Leading from What Lasts

“Heaven and earth will pass away, but my words will never pass away.” Luke 21:33 (NIV)

Sometimes it’s hard to know if an idea is an instruction from God, a deception from Satan, or just something I want to do. I need to learn to recognize the difference and know how to discern God’s voice—because it can have eternal consequences.

A lot of evil gets blamed on God. People will even do bad things and then say, “God told me to do it!” The Living Bible paraphrase says, “Don’t always believe every message you hear just because someone says it is a message from God: test it first to see if it really is” (1 John 4:1).                                                             

God’s will will never contradict his Word. So I can ask myself, “Does this idea in my mind agree with the Bible?” God doesn’t say one thing and then change his mind and say another thing. If he said it, it’s true, and it will always be true.

Truth doesn’t change. Opinions, scientific discoveries, and technology all change. But God’s Word doesn’t change. Truth never changes. In fact, if it’s new, it’s not true. What do I mean by that? If it’s true, it’s been around forever. It’s just that sometimes our discoveries catch up with something that’s always been true.

God is consistent. He isn’t moody. He doesn’t change his mind. He will never tell me to violate a principle that he’s already given in his Word.

So the first question I need to ask is, “Does this thought line up with what God has already said?” If what’s in my mind contradicts something he has already said in the Bible, then I know it’s wrong.

For instance, the Bible tells me to pay our taxes. Jesus said in Luke 20:25, “Give to Caesar what belongs to Caesar, and give to God what belongs to God” (NLT). If all of a sudden I get an idea that God is telling me to not pay my taxes, that idea isn’t from God. Since God has already said to pay your taxes, he’s not going to contradict it.

The Bible says that even if an angel shows up and says something like, “By the way, I’ve got some stuff to add to the Bible. The Bible is good, but this is new and revised information.” God says don’t believe it! In fact, Paul said it like this in The Living Bible paraphrase: “Let God’s curses fall on anyone, including myself, who preaches any other way to be saved than the one we told you about; yes, if an angel comes from heaven and preaches any other message, let him be forever cursed” (Galatians 1:8).

Jesus said in Luke 21:33, “Heaven and earth will pass away, but my words will never pass away” (NIV). God’s Word is eternal, because truth never changes. If something was true 5,000 years ago, it was true 1,000 years ago, it is true today, and it will be true 5,000 years from today.

People might say, “God said it, I believe it, that settles it.” No! God said it, and that settles it—whether I believe it or not!

So if I wonder if an idea is from God, the first question to answer is this: “Is this idea in line with the truth of God’s Word?”

In summary:

God’s Word is the ultimate and unchanging standard for truth, and it never contradicts itself. While it can be difficult to discern whether an idea comes from God, personal desire, or deception, the Bible provides the test: if a thought or instruction aligns with Scripture, it can be trusted; if it doesn’t, it must be rejected. God’s will never violates His Word, and truth never changes—what was true thousands of years ago remains true today and will be forever. Unlike shifting opinions or trends, God is consistent, steady, and faithful. Jesus affirmed this when He said, “Heaven and earth will pass away, but my words will never pass away” (Luke 21:33). Therefore, discerning God’s voice begins with knowing and measuring everything against His eternal Word.

Bottom Line:

I need to anchor every decision, idea, and direction in God’s unchanging Word. His truth is steady when everything else shifts—and by testing what I hear and think against Scripture, I'll stay aligned with His will and avoid deception or distraction.

Next steps:

To deepen my discernment through daily Scripture reflection and prayerful listening. Make it a consistent rhythm to pause, read, and ask, “Lord, what truth here applies to my next step today?” Then act on that truth with confidence. This anchors my leadership, coaching, and decision-making in what never changes: God’s Word, not opinions or emotions. Over time, this will strengthen my clarity, credibility, and spiritual authority as I guide myself and others.