Cars, Houses and Husbands

A friend of mine once received a prophecy telling her she was going to get married very soon. The ‘prophet’ even told her the name of the guy she was going to marry, which happened to be the name of a guy she’d had her eyes set on and had been praying for some time that one day he would be her husband. Finally, God had given her the confirmation she needed (or so she thought)! Her excitement was bubbling over and her heart was now full of hope and anticipation of the love story that was about to unfold.

The love story never happened. He married someone else. She was utterly bewildered. Had she missed God’s plan for her life? Or if he wasn’t the man for her, how could she have been so deceived? The prophecy seemed so accurate, it answered her heart’s cry and yet she found herself confused and broken-hearted. Did God lead her into a trap? If He really loved her, how could he have let this happen?

Sadly my friend had never learnt the spiritual truth that idolatry can attract false prophecy.

How many times have you heard of a person receiving a specific prophecy that seems like it’s straight out of God’s mouth? It promises that in a specific time period they will receive the very thing they’ve been waiting, hoping and praying for (such as the perfect car, house or husband). It can include the most accurate details that the ‘prophet’ could never have known without some kind of supernatural knowledge.

The only reason we can find in scripture for such a prophecy to occur is if the person receiving the prophecy has an idol in their heart. Ezekiel 14:4 says ‘Therefore speak to them and tell them, 'This is what the Sovereign LORD says: When any of the Israelites set up idols in their hearts and put a wicked stumbling block before their faces and then go to a prophet, I the LORD will answer them myself in keeping with their great idolatry.’

The lesson is simple, if you want to avoid being deceived by false prophecy, deal with your idols. Make sure that God is number one and that nothing in your life is more important to you than Him.

This kind of prophecy brings false hope and Proverbs 13:12 tells us that ‘hope deferred makes the heart sick’. Satan would love to bring sickness into your heart by filling it with empty promises. Your heart is the wellspring of life, and my advice to you today is exactly the same as King Solomon’s, one of the wisest men who ever lived - guard it.

Prayer: Father, thank You that You love me and want the very best for me. Thank You for reminding me to guard my heart today. I am so sorry for allowing other things to become more important to me than You. I’m sorry for constantly praying for the things that I want, rather than entrusting my future into Your hands and being content with what I have. I want to say sorry for the times I’ve been disappointed with You, when in reality I had set up idols in my heart. Lord Jesus, I offer all my hopes and dreams up to You today, and I place them under Your Lordship. Thank You for being my good shepherd who takes care of every detail of my life. Please help me to guard my heart and to hide Your word there instead. In Jesus’ name, Amen.