by jimwalton » Sun Dec 21, 2014 1:55 pm
Great question, but the answer's not as clear as you would like. Sometimes they can be very difficult to tell apart. Let me explain.
First of all, Satan is very crafty and deceptive. 2 Cor. 11.14 tells us that he masquerades as an angel of light, so even the coming of an angel is no guarantee that the message is a genuine message from God. We know from Mt. 7.21-23 that even the working of miracles is no guarantee.
Secondly, we know that even sincere Christians can get knocked off track and pursue sinful objectives. Many people feel that the thoughts that come to their heads during prayer or Scripture reading are recognizable as "God thoughts", but I know from personal experience that is not necessarily true. Even some of the thoughts that come to mind during our times of devotion are planted there by the Enemy.
And, third, as I mentioned, we as humans are reliably terrible at interpreting our circumstances. In the OT, God often had to send prophets to interpret circumstances for the people. It was the word of the prophet that was reliable in telling us what the circumstances were about and how we could properly understand them with God's mind.
So is the fire alarm an innocuous event, an act of God, or a diversion of the devil? And how in the WORLD can we tell?
If you're looking for a clear cut way, you're fooling yourself. Life isn't so easy, and our Christian lives are not as clear-cut as we wish. But if you REALLY want to know how to tell, here's what I can offer you:
1. We need to check in multiple ways what we think are messages from God, or circumstances from God. Don't just assume.
2. The Holy Spirit gives the gift of discernment. Discern as wisely as you are able, and be wary of the easy answer or the answer you want to hear.
3. In prayer ask God for wisdom (James 1.5-6; Col. 1.9-10)—more than once. Wisdom is more often a lifestyle of growth and understanding than it is something God just dumps on you.
4. Seek the Lord in Scripture. Not every message that comes to us from its pages is an answer to our situation. But always seek the Lord in Scripture.
5. Do outside research where it's appropriate (Neh. 2.11-16; Lk. 14.28-32). God gave you a brain so you can use it.
6. Consult with other wise counselors (Prov. 11.14; 13.20; 15.22) who have spiritual insights and beneficial personal experiences.
Sometimes the fruit of an event can be tell-tale as well. A fire alarm went off. OK, were people truly led away from the Lord by that? Did anything happen that brought about a teachable moment where we saw the Holy Spirit at work? You know what I mean?
You may be thinking, "Are you kidding? I have to do all this every time something happens?" Not really. Wisdom, discernment, and maturity are more a lifelong lifestyle than a moment of enlightenment. We learn to walk in the ways of God, to see his hand, to be suspicious of our own thoughts and interpretations, and to discern truth. If you expect God to just dump insights and wisdom on you, that probably isn't going to happen. God is not so much a " dumper" as he is a discipler. He brings us along. We continually seek first the kingdom of God, learn how he works, and to recognize his patterns and styles in our lives. And sometimes we still don't know if it was God's hand, Satan's deceit, or simple happenstance. Often it may not matter, when it comes right down to it. You live your life in a walk with the Spirit, and whatever happens to you you learn from, seek to glorify God through it, and take a spiritual step with it.
I hope that helps. It may not have been the easy answer you were looking for, but I feel that it's an honest answer. Talk to me more if you wish.
Great question, but the answer's not as clear as you would like. Sometimes they can be very difficult to tell apart. Let me explain.
First of all, Satan is very crafty and deceptive. 2 Cor. 11.14 tells us that he masquerades as an angel of light, so even the coming of an angel is no guarantee that the message is a genuine message from God. We know from Mt. 7.21-23 that even the working of miracles is no guarantee.
Secondly, we know that even sincere Christians can get knocked off track and pursue sinful objectives. Many people feel that the thoughts that come to their heads during prayer or Scripture reading are recognizable as "God thoughts", but I know from personal experience that is not necessarily true. Even some of the thoughts that come to mind during our times of devotion are planted there by the Enemy.
And, third, as I mentioned, we as humans are reliably terrible at interpreting our circumstances. In the OT, God often had to send prophets to interpret circumstances for the people. It was the word of the prophet that was reliable in telling us what the circumstances were about and how we could properly understand them with God's mind.
So is the fire alarm an innocuous event, an act of God, or a diversion of the devil? And how in the WORLD can we tell?
If you're looking for a clear cut way, you're fooling yourself. Life isn't so easy, and our Christian lives are not as clear-cut as we wish. But if you REALLY want to know how to tell, here's what I can offer you:
1. We need to check in multiple ways what we think are messages from God, or circumstances from God. Don't just assume.
2. The Holy Spirit gives the gift of discernment. Discern as wisely as you are able, and be wary of the easy answer or the answer you want to hear.
3. In prayer ask God for wisdom (James 1.5-6; Col. 1.9-10)—more than once. Wisdom is more often a lifestyle of growth and understanding than it is something God just dumps on you.
4. Seek the Lord in Scripture. Not every message that comes to us from its pages is an answer to our situation. But always seek the Lord in Scripture.
5. Do outside research where it's appropriate (Neh. 2.11-16; Lk. 14.28-32). God gave you a brain so you can use it.
6. Consult with other wise counselors (Prov. 11.14; 13.20; 15.22) who have spiritual insights and beneficial personal experiences.
Sometimes the fruit of an event can be tell-tale as well. A fire alarm went off. OK, were people truly led away from the Lord by that? Did anything happen that brought about a teachable moment where we saw the Holy Spirit at work? You know what I mean?
You may be thinking, "Are you kidding? I have to do all this every time something happens?" Not really. Wisdom, discernment, and maturity are more a lifelong lifestyle than a moment of enlightenment. We learn to walk in the ways of God, to see his hand, to be suspicious of our own thoughts and interpretations, and to discern truth. If you expect God to just dump insights and wisdom on you, that probably isn't going to happen. God is not so much a " dumper" as he is a discipler. He brings us along. We continually seek first the kingdom of God, learn how he works, and to recognize his patterns and styles in our lives. And sometimes we still don't know if it was God's hand, Satan's deceit, or simple happenstance. Often it may not matter, when it comes right down to it. You live your life in a walk with the Spirit, and whatever happens to you you learn from, seek to glorify God through it, and take a spiritual step with it.
I hope that helps. It may not have been the easy answer you were looking for, but I feel that it's an honest answer. Talk to me more if you wish.