NOT a Prophecy from the Lord

Jeremiah 23:34-38

I want to make it crystal clear that this blog is NOT a prophecy from the Lord. I’m writing my thoughts about the scriptures I read after praying over them and meditating on them. I may be wrong in my interpretations. If I am, I rely on my friends and readers to make me aware of it.

This issue is on my mind lately because I’ve had some disagreements in doctrine and interpretation of scripture with some people I love a lot and agree with in other ways. I’ve become very conscious that I might be the one who is wrong.  

In Jeremiah’s time the prophets and priests were claiming to know God’s truth. They used the phrase “prophecy from the Lord” to give their ideas authority. God rejected that authority and told them to ask each other what His answer was. 

I wonder what I use to give authority to my ideas. Do I claim that they come from God? In my last post I made some definitive statements about why it’s essential to believe in the inerrancy of scripture. I almost left that paragraph out of the post because I knew it was written with authority, as if I know God’s mind. While I believe what I wrote is true, those were my words, not God’s. 

So what authority can I claim? God told His people to ask “What is the Lord saying?” I have a friend who often refers to scripture during discussions. She uses the phrase “scripture says.” I admire her knowledge of scripture and have sometimes used her phrase as well. But I know I need to be cautious about it. Unless I can quote the verse or find the reference, I shouldn’t assert that an idea or thought comes from scripture. And even when I can, I need to make sure I’m interpreting it correctly. Because when I use it, I’m telling others what God is saying. That’s a scary responsibility.

Claiming my ideas are from God doesn’t make Him happy. In fact, He told the prophets that if they didn’t stop He would forget them completely. 

I can’t begin to express the horror of that idea. 

So I pledge to always be careful not to claim the authority of my words comes from God. I will always go to scripture to learn what God is saying. If my blog inspires you or gives you something to think about, praise God. But read the Bible to find out what God has to say.