"And the king of Israel said to Jehoshaphat, 'There is yet one man by whom we may inquire of the Lord, Micaiah the son of Imlah, but I hate him, for he never prophesies good concerning me, but evil.'" - 1 Kings 22:8
The godly King Jehoshaphat of Judah was grieved by the division between Judah and Israel. He wanted with all his heart a reconciliation between the two kingdoms but King Ahab of Israel was a self-centered, spoiled brat of a king who had no heart for God. He persecuted the true prophets of God and had surrounded himself with 400 false prophets who were only too happy to tell Ahab what he wanted to hear.
Seeking God’s guidance regarding a possible attempt to recover territory that had been taken from Israel by Syria, Ahab brought out his 400 “prophets” who assured him that God was on his side.
Jehoshaphat wasn’t convinced. He wanted to hear from a real prophet whom he could trust to give them God’s Word.
When people who refuse to repent are confronted by the Word of God they may just go find a preacher who will tell them that God has no problem with their sin and encourage them to continue in it. There have always been such false prophets available, and there are plenty of them out there today.
Many people will just quit going to church altogether when confronted with their sin, but those who have the power to do so will try to silence the voices that speak God’s Word in its truth and purity.
In our day, many have abandoned the Church because they don’t like to have their sin pointed out. Others have found “churches” that will assure them that God has no problem with their sin. Still others, in positions of power, are doing everything in their power to silence those who speak to their sin and call them to repentance.
Gods Word tells us, “Seek the Lord while he may be found; call upon him while he is near; let the wicked forsake his way, and the unrighteous man his thoughts; let him return to the Lord, that he may have compassion on him, and to our God, for he will abundantly pardon.” (Isaiah 55:6-7)
When you find that God’s Word convicts you of sin, seek Him! Don’t turn your back and walk away; run to Him instead. You will find forgiveness as soon as you repent, because Jesus has already paid for your sin, no matter what it is. He will abundantly pardon you; that means His forgiveness is more than your sin!
He does it for me; I know He’ll do it for you, too. Lord, give me a heart that seeks You; one that runs toward You, not away from You. Give me a heart that responds to your Word in sincere faith and obedience, for Jesus’ sake. Amen. Pastor Dan Giles