The first person to misquote God was none other than the satan, represented by the serpent in the garden. And unfortunately, many people proclaiming allegiance to God have been misquoting Him since.
Jesus warned several times of the false teachers of Israel who twisted God’s words for their benefit and disregarded the heart and love behind God’s law. Jeremiah the prophet had to deal with five false prophets during his day. They declared over snd over that Yahweh had spoken to them but it was all based on their own fears and insecurities, and not truly what God was saying.
Take care never to impute the vain imaginings of your fancy to Him. I have seen the Spirit of God shamefully dishonored by persons – I hope they were insane – who have said that they have had this and that revealed to them.
Charles Spurgeon
The sad reality is that people often use the phrase “God told me” in order to vindicate themselves, elevate their message, or manipulate others. But what they could actually be doing is dishonoring scripture and taking the Lord’s name in vain.
It can be extremely difficult to discern between our emotions and what God is leading us to do. Our flesh, heart and mind can also speak to us, leading us into believing one thing, when it really may not be the case. We have to remember that no matter how spiritual we are, because we’re humans, we are fallible and prone to making mistakes. If we aren’t taking those “feelings” to scripture then we are making a grave mistake. If it doesn’t line up with what God said there, then He isn’t saying it to you now.
I believe God still moves and still leads and guides His followers. Jesus said His sheep know His voice and they follow Him. So He must speak right? We still believe that prayer can be a two way conversation right? He can still be found in that still small voice can’t He? As believers, we have God’s Spirit in us. A solid connection that certainly teaches and instructs us. We can know what is right and feel the right way to go or the right things to say. But all of it must be in line with the Word God has already spoken.
If you believe God is leading you to do, or say, or change something in your life, stay steadfast in prayer, confirm it through scripture, and seek out good council. This life isn’t meant to be done alone and we have such a great source of God’s wisdom at our fingertips. Our thoughts and emotions can’t be our guides. It’s up to us to submit in humility to the Holy Spirit and the Word of God for in them is life.
I put in some long days working in the heat during the summer. On those days I experience thirst to the point of desperation. It becomes consuming, hard to focus on much else. In my mind it’s really hard to be satisfied or content until that thirst is quenched. I’m just thinking about that next sip of cold water.
Henry David Thoreau, a 19th century abolitionist and theologian, said, “How prompt we are to satisfy the hunger and thirst of our bodies; how slow to satisfy the hunger and thirst of our souls!” How convicting and how true those words hard. I ask myself, have I ever thirsted for God the way that I did for the drink of water on those hot summer days?
“”Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they shall be satisfied.”
Matthew 5:6 ESV
Jesus says that if we hunger and thirst for righteousness we will be satisfied! So I guess the first question is, are you satisfied? To be satisfied is to be no longer needing anything. It’s like a perfect contentment. That’s where the believer is meant to be. We have everything in Him. And I truly believe that as our thirst for Him and His righteousness grows, it lessons for everything else. Thinking back to my experience in the heat, totally consumed with getting the next drink. Am I that way with God? Are you? The greek word used here is dipsao, which means to painfully feel want or eagerly long for. It’s being totally consumed to the point where everything we do is affected by it? Our work, our relationships, our conversations, our thoughts? For those of us not quite there yet, there’s good good news.
“They did not thirst when he led them through the deserts; he made water flow for them from the rock; he split the rock and the water gushed out.”
Isaiah 48:21 ESV
This passage is recalling God’s faithfulness in leading Israel through the desert. A people who rebelled, complained, wanted to turn back, who questioned, who built false gods, who doubted in the face of giants. Yet God was faithful.
I love songs like, Chasing rebels down by Ben Fuller. Or rescue story by Zach Williams. Or the song we sang, Goodness of God. They are some of the most moving songs because they apply to every one of us. We can look back over our lives and see God’s faithfulness as we wandered, sometimes willingly, or sometimes because of tragedy or hardships. We see that in a story out of John 4:10-14 in the conversation between Jesus and the woman at the well. She was a wandering soul, who God never lost sight of. And one thing I love most about that story is that she found what she was looking for and she would not stop talking about Jesus.
“O God, you are my God; earnestly I seek you; my soul thirsts for you; my flesh faints for you, as in a dry and weary land where there is no water.”
Psalm 63:1 ESV
The Hebrew word used in both of these passages is same (tsamay) which carries the same weight as the greek counterpart. Denoting that intense longing. When is the last time you truly thirsted for God? Or to be righteous? What does that look like? Listen to this quote from Saint Augustine:
You called and shouted and burst my deafness. You flashed, shone, and scattered my blindness. You breathed odors, and I drew in breath and panted for You. I tasted, and I hunger and thirst. You touched me, and I burned for Your peace.
Saint Augustine (4th Century)
This is someone who has been touched by God, who has experienced Him in a very real way. I really believe that there is supposed to be this insatiable desire and need within the beloved of Christ. To the point where we can’t wait to see Him. We can’t wait to hear from Him. We can’t wait to read His word, we meditate, we worship, we pray, we serve…we pursue…always…because we need that connection…that closeness. It is the deepest of inner longings for a connection with our Creator. It’s the awareness of our need for His presence, guidance, grace, truth, and love.
There is such a sad passage in Jeremiah. In fact, much of that book is sad. To see what has become of God’s people. And right at the beginning, God speaks to Israel and says, “My people have done two evils: They have turned away from me, the spring of living water. And they have dug their own wells, which are broken wells that cannot hold water.” (Jer 2:13) We are all guilty of digging broken wells. For trying to satisfy that longing, that thirst, in the wrong ways. And what follows is a sense of emptiness, a lack of purpose, an unattainable peace, loneliness, and often pain. But that isn’t the story God is wanting for us. Instead He says abide in me, look for me, ask, knock, come to me, seek me with your whole heart and you will find me. And the end of our story is glorious.
“”Therefore they are before the throne of God, and serve him day and night in his temple; and he who sits on the throne will shelter them with his presence. They shall hunger no more, neither thirst anymore; the sun shall not strike them, nor any scorching heat. For the Lamb in the midst of the throne will be their shepherd, and he will guide them to springs of living water, and God will wipe away every tear from their eyes.””
For Common Ground 