1 Kings 22, Ezekiel 2-3,Acts 9:36-10:8, 1 John 5:13-21, Psalm 107: Do you like it when people tell you what you want to hear? Do you get angry when someone speaks truth to you that doesn’t go along with what you want? I wish I could say I never get angry or hurt when people speak truth to me, but that is not true. I do get angry, or maybe a better word is hurt because I want so bad to please people, but as I get older I understand better the “wounds of a friend” who truly loves me.
In 1 Kings today King Ahab and Jehoshaphat were pondering going to war with the Syrians. Jehoshaphat requested that Ahab seek the counsel of the prophets. Ahab called in 400 prophets and they were saying go to battle god will give victory. Jehoshaphat asked if there was a prophet of God. Ahab said there is one but he never tells me what I want to hear. Jehoshaphat asked him to seek his counsel anyway. True to for the prophet prophecies that Ahab would be killed and that the armies would go home without a leader. They did go to battle and Ahab had Jehoshaphat dress in his kingly garb and Ahab dressed as a regular soldier. The enemy chased Jehoshaphat thinking it was Ahab to kill him. When they realized he was not Ahab they turned away. There was an archer though that shot an arrow and it just happened to hit Ahab between his armor. It was a fatal wound and sure to the prophet’s word, Ahab died and his army fled. The 400 were wrong and the one was right.
The lesson to me today is listen to those who truly walk with God. Seek their counsel even if it is not what you want to hear. Take examine your life and take proper actions. You can listen to poor counsel, but the end result may be very misleading and cause you great pain or even eternal death.
If you are giving counsel, seek the Father and His will not the culturally acceptable thing to do. Your friends need you to speak truth!