of many of us children of God. When God wants us to take a path and we disobey or allow the voices of the world to override the voice of God, what do we think will happen. Of course, the gentle voice of the Holy Sprit will let you be as you are the owner of your will and He cannot override your will. We also know that until our obedience is full in one instruction, God will not give another. So in our journey through the plan and purpose of God in our life when He gives an instruction by the Holy Spirit to take a step in a particular direction, we ought to obey and follow until our obedience is full over the first instruction then He gives another instruction. However, when we disobey or misunderstand his direction, we will find ourselves missing that season, or loosing time before we can realign. If you think I am joking go and ask Moses.

The Bible says in Gen 15:13 13

"Then He said to Abram: “Know certainly that your descendants will be strangers in a land that is not theirs, and will serve them, and they will afflict them four hundred years.

But in Exodus 12: 40

Now the sojourn of the children of Israel who lived in Egypt was four hundred and thirty years. 41And it came to pass at the end of the four hundred and thirty years—on that very same day—it came to pass that all the armies of the LORD went out from the land of Egypt.

So what happened! The leader, the appointed person by God to lead them out of Israel was not ready! 30 wasted years! This tells me that during my wasted years, there are people that might be affected as a result of living in disobedience. It could be our parents, our children, our family members, or anyone that Gods want you to preach to. That person that will run with the God given word that will proceed from your mouth. My prayer for us is that we repent and realign ourselves before it is too late In Jesus name Amen.
How then should I turn around my Wasted Years?
Good news! God said in Joel 2:25-27

“So I will restore to you the years that the swarming locust has eaten, The crawling locust, The consuming locust, And the chewing locust, My great army which I sent among you. 26 You shall eat in plenty and be satisfied, And praise the name of the LORD your God, Who has dealt wondrously with you; And My people shall never be put to shame. 27 Then you shall know that I am in the midst of Israel: I am the LORD your God And there is no other. My people shall never be put to shame."

Caution! This Promise of God must not only be claimed but must be walked out in our lives.

Luke 15:11-32 Jesus gave us an example of how wasted years can be reclaimed in the parable of the Prodigal son. When the son came to his senses, he repented, and asked for forgiveness and was then re-instated into the family. What happened, all the lost years were regained!

• Go back to God
When we realise we lost some years or wasted time in any area of our lives during our pursuit to fulfil Gods plan in our life, we quickly go back to the creator of those plans for the blue print. So first we get hold of Gods Promises.
Psalm 27:14 - Wait on the LORD; Be of good courage, And He shall strengthen your heart; Wait, I say, on the LORD

Use your wasted years as a reminder to trust God and be patient while you prayerfully wait on Him.
While you are wating on God, you might realise that those seemingly wasted years were actually a time of Training! Take the life of Joseph for instance, those years of living in the dungeon, in prison, then, it would have seemed as if his life was being wasted, but those years turned out to be his training years that led him to be the Prime Minister of Egypt.
It could be a period of test and trials – that is, the dealings we go through in the spirit - during period of training. This is the time to secure our stability – that is why in James 1:2-4 he said

"My brethren, count it all joy when you fall into various trials, 3 knowing that the testing of your faith produces patience. 4 But let patience have its perfect work, that you may be perfect and complete, lacking nothing."

So you see Gods promise in this wise, is that we will become Perfect! In the end. – For example, sometimes God takes things from us, so that tomorrow you will not beg because in the end you will gain more- Look at the story of Job 1: 8-12.
So during your communing with the Holy Spirit and as you prayerfully stay with God, Let it become your training ground while you wait on God for the next step to realign yourself. In passing through these years, turn it into your spiritual school. Sometimes in life there are things that you go through that fuel your success in the end.

• During this time increase your level of discernment 
Hebrew 2:1 Therefore we must give the more earnest heed to the things we have heard, lest we drift away.
Pay attention to what you have heard so we do not let them slip away. … while men sleep.

Mathew 13:25 says while men slept, his enemy came and sowed tares among the wheat and went his way

You see we can miss opportunity and loose years because we are unable to discern. Remember, to discern, is the work that the Holy Spirit has expertise in. When we rely on Him, our tentacles will be every alert and able to know the right way to follow to fulfil Gods plan.

• Negligence / carelessness
The attitude of nonchalance and carelessness to life and destiny is a destroyer. Careless approach to life increases our years of wastage. Jesus said in John 9:4 4 I[a] must work the works of Him who sent Me while it is day; the night is coming when no one can work.

In Rev 3:11. 11 [h]Behold, I am coming quickly! Hold fast what you have, that no one may take your crown
There is timing to density. Acts 1:20 20 “For it is written in the Book of Psalms:‘ Let his dwelling place be [i]desolate, And let no one live in it’; and, ‘Let another take his [j]office.’ Let another take your bishopric.
My prayer is that while we are wasting time another will not take up our place in destiny in Jesus, Name Amen.

• Seek Knowledge
To regain our wasted years spent living in ignorance / lack of knowledge we have to seek for knowledge. Ignorance of the laws of life destiny and laws of the kingdom.

Psalm 82:5-7 "5 They do not know, nor do they understand; They walk about in darkness; All the foundations of the earth are unstable. 6 I said, “You are gods, And all of you are children of the Most High. 7 But you shall die like men, And fall like one of the princes.”

Prov. 11:9 – The hypocrite with his mouth destroys his neighbour, But through knowledge the righteous will be delivered.
Prov. 1:7 - The fear of the LORD is the beginning of knowledge, But fools despise wisdom and instruction.

We are not fools in Jesus name, Amen. You see, in this kingdom, our knowledge in God is gained through hunger and passion. Mathew 5:6 say that Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, For they shall be filled.
It is through knowledge that the righteous are delivered. There is a kind of deliverance that happens only through knowledge. When the scripture in Isaiah 60:1-4 said –

"Arise, shine; For your light has come! And the glory of the LORD is risen upon you. 2 For behold, the darkness shall cover the earth, And deep darkness the people; But the LORD will arise over you, And His glory will be seen upon you. 3 The Gentiles shall come to your light, And kings to the brightness of your rising."

The light here represent Gods knowledge. It is the knowledge that you have in you that will cause people to come to you, employ you, give you rewards, invite you to minister, invite you to palaces, why because they want to glean from what you have – knowledge!
That is why the time is now! To spend time to gain this knowledge in that God given area of your life. Look at the parable of the lost coin: Jesus said: The Parable of the Lost Coin – Luk 15:8-10

8 “Or what woman, having ten silver [c]coins, if she loses one coin, does not light a lamp, sweep the house, and search carefully until she finds it? 9 And when she has found it, she calls her friends and neighbours together, saying, ‘Rejoice with me, for I have found the piece which I lost!’ 10 Likewise, I say to you, there is joy in the presence of the angels of God over one sinner who repents.”

See what happened here, I like the attitude of this woman and it is the same when we are searching for knowledge. Brethren, to succeed in this life we have to be resolved to fight ignorance as if we are fight Satan. The bible says that is the Prov. 25:2 - It is the glory of God to conceal a matter, But the glory of kings is to search out a matter.
It is only when the light wins over darkness that it becomes day! There is a proverb they say where I come from - that it is whenever one wakes up that is ones morning! You will never, get knowledge at your own terms but you have to work for it. Even Elisha was ridiculed by the sons of the Prophets when his master was known by all to be on his way home. But he endured the shame until he received the double portion of Elijah’s anointing when he was leaving.

• Abuse and misuse.
Matthew 25:14-30. Parable of the talent. We see in this parable a servant that misused and abused the talent that was given to him. He said -
"25 And I was afraid, and went and hid your talent in the ground. Look, there you have what is yours.’
Imagine! No regard for his master! But of course the lord called him a wicked man and ensured he talent was taken away from him and given to another who will used it wisely. 26 “But his lord answered and said to him, ‘You wicked and lazy servant, you knew that I reap where I have not sown, and gather where I have not scattered seed. 27 So you ought to have deposited my money with the bankers, and at my coming I would have received back my own with interest. 28 So take the talent from him, and give it to him who has ten talents."

Therefore, to avoid wasted years or even if we have gone through one and waiting on God for the next instruction we need to be wary and ensure that whatever God puts in our hands are used in accordance to his blue print.

SUMMARY/ CONCLUSION
Use your wasted years as a reminder that God will bring about His plans for you in a way that fulfils His purpose, not yours. Like a wise man you have to be discerning, and know the moments and opportunities to capitalise on.
Know that God can restore! No matter how many years you have lost. Know that there is hope for a tree. Job 14: 7-9.
So There is a way out! Using the power of Self-examination and evaluation – not just prayer, or finding a man of God. But you have to sit down and be thoughtful. Let us learn from the story of the Prodigal Son in Luke 15:17-20.
Also note the power of brokenness. Psalm 51:17 - A broken and a contrite heart—These, O God, You will not despise. God cannot ignore a broken person. You have to recognise and admit and not be ashamed to ask God for help.
Furthermore seek Knowledge – with hunger and passion. Through knowledge shall the just be delivered. Remember, you will never, get knowledge at your own terms but you have to work for it.
Every lost opportunity, wasted years will be recovered in Jesus Name Amen.
Shalom!

Contributor: Isekhua Evborokhai

INTRODUCTION: There is a very interesting quote that stands true today: “The greatest trick the devil ever played was convincing the world that he did not exist.”
He has conned to world to believe that he is only a myth. Billions of people today in the world have fallen victim of this trick! They have come to believe that the devil is only a myth made up by religions, story tellers and movie makers. No wonder 2 Corinthians 4:4 tells us that the god of this world has blinded the minds of unbelievers, so that they cannot see the light of the gospel that displays the glory of Christ, who is the image of God.
However, one of his strategies to thwart God’s plan in the lives of Believers is to keep them in a state of ignorance, darkness and perpetual forgetfulness! He does this by making them hearers only but not doers. James 1:23-24 (LB)
23 For if a person just listens and doesn’t obey, he is like a man looking at his face in a mirror; 24 as soon as he walks away, he can’t see himself anymore or remember what he looks like.

Today’s study is to serve as a reminder of the consequences of ignorance as well as serve as a deterrent. Because, truly, ignorance is very costly!

CASE STUDY: ESAU
(Genesis 25: 29-34) NLT:
“One day when Jacob was cooking some stew, Esau arrived home from the wilderness exhausted and hungry. Esau said to Jacob, “I’m starved! Give me some of that red stew!” (This is how Esau got his other name, Edom, which means “red.”) “All right,” Jacob replied, “but trade me your rights as the firstborn son.” “Look, I’m dying of starvation!” said Esau. “What good is my birthright to me now?” But Jacob said, “First you must swear that your birthright is mine.” So Esau swore an oath, thereby selling all his rights as the firstborn to his brother, Jacob. Then Jacob gave Esau some bread and lentil stew. Esau ate the meal, then got up and left. He showed contempt for his rights as the firstborn.” Emphasis mine

From this scripture we discover a couple of ignorant statements and actions Esau made that facilitated him losing his birthright and consequently, his blessing as the firstborn son!

First, he was ignorant about the value of his birthright so he treated it with levity;
“What good is my birthright to me now?”

Secondly, he showed contempt for his rights as the firstborn Genesis 25: 34
So when the time came for the blessing, he reaped the consequences of his actions. The Bible says:
“. . . afterward, when he wanted his father’s blessing, he was rejected. It was too late for repentance, even though he begged with bitter tears.” (Heb.12:17). NLT

In Genesis 27:36 we see him exposing his ignorance even further . . .
“Esau said, “Isn’t he rightly named Jacob? This is the second time he has taken advantage of me: He took my birthright, and now he’s taken my blessing!”
The blessing was for the first son; this right is only gotten by birth – “birthright” which he exchanged for a meal due to his ignorance.
Esau didn’t realize that the day he swore that oath, and sold all his rights as the firstborn to Jacob he also was giving away his blessing.
That is the same trick the enemy is playing on many Christians today. It may not be a birthright but one compromise or the other. It’s just a little sleep. Oh! It’s just a little slumber. Just a little folding of the arms to rest . . . Proverbs 24:33

THE DEVICES OF THE DEVIL
The enemy’s plot is to darken people’s understanding, twist the truth leave people in a state of ignorance. But 2 Corinthians 2:11 says:
“in order that Satan might not outwit us. For we are not unaware of his schemes.”
This implies that if we are aware of the devices of the devil, he will not be able to outwit us! So let’s consider a few of his devices.
• He employs his agents to twist the truth.
Peter in 2 Peter 3:16 calls them ignorant and unstable people.
“He writes the same way in all his letters, speaking in them of these matters. His letters contain some things that are hard to understand, which ignorant and unstable people distort, as they do the other Scriptures, to their own destruction.”

• He infects people with the Itching Ear Syndrome.
2 Timothy 4:3 confirms this as a condition that fuels ignorance
“For the time is coming when [people] will not tolerate (endure) sound and wholesome instruction, but, having ears itching [for something pleasing and gratifying], they will gather to themselves one teacher after another to a considerable number, chosen to satisfy their own liking and to foster the errors they hold,”

• He injects false prophets in the circle of Believers.
Matthew 7:15 refers to them as wolves in sheep clothing. Matthew 24:11 calls then false prophets that will lead many astray. Matthew 24:24 also says
“For false Christs shall arise, and false prophets, and will do wonderful miracles so that if it were possible, even God’s chosen ones would be deceived.”
They thrive on the ignorance of people; but not the elect. The elect are not ignorant but knowledgeable

• He sets traps for the ignorant.
Proverbs 27:12 (AMP) says
“A prudent man sees evil and hides himself and avoids it, But the naive [who are easily misled] continue on and are punished [by suffering the consequences of sin].

CONSEQUENCES OF IGNORANCE
God never compromises when it comes to consequences. Galatians 6:7 says:
“Do not be deceived: God is not mocked, for whatever one sows, that will he also reap”
Proverbs 14:18 (GNT) says:
“Ignorant people get what their foolishness deserves, but the clever are rewarded with knowledge.”

The seeds of ignorance can give rise to the following:
Alienation from God and His Plan and Purpose: Ephesians 4:18 “They are darkened in their understanding, alienated from the life of God because of the ignorance that is in them, due to their hardness of heart.”

Destruction: Hosea 4:6 “My people are destroyed for lack of knowledge; because you have rejected knowledge, I reject you from being a priest to me. And since you have forgotten the law of your God, I also will forget your children.”

Straying from One’s Path in Life: Proverbs 19:2 “Desire without knowledge is not good, and whoever makes haste with his feet misses his way.”

Derailment and Loss: Isaiah 5:13 “Therefore My people go into exile for their lack of knowledge; and their honourable men are famished, and their multitude is parched with thirst.

Death: Job 36:12 “But if they do not hear, they shall perish by the sword and they will die without knowledge.”

CONCLUSION
The opposite of ignorance is knowledge and the only solution to ignorance is knowledge
Psalm 119:144b says: “give me understanding that I may live.”
2 Tim 2:15 says: “Study to shew thyself approved unto God, a workman that needeth not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth.”
John 8:32 says: “And you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.”

What we all need is for the Holy Spirit’s guidance into our purpose in life and to accomplish it before we go back to our Maker. Acts 13:36 says: “Now when David had served God’s purpose in his own generation, he fell asleep; he was buried with his ancestors and his body decayed.

Psalm 119:105 “Your word is a lamp to my feet and a light to my path.” This tells us that it is the Word of God that guides our path. God’s word brings light to paths

Prov. 4:18 (AMP) says:
“But the path of the [uncompromisingly] just and righteous is like the light of dawn, that shines more and more (brighter and clearer) until [it reaches its full strength and glory in] the perfect day [to be prepared].”

2 Peter 3:14-17 says
“Therefore, dear friends, since you have been forewarned, be on your guard so that you may not be carried away by the error of the lawless and fall from your secure position.”

To be on one’s guard is to be aware! 1 Peter 5:8 entreats us to be sober, and vigilant; because our adversary is seeking whom he may devour. So turn away from ignorance and be filled with the knowledge of His will (Col. 1:9b) says: “We continually ask God to fill you with the knowledge of his will through all the wisdom and understanding that the Spirit gives

To be filled with the knowledge of His will implies you will continually walk in His purpose for your life! Ignorance is not bliss! But knowledge will bring you to a place of fulfilment
Daniel 11:32b tells us that the people who do know their God shall be strong, and do exploits.