July 17, 2026 Devo

July 17th, 2026

Powerful Words from the Prophets
Then I said, “O Sovereign LORD, their prophets are telling them, ‘All is well—no war or famine will come. The LORD will surely send you peace.’” Then the LORD said, “These prophets are telling lies in my name. I did not send them or tell them to speak. I did not give them any messages. They prophesy of visions and revelations they have never seen or heard. They speak foolishness made up in their own lying hearts.” – Jeremiah 14:13-14 (NLT)
“Not Every Prophet Is a Prophet”

Not every prophet is a prophet. Not everyone who says they are speaking for God is actually speaking for God. That’s the point God makes here with Jeremiah. And it’s an important one.
Through the many years of ministry, I’ve had several people come to me along the way with a “word from God.” At first, it intimidated me. I thought maybe these people had some kind of hotline to God that I didn’t have. What I discovered was that people say these kinds of things for a variety of reasons. Some come making claims because they don’t know how to have an open, honest conversation about how they’re feeling or what they’re thinking. Plugging God’s name in lets them off the hook. “It’s not me, it’s God.”
Other people use God’s name as a control/manipulation technique. Instead of presenting something or taking a stand against something, they play the God card. After all, how do you argue with them if it’s God’s idea? Still other people, who falsely speak for God, do so out of a need for significance or recognition. Speaking for God gives them a feeling of super-spirituality or helps them feel as if they are more respected or admired.
Having to deal with a good bit of this along the way began to annoy me, rather than intimidate me. I developed a tendency to simply ignore, pull away, or even push back on such people. Then God showed me something I needed to see. Though He doesn’t speak through EVERYONE who claims He is, He does speak through some people to me. So instead of just writing every “prophet” off as a kook or control freak, I’ve tried to take a different approach. “Let me pray about that.” I’ve discovered that if God really is trying to say something to me and my heart is open to receive it, He can confirm His Voice in more than one way. I’ve found that when I take time to check it out, God lets me know.
John 4:1 says, “Dear friends, do not believe everyone who claims to speak by the Spirit. You must test them to see if the spirit they have comes from God. For there are many false prophets in the world.” That’s a good word for us. God uses good, wise people along our path to help guide us, correct us, and challenge us. And we need to be open to them. But we also need to remember that not everyone who claims to be a "prophet” is a prophet. Don’t be afraid to test it to make sure it’s from God. That’s God’s Word for you today.