Ezekiel 13:6 “‘They see falsehood and lying divination who are saying, “The Lord declares,” when the Lord has not sent them; yet they hope for the fulfillment of their word.’”
BE CAREFUL WHO YOU LISTEN TO
False prophets aren’t just an Old Testament thing. The Lord hated them then, and He hates them now. People who claim to speak in the name of the Lord had better be able to back it up. Ezekiel was told by the Lord to prophesy against these men. He was the true prophet of the Lord, not them.
Now, telling someone they are NOT speaking for the Lord can be a dangerous thing. How do you know if they are or not? By the Word. You have to measure everything they say against God’s Word. If it does not agree with what God says, you can trust that they are NOT speaking for Him. But, just like Ezekiel, don’t speak against them unless the Lord has told you to do so.
TEACHING MOMENT
This is an interesting verse to discuss with your kids. But boy, is it important. They will come across people all their lives who will claim to give them “a word from the Lord.” When they encounter this, tell them to back up about ten feet and ask them what they mean by that. They need to verify with the Word that what they are saying is true.
God can use others to speak to us. But He will NEVER send someone to us who says anything contrary to His Word. Teaching our kids to listen to God, rather than man, is the key to this. They need to have their ears tuned to Him and allow Him to speak truth into their lives.
Who are you listening to today? Who has come to you “in the name of the Lord”? Be very careful who you listen to. Some people can be so convincing and sound so spiritual. Let the Lord convince you they are speaking for Him. He will.
