The Confirmation of Circumstances

Then there’s the confirmation of circumstances in which we should look for confirmation that we have heard God’s voice aright. I’m going to turn to an example of Jeremiah, who was in prison at this time. The city of Jerusalem was being besieged. Jeremiah himself had prophesied that the city would be taken and that the land would be ravaged by the Babylonian army and that there would be destruction and distress everywhere. And yet, while he was there in the prison, having actually prophesied these things himself, he heard a most amazing word from the Lord.

“The word of the Lord came to me: Hanamel son of Shallum your uncle is going to come to you and say, “Buy my field at Anathoth, because as nearest relative it is your right and duty to buy it.” [Now that field was nothing as real estate values went in Israel at that moment. There was no reason to buy a field that was going to be overrun and ravaged by the Babylonians. It was an amazing thing. Then Jeremiah goes on:] Then, just as the Lord had said, my cousin Hanamel came to me in the courtyard of the guard and said, “Buy my field at Anathoth in the territory of Benjamin. Since it is your right to redeem it and possess it, buy it for yourself.” [Now listen to what Jeremiah says:] I knew that this was the word of the Lord; so I bought the field at Anathoth from my cousin Hanamel.” Jeremiah 32:6-9

“I knew that this was the word of the Lord.” The Lord had spoken to him something amazing, improbable. He wasn’t quite sure but he kept it, as I would say, in his pending file. And then very shortly afterward something happened that made him know that this was the word of the Lord. His uncle did an amazing thing. He came to him in the prison and asked him to buy the very field that the Lord had spoken to him about. So that’s what I call the confirmation of circumstances.

Let me give you a couple of possible examples that are really based on experiences of people. You may be prompted to buy a house in your area. The house isn’t even up for sale. But you go and you knock on the door and you say to the lady who comes, “You know, if you ever should put this house up for sale, I’d be interested to buy it.” And the lady’s response is, “Isn’t that amazing; my husband and I have just decided to sell the house, we haven’t had time to put it on the market.” This is the word of the Lord. You see, you’ve got the confirmation of circumstances. Or, you’re a business executive in a certain city with a good home and a good position and yet the Lord speaks to you about moving to a different city and you can’t understand it. You say, “Lord, I don’t understand this, but if it’s so, make it clear to me.” The next day your boss calls you in and offers you a transfer to the very city that you felt God wanted you to move to, plus a raise in salary. What are you going to say about that? You’re going to say, like Jeremiah, “Then I knew this was the word of the Lord.”