Pretending to know what the Holy Spirit is doing in someone else’s life is simply that, pretending!
The “Pretenders” when they don’t know what God is doing in another person’s life, and not wanting to be in that position, often speculate and pass it off as though it is “fact,” from “God, ” because they say so, and others, gullible, believe it! Do they believe out of fear, not wanting to seem “un-spiritual.” A little like the Hans Christian Anderson story of the “Emperor’s Clothes.” He loved fine, expensive clothing and two swindlers said they could make him the finest clothes that only the incompetent or stupid could not see it.He paid them an enormous amount and not wanting to appear stupid he fawned over the invisible clothing! A procession to show off the fine clothing was arranged and the people had heard that only incompetent or stupid people would not be able to see it,they did not want to be considered such. At the parade the people “ooh” and “aaw’d” at the fine clothing the emperor was wearing until a young boy shouted out,” But the Emperor has no clothes on.” And so people don’t want to feel stupid when the “Pretender” speaks and so they “hmm” and “ooh” and “aww” and looking for the secret, hidden meaning in what the pretender says, and we need someone like the little boy to call out the pretenders, pretense, and speculation which is derogatory to the LORD and potentially damaging and harmful to the naive believer.
While people pretended they saw some magical outfit, so not to be thought of as odd by others, in reality it was what the Scripture calls “The fear of man,”…”Fearing people is a dangerous trap, but trusting the Lord means safety…”-{Prov 29:15 nlt}. It took a kid at the parade to shout he had no clothes on. It was a fact! We are to base our lives on the facts of the revealed Word of God, NOT on the speculations of others who try and convince you they know what God is doing in another person’s life, because they believe they have a special in-roads with God, because they are so spiritual, and to doubt, or question, would to be considered as in the story about the Emperor’s clothing as incompetent or stupid.