Woe to the Foolish Prophets Who Follow Their Own Spirit



Over the past several days, this verse has truly disturbed me. As I have said in previous posts, when I read the Word on my walks in God's woods, I try to listen for what that verse is telling me about myself. The book of Ezekiel is another one of those prophets near the end of the Old Testament that I usually have a hard time reading, and the main theme of this particular chapter is God condemning the false prophets who have led the people of Israel astray. God speaks through Ezekiel and calls these false prophets jackals and says they will not enter the land of Israel, but he also says that he will release his wrath on them so the people will know that he is God.

What disturbs me about this passage is the question of when have I been a false prophet. When have I declared that I am doing God's work when I am really doing what I choose? When have I followed my own spirit and seen nothing? Over the past several months, it feels like I have seen no progress in my life, and this verse has made me question if I have been following my own spirit instead of the Holy Spirit. To be honest, I have to admit that it can be really difficult to know, but here are a few things that I have considered in the past several days:

The false prophets of Israel caused the people to worship false gods and get further away from the one true God. In my questioning of myself, I can sincerely say that the trials that I have faced this year have drawn me closer to God. I have made more effort to spend time in God's Word (and God's woods), and my prayer life has certainly grown. I have also really tried to examine and remove the idols in my life. I will admit that there have been times when I have been more focused on myself than God, but I am making an effort to re-direct my thoughts toward Him.

The Bible is filled with stories of people who waited and suffered, not because they were false prophets, but because God was testing their faith. I have to say that my faith has been tested over and over this year, but I am so thankful that God lets me try again whenever I fail the test. Thank God for his mercy and grace! The thing that encourages me is remembering that every test of faith in the Bible ended with a reward.

After much reflection and questioning, I have come to the conclusion that the dreams and desires of my heart do come from God, and as long as I can find joy in Him, he will give me those desires. I still need to be aware of giving myself false prophesies and remember 1 John 4:1-2--
Dear friends, do not believe every spirit, but test the spirits to determine if they are from God, because many false prophets have gone out into the world. This is how you know the Spirit of God: Every spirit who confesses that Jesus Christ has come in the flesh is from God.
I know that my Savior came in the flesh.

Heavenly Father, I thank you for the testing of my spirit, and I thank you for my Savior who came in the flesh. I am sorry for any time that I have followed my own spirit and claimed it as yours. Please forgive me for my foolishness, and guide me to know and follow your Spirit. In the saving name of Jesus I pray, Amen.

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

That Light Shines in the Darkness

Image
  My favorite poem includes the phrase "The woods are lovely, dark, and deep." This year, I have experienced much of the darkness of God's woods, along with its loveliness and depth, but one thing has remained true: Jesus is my light shining in the darkness. I may not be able to see what might be around the next turn, but the darkness will not overcome my guiding light. For the past few weeks, I have not written as much as when I started recording this journey, and part of the reason is that I have wandered a little too much in the darkness. Once again, things have not gone the way I would have planned, and I have allowed the twisting path through the woods to cause me to become scared and anxious, instead of looking where the light shines. Today, I feel like the woods are a little less dense, and it is easier to see where I am supposed to be heading. I am not out of the darkness of the woods yet, but it feels like the trees are spread a little further apart. All I have t...
Read more

He Will Turn the Hearts of Fathers to Their Children

Image
Yesterday was the first day of classes at both Appalachian State University and NC State University, and I spent a large portion of my day thinking about and praying for both Rayne and Abe, our two sons. Both of these young men have overcome some major obstacles to make it to college, and I am beyond proud of the work, both academic and personal, that each of them has done to make it this far. I feel truly blessed to know that both boys are starting on the path to adulthood, and even if they don't need me by their side at all times, I pray that they know that I am right behind them, cheering them on. Truthfully, yesterday was a very hard day for me because it reminded me of the contrast between the two boys' situations. I sent a text to both boys to remind them that we love them, we are proud of them, and we are praying for them. According to my phone, Rayne read his text a little before he went to his first college class. Unfortunately, it appears that Abe has blocked my text ...
Read more

Be Still

Image
  Our pastor referenced this verse in the last sermon of his "Trust the Process" series. Truthfully, it was not the main verse of the message, but for me, it was one more reminder that God sees me. He knows my deepest pains, He knows my deepest desires, He knows my deepest fears, He knows my deepest anxieties, and He knows my deepest needs. When I really focus on this verse, I am reminded that those pains, desires, fears, anxieties, and needs are really not mine to worry about. God tells me to be still because I know that He is God. For a long time, I have said that this is my favorite verse. Now, it not only reminds me that I need to approach life's challenges calmly, but it also reminds me that I am not God. I am NOT the one to be exalted. For most of my life, I have been a very easy-going person who doesn't let much worry me. I used to think of this verse as my kind of "motto" in life, explaining why I didn't worry about things--I was just being still...
Read more