(CfaN Gospel Crusade in Akure/Nigeria)

It is a sad fact of our nature - a psychological fact - that our own desires can be so loud they sound like Divine commands. Shout long enough about what we already want to do and the echo will come back sooner or later, but it is our own voice, not the voice of God.

People talk of how they wrestled with God over a decision. Is God like that? Hardly! In fact, they are wrestling with their own will, not God’s will. They want Him to agree. Do we really imagine we must wrestle with God to pry a secret out of Him about what He wants us to do? Surely He would just tell us without an all-out wrestling match with the Almighty.

After Jerusalem fell, many of the people wanted Jeremiah to inquire if they should leave the land. In their heart they wanted to go to Egypt and meant to do so. They only wanted Jeremiah to persuade God to approve their plans. Jeremiah inquired, and God did not approve at all. They went anyway saying Jeremiah had lied about what God said. They ran into great trouble as a result. God had not said anything about them leaving in the first place. It is folly to make decisions in haste and to put words in the mouth of the Almighty.

However, there is a safeguard for all "voices" and impulses – and that is the Word of God. For example, Isaiah Chapter 8 warns, "If they speak not according to this Word there is no light in them" (Vs. 20). The Bible claims for itself the unique privilege of being the means through which God speaks.