Maybe you are familiar with a case like this: She claimed God told her the brother will be her husband but he got married to someone else.
Similar cases abound; people claiming God spoke to them but never seeing God fulfilling His promises. One is poised to ask, is God a liar?
I have discovered that one of the most abused statements among church folks is “God said”. It is the reason for all kinds of evil in the body of Christ.
One of the most abused statements among church folks is, “God said”. It is the reason for all kinds of evil in the body of Christ.
People have used this statement to deceive, delude, swindle and sexually assault others. It has been used to create personality cults and front people’s selfish interest.
Prophets and pastors have used this statement to terrify their audience and get their wishes done. It’s easy when the pastor is respected and believed to be God’s Oracle.
But lies have limited shelf life. They soon get expired and the truth prevails. We soon realize that what was credited to God was a propaganda. God never said or we missed what He said.
Right now, some are in confusion. The experiences of their lives are in contrast to what God said to them. This can lead to distrust in God. One can completely lose faith. Doubt and unbelief can set in.
First, you need to know that the experiences of your life cannot alter the integrity of God. Whether “His Word” came to pass or not has nothing to do with who He is.
The experiences of your life cannot alter the integrity of God. Whether “His Word” came to pass or not has nothing to do with who He is.
The following scriptures affirm the integrity of God and His commitment to His word.
God is not a man, that He should lie, nor a son of man, that He should repent. Has He said, and will He not do? Or has He spoken, and will He not make it good? Numbers 23:19
For as the rain comes down, and the snow from heaven, and do not return there, but water the earth, and make it bring forth and bud, that it may give seed to the sower and bread to the eater, so shall My word be that goes forth from My mouth; It shall not return to Me void, but it shall accomplish what I please, and it shall prosper in the thing for which I sent it. Isaiah 55:10-11.
And you know in all your hearts and in all your souls that not one thing has failed of all the good things which the Lord your God spoke concerning you. All have come to pass for you; not one word of them has failed. Joshua 23:14
When it seems that God has let you down, there are hundreds of others testifying to His goodness. When it seems He failed to deliver on His promises, there are others who are living testimonies of His faithfulness. Maybe you need to check yourself.
When it seems that God has let you down, there are hundreds of others testifying to His goodness. When it seems He failed to deliver on His promises, there are others who are living testimonies of His faithfulness. Click To Tweet
Perhaps, we need to diagnose what we claim to hear from Him because He is not the author of confusion. The confusions we experience are sometimes the taints of our rigid mindset.
He is not the author of confusion. The confusions we experience are sometimes the taints of our rigid mindset. Click To Tweet
The Lord who spoke to Cornelius about Peter in Caesarea also spoke to Peter in Joppa. The Lord who spoke to Moses in Horeb also spoke to Aaron in Egypt. The Lord had told Samuel that Saul would show up the following day and true to His words, Saul was right there though it was like a mere coincidence.
When there is a discrepancy between the words spoken to us by the Lord and the experiences of our lives, it is time to diagnose what we claim to hear from Him.
Before you tag God a liar, here are four ways to audit what you heard or you are hearing from God.
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Maybe God Never Said
Maybe God never spoke to you in the first place. We live in a generation of rhema. There is a word everywhere. Any smart person can string words together and brand the words as God’s word. So it is very easy to “receive” a word from the Lord. Everyone is now an oracle of God. Social media even made it worse. You have a platform to set up yourself as God’s spokesperson.
We need to be cautious when we claim to know God’s mind on a matter. It may make a lot of sense but it doesn’t mean God said it. You need to learn how to demarcate your sense from the Spirit.
Thus says the Lord God: “Woe to the foolish prophets, who follow their own spirit and have seen nothing!” Ezekiel 13:3.
There is a thin line between your spirit and the Spirit. You need discernment to know when the spirit is starting with the lower case. It could also be that you are on the wrong network at the moment when you heard the word. Give yourself the benefit of doubt, we all see in part.
Maybe you are on Glo, MTN, Airtel or some shitty earthly service provider. It is not the heavenly network. You may need to switch to the only valid and clear network from God, the Holy Spirit’s channel.
That was Peter’s error. He didn’t know when he veered off into the realms of demons even though the Holy Spirit had just spoken through Him. Thank God Jesus was discerning. He knew Satan was speaking through Him.
Whatsoever you are hearing should be subjected to;
- The Bible.
The spoken word should not contradict the written word. For example, God cannot ask you to have sex before your wedding. That must be from a demon. God’s word frowns at fornication.
- Time.
If it is God, time will tell. Time has a way of approving or disproving our claims.
- Two or three witnesses.
When God speaks, many hear especially those who stay in His presence. God’s word will be confirmed to you by others who are also hearing Him (Hebrews 2:3).
And we have received God’s Spirit (not the world’s spirit), so we can know the wonderful things God has freely given us. 1 Corinthians 2:12 NLT.
Take note: we can know the things God has freely given to us because we have His Spirit.
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Maybe You Are In A Hurry
Maybe it isn’t time for the answer and you are in a hurry. One of the characteristics of this age is haste. If you are not making it fast in this generation, people will begin to think you aren’t smart. We now have fast food and fast mail. Discoveries and inventions are being made every day to get things done faster. There is Uber, a faster means of transportation than the conventional ones.
Relationships are also made very fast. Little wonder people fell out of love as fast as they fell into it. Divorce is on the high side. We are plagued with the haste syndrome. It puts you under pressure. You also want to make it and create an impression. Healthy competition is not bad but you need caution when you begin to come under unnecessary pressure such that you feel the world is leaving you behind and God has failed on His promises.
I have learnt that when a man is impatient, he will become a patient because he will wound himself in his haste. Then what he failed to learn by patience, he would learn as a patient.
Why not wait on the Lord a little longer? God will do yours. He will be right on time. He was four days late on Lazarus’ case yet He was still on time. It could be that He has a greater purpose for this delay which you do not understand now.
Be patient, then, brothers and sisters, until the Lord’s coming. See how the farmer waits for the land to yield its valuable crop, patiently waiting for the autumn and spring rains. You too, be patient and stand firm, because the Lord’s coming is near. Brothers and sisters, as an example of patience in the face of suffering, take the prophets who spoke in the name of the Lord. As you know, we count as blessed those who have persevered. You have heard of Job’s perseverance and have seen what the Lord finally brought about. The Lord is full of compassion and mercy. James 5:7-8, 10-11 NIV.
Give it some time and you will discover the Lord is indeed faithful.
Healthy competition is not bad but you need caution when you begin to come under unnecessary pressure such that you feel the world is leaving you behind and God has failed on His promises. Click To Tweet
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Maybe A Third Party Is The Problem
Sometimes, others are involved in the delivery of our promises from God. If there is further confusion about what God said to you, maybe the other party involved in the fulfillment of your prophecy has switched off. It’s why you have been hearing, “The person you have called is not available at the moment.” He is deaf or resistant to God’s word.
It is easy when the only party involved in bringing God’s word to pass is you. You’ll know you are responsible for your experiences. But it is painful when the fulfillment of your prophecy is in the custody of a stubborn or recalcitrant fellow.
It is painful when the fulfillment of your prophecy is in the custody of a stubborn or recalcitrant fellow. Click To Tweet
I believe this was the reason Cornelius had to pray again and again. Peter won’t yield to the promptings of the Spirit. He had a fixated mindset about Gentiles. He won’t go to Caesarea. He delayed Cornelius’ answer. Peter was a New Testament racist. He saw a certain group of people as common and unclean. How can someone who claimed to believe in Jesus and baptized in the Holy Spirit be such a dirty racist! He had to be compelled through a trance. Cornelius would have thought God was lying.
Moses also objected to the Egypt mission. Aaron too would have gone blank if he didn’t meet Moses just as God had said. So, God may seem to be a liar when there is another fellow involved in the delivery of your promises.
I am often amazed at how humans can be so stubborn resisting the will of God. When animals like the Ravens willingly obeyed Him and brought food to Elijah, some of us have become so rebellious. We know what God wants us to do but the problem is doing what we know. We keep to ourselves what belong to others and make them feel God had failed them.
We need to be reminded that God cannot be limited by our disobedience. If we fail to change, He will definitely change us and fulfill His counsel through someone else.
We know what God wants us to do but the problem is doing what we know. We keep to ourselves what belong to others and make them feel God had failed them. Click To Tweet
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Maybe God Has Moved
Confusion can also set in if you are waiting when God has moved. Yes, God said but you missed what God is saying. You are living in God’s yesterday. You are like Samuel weeping over Saul when God had found a David.
You need to constantly update your spiritual application. You need to constantly make yourself available in His presence to get the updates from the throne room. Click To Tweet
God cannot be caged. He speaks progressively. This is why you need to constantly update your spiritual application. You need to constantly make yourself available in His presence to get the updates from the throne room. It is painful we don’t learn from life. We update our phone applications from time to time yet we fail to renew our spirits.
It is painful we don't learn from life. We update our phone applications from time to time yet we fail to renew our spirits. Click To Tweet
Romans 12:2 teaches that we need to constantly get transformed by the renewing, updating and upgrading of our mind. You want to be sure you are on the same page with Him.
I am surprised that there is the Jehovah dimension of God but as close as Abraham, Isaac and Jacob were to God, they didn’t know Him as Jehovah. Moses unveiled Him as Jehovah. This was many years after the patriarchs had died (Exodus 6:3).
So, you can’t be a stereotyped follower of God. You cannot monopolize Him. You cannot claim to have mastered God. When you think you have seen all of Him, then He turns and shows you another side of Him. Job taught He knew Him so he justified himself when he was being tried but at the end, he realized he was wrong. He was humbled when God began to confront him with things he didn’t know, he cried out,
I have heard of You by the hearing of the ear, but now my eye sees You. Therefore I abhor myself, and repent in dust and ashes. Job 42:5-6 NKJV
Most of us are outdated as far as the things of God is concerned. We are obsolete. God cannot use us in the 21st century. We need to get back to His presence and get updated.
And we need to note that God’s will is not a container, it’s the content. Most of us are fixated on the container, the reason we miss His will. His purpose for our lives cannot change but the people involved can be changed. He can transfer the content into another container and most of the time, better ones.
Saul was changed. Vashti was changed. Eli was changed. Adam was changed. Don’t hold on to what God has changed. Your time will be wasted.
God's will is not a container, it is the content. His purpose for our lives cannot change but the people involved can be changed. He can transfer the content into another container and most of the time, better ones. Click To Tweet
May you never stay where God used to be. May you move at God’s pace and always be at the centre of His will. May every cloud of confusion be shifted. May you see clearly. May your thoughts be God’s thoughts and your way His way. May every taints of self be removed from your spirit. May every stronghold of the fixated mindset be destroyed. May you be daily updated with God’s current program for your life. May you be a lover of His presence and a stayer in His room.
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Thank you.
May God bless and increase you sir. My husband and I read this together and we are blessed and lifted. In fact we’ve not stopped sharing the link with others. More grace to your spirit sir.
Thank God for the blessings. To Him be the glory. And thank you for sharing. Due regards to him.
Thank you
Quite insightful and inspiring. May the revelation of His words continue to dawn on you. God bless you.
Amen. Thank you for leaving your thoughts.
“God’s will is not a container, it’s the content. So it can be moved.”
Thanks for the blessed piece sir
Yes, His will is the content. The container can be changed. Thank God for the blessings.
Blessed by this… Thank you sir
You are welcome Eniola. Thank you for your feedback.
Anointed piece,always right on point.Thanks Minister Babs.
Thank you Pastor Greatness for the feedback. How are you, the family and the ministry?