Lead Me: Three Ways God Does Not Lead His People

Lead Me, God, and I will follow.  God loves to lead and direct His people. All throughout scripture, God leads and directs. However, we have to discern the voice of God from our own voice or the voice of the enemy.  As this year of 2020 continues and the US elections approach, we have to be diligent about following God’s leading. In order to follow God, we must know how He leads and also how He does not lead. God leads us through visions(Acts 2:17) the Word (2 Timothy 3:16) and the Holy Spirit (John 16:13). The Holy Spirit, the Paraclete, the One called alongside to assist us, leads us using the inward witness. I call this the ‘‘yucky feeling’’ you get when you know something is not right, and you should not move forward. God forewarns us when we are approaching danger; we must have ears to hear.

Here are three ways God does not lead. God does not lead His people using:

1. Fleecing (Judges 6): As Christians, we have so much more than Gideon had to assist us. We have the wholeness of scripture, the complete Word of God in our arsenal of weapons. The Word tells us in 2 Timothy 3:16-17 “All scripture is God-breathed (given by divine inspiration) and is profitable for instruction, for conviction of sin, for correcting error, and restoring obedience, and for training in righteousness.” We also have the Holy Spirit, who is God Himself, residing in our hearts to guide, direct, and encourage. Before Pentecost, Old Testament believers were directed externally by God’s providential hand. Thank God for the Holy Ghost. So lay aside ‘‘fleecing’’ and look to the Word and the Holy Spirit.
2. Prophetic Dependence (Mark 13:22-23): We should not be dependent on what the prophet says. In the New Testament, prophetic ministry should confirm what God has already told you. Please judge every prophecy (1 Corinthians 14:29). It must line up with the Word; the Holy Spirit will never contradict the Bible.  Believers run into difficulty when they depend on every prophetic word instead of the Holy Spirit. Jesus is the Head of the Church (Colossians 1:18), not the prophet. God wants to speak to you directly, not through someone else. However, there are times when we may receive a prophetic word which may provide a needed Word of encouragement (1 Corinthians 14:3). We must not despise prophecy; but, we must be vigilant.
3. Twisting Scriptures (2 Peter 3:16): There are many who would distort the Word of God for their own benefit. We see and hear it all over the news, with individuals taking the Word of God and butchering it to suit their ‘pet’ sins. We are warned over and over again in scripture about this. In Galatians 3 Paul asks, “Who bewitched you.. and 1 Timothy 4:1 tells us, “in later times some will depart from the faith by devoting themselves to deceitful spirits and teachings of demons…” and let’s not forget 2 Timothy 4:3-4, “For the time will come when people will not tolerate sound doctrine and accurate instruction [that challenges them with God’s truth]; but wanting to have their ears tickled [with something pleasing], they will accumulate for themselves [many] teachers [one after another, chosen] to satisfy their own desires and to support the errors they hold, and will turn their ears away from the truth and will wander off into myths and man-made fictions [and will accept the unacceptable].” Never look at a verse of scripture and use it to defend your carnality; keep your hearts pure.

Stay true to God’s Word. Always follow the leading of the Holy Spirit. As we come closer to the last days, we have to be vigilant (1 Peter 5:8)about who we allow to speak into our lives. Test every prophecy (1 Thessalonians 5:19-22), judge every word, and remain ever alert.