Recently I’ve been thinking about prophecy.

Not in the dramatic sense that often comes to mind when we hear the word, but in the quieter moments when someone speaks something over your life and years later you realise that what they said actually happened.

By God’s grace, I’ve experienced that a number of times in my life.

On one occasion, someone sent me a prophetic word that made very little sense to me at the time. In fact, I largely put it to one side because I couldn’t understand how it related to my life. It was just confusing!

Seven months later, circumstances unfolded in such a way that the word suddenly became clear.

It played a significant part in helping me make an important decision that I had never wanted to make in the first place.

Looking back, I have no doubt that the prophetic word was accurate, it was an extraordinary word for an important season.

But the reality was that the season that followed was incredibly difficult.

And that has caused me to reflect on prophecy, because if I’m honest, I think I had unconsciously assumed that if something had been prophesied, then somehow it must automatically lead to success, happiness or blessing.

As I’ve reflected on this, I’ve realised that perhaps there is a tendency to add assumptions to prophecy that are not actually there.

We can treat prophecy as though it is God’s guarantee that everything will work out exactly as we hope.

But when I returned to Scripture, to reflect further I realised that’s not the pattern in the Bible.

Joseph received dreams about his future, but those dreams did not prevent betrayal, slavery, false accusation or imprisonment. The prophecy did indeed come true but the route there was very very hard.

Jeremiah was called by God before he was born, yet much of his ministry looked painful and unsuccessful by human standards. Again the prophecy came to pass, but it was not accompanied by comfort joy and an easy ride.

The prophets repeatedly foretold events that involved judgement, exile and loss.

Even Jesus warned His followers that suffering would come.

The fact that something is prophesied does not mean it will be easy.

Nor does it mean every chapter will end well.

Instead prophecy reminds us that God sees what we cannot see.

That He knows the future before we arrive there.

That nothing takes Him by surprise.

Looking back over my own life, I can see that some of the most significant prophetic words I have received were not promises of comfort, but reminders of God’s sovereignty.

The difficult seasons did not surprise Him.

The unexpected turns in the story did not surprise Him.

God knew.

And somehow there is comfort in that.

Perhaps that is one of the real gifts of prophecy.

Not that it guarantees success.

Not that it removes suffering.

Not even that it tells us what to do.

But that years later, when we look back, we discover evidence that God was present all along.

Seeing what we could not see.

Knowing what we could not know.

So now when I hear a prophetic word, I find myself pausing to ask a different question.

Not, “Will this guarantee a happy outcome?”

But rather:

“What is God revealing, and what assumptions am I adding that He never actually promised?”