Have you ever been lied to and found out later what you heard was a complete fabrication? Deception is a major tool that our enemy satan uses against us on a regular basis. He has done this since the Garden of Eden. In our story, the false prophet Hananiah came to the temple and had a powerful message for the people.
Hananiah said, 2 “This is what the Lord of Heaven’s Armies, the God of Israel, says: ‘I will remove the yoke of the king of Babylon from your necks. 3 Within two years I will bring back all the Temple treasures that King Nebuchadnezzar carried off to Babylon. 4 And I will bring back Jehoiachin son of Jehoiakim, king of Judah, and all the other captives that were taken to Babylon. I will surely break the yoke that the king of Babylon has put on your necks. I, the Lord, have spoken!’” [1]Jeremiah 28:2-4
The sad part was everything the false prophet Hananiah was saying was a lie because he was making it up. He had no interest in helping the people, but wanted to be popular and tell people what they wanted to hear. By doing this, Hananiah was being used by satan to deceive them.
Deception often looks and sounds attractive. It is like a fishing lure wrapped with a worm ready to catch an unsuspecting fish. If you had been listening to Hananiah that day, how would you be able to tell what the truth was?
This may sound simple, but simply pray and ask the Lord. “Heavenly Father, is that person speaking the truth”? Pray for wisdom. “Lord Jesus, I don’t know what to do, but Lord you do. You say in James if we need wisdom we need to ask. Lord, I am asking You today to give me wisdom in this situation. I do not want to be led astray. Thank you, Jesus, for hearing my prayer!” James 1:5 says, “If you need wisdom, ask our generous God, and he will give it to you. He will not rebuke you for asking.”[2]
Do you need wisdom and discernment about something going on in your life? The Lord is only a prayer away! He loves to hear from His children, and to help them in their time of need.
To hear the story of Jeremiah, listen here:
If you would like more teaching on Jeremiah listen here:
[1, 2] Tyndale House Publishers. (2015). Holy Bible: New Living Translation (Je 28:2–4, James 1:5). Carol Stream, IL: Tyndale House Publishers.