This seems to be a season of great trial and testing for many Christians. It is as though the earth is groaning, hearts are breaking and temptation is pulling at the resolve of the most stout-hearted in the Lord. In times of confusion, when 'sight' is trying to drown out your faith, stand on the Word of GOD to keep you afloat, and remember, JESUS IS IN THE BOAT WITH YOU! HE IS THE ROCK!
“Keep your lives free from the love of money and be content with what you have, because God has said, 'Never will I leave you;
never will I forsake you.'” Hebrews 13:5
“When the enemy comes in like a flood,
The Spirit Of The Lord will lift up a standard against him.” Isaiah 59:19
“I know that you can do all things, and that no purpose of yours can be thwarted.” Job 42:2
“And we know that all things work together for good to those who love God, to those who are the called according to His purpose.” Romans 8:28
“Be still, and know that I am God.” Psalm 46:10
“The floods have lifted up, O Lord,
the floods have lifted up their voice; the floods lift up their waves.
The Lord on high is mightier
than the noise of many waters, than the mighty waves of the sea.” Psalm 93:3-4
“You will keep him in perfect peace, whose mind is stayed on You, because he trusts in You.” Isaiah 26:3
“'No weapon formed against you shall prosper,
and every tongue which rises against you in judgment
you shall condemn.
This is the heritage of the servants of the Lord, and their righteousness is from Me,'
says the Lord.” Isaiah 54:17
“And He said to me, 'My grace is sufficient for you, for My strength is made perfect in weakness.'” 2 Corinthians 12:9
“He who dwells in the secret place of the Most High
shall abide under the shadow of the Almighty. I will say of the Lord, 'He is my refuge and my fortress;
My God, in Him I will trust.'” Psalm 91:1-2
“That at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and every tongue acknowledge that Jesus Christ is Lord,
to the glory of God the Father.” Philippians 2:10-11
“I have told you these things, so that in me you may have peace. In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world.” John 16:33
“ 37 And a great windstorm arose, and the waves beat into the boat, so that it was already filling. 38 But He was in the stern, asleep on a pillow. And they awoke Him and said to Him, 'Teacher, do You not care that we are perishing?' 39 Then He arose and rebuked the wind, and said to the sea, 'Peace, be still!' And the wind ceased and there was a great calm.” Mark 4:37-39
“10 Finally, be strong in the Lord and in his mighty power. 11 Put on the full armor of God, so that you can take your stand against the devil’s schemes. 12 For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms. 13 Therefore put on the full armor of God, so that when the day of evil comes, you may be able to stand your ground, and after you have done everything, to stand. 14 Stand firm then, with the belt of truth buckled around your waist, with the breastplate of righteousness in place, 15 and with your feet fitted with the readiness that comes from the gospel of peace. 16 In addition to all this, take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one. 17 Take the helmet of salvation and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God. 18 And pray in the Spirit on all occasions with all kinds of prayers and requests. With this in mind, be alert and always keep on praying for all the Lord’s people.” Ephesians 6:10-18
Tuesday, July 9, 2013
Tuesday, July 2, 2013
Talk Tuesday-Don't Be Discouraged By Your Fear
Faith and fear co-exist in an unequal balance throughout most of our lives. It is almost impossible to know what faith is without experiencing the fear that doubt brings. The Apostle Paul boldly proclaims that, “...we live by faith, not by sight,” 2 Corinthians 5:7. Fear is driven by sight, and its offspring is doubt. Faith, while unseen, is built on trust. This trust is predicated on the knowledge of who GOD is, and that HE WILL DO WHAT HE SAYS HE WILL DO. “God is not a man, that He should lie,
or a son of man, that He should repent. Has He said, and will He not do it? Or has He spoken, and will He not fulfil it?" Numbers 23:19. Faith exists in spite of our fear, and trust overcomes doubt. Doubt and fear exist in the shadow of faith when we, as earthly sojourners, hold on to the power of our resurrected Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ, who promises eternal life to all who believe in Him. “Faith is the confidence that what we hope for will actually happen; it gives us assurance about things we cannot see,” Hebrews 11:1.
How can we increase our faith, and diminish our fear? Hebrews 4:12 states that the Word of God is sharper than any double-edged sword, while Isaiah 55:11 reminds us that God's Word will not return to Him void; it will accomplish His will in our lives. Faith rooted in God's Word provides us with the power to stand in the midst of painful circumstances. Jesus Himself exemplified this by His response to Satan's temptation in the desert, “But He answered and said, 'It is written, Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceeds from the mouth of God,’” Matthew 4:4 (Deuteronomy 8:3). Paul writes to the church in Ephesus and calls the Word of the God, 'the sword of the Spirit' (Ephesians 6:17).
We at BGO want to encourage you to stand firm in your faith. We have witnessed God work miracles in our lives and continue to see Him move mountains that appeared unshakeable to our human eyes. Many of you know that I have faced health issues in the past. After my initial diagnosis and two subsequent surgeries, I was left with some residual mobility deficit. Each year I was told that I would not see much more improvement. Each year I did. During my last annual check up, I heard the words, “You are going to deteriorate.” Yet the truth is that I am continuing to see remarkable improvement.
Don't be discouraged by your fear, just take it to the cross. Line it up against the Word of God, and watch it crumble as your faith starts to take an immoveable shape. Jesus never said our sojourn would be easy. “In the world you will have tribulation; but be of good cheer, I have overcome the world,” John 16:33. Hold on to God's Word and remember, “Those who trust in the Lord are like Mount Zion, which cannot be moved, but abides forever. As the mountains surround Jerusalem, so the Lord surrounds His people from this time forth and forever,” Psalm 125:1-2. Be blessed!
We invite you to share your testimony of the many times that God's Word strengthened your faith and crushed your fear. Click on the comments link below to do so. You never know who you might encourage today!
How can we increase our faith, and diminish our fear? Hebrews 4:12 states that the Word of God is sharper than any double-edged sword, while Isaiah 55:11 reminds us that God's Word will not return to Him void; it will accomplish His will in our lives. Faith rooted in God's Word provides us with the power to stand in the midst of painful circumstances. Jesus Himself exemplified this by His response to Satan's temptation in the desert, “But He answered and said, 'It is written, Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceeds from the mouth of God,’” Matthew 4:4 (Deuteronomy 8:3). Paul writes to the church in Ephesus and calls the Word of the God, 'the sword of the Spirit' (Ephesians 6:17).
We at BGO want to encourage you to stand firm in your faith. We have witnessed God work miracles in our lives and continue to see Him move mountains that appeared unshakeable to our human eyes. Many of you know that I have faced health issues in the past. After my initial diagnosis and two subsequent surgeries, I was left with some residual mobility deficit. Each year I was told that I would not see much more improvement. Each year I did. During my last annual check up, I heard the words, “You are going to deteriorate.” Yet the truth is that I am continuing to see remarkable improvement.
Don't be discouraged by your fear, just take it to the cross. Line it up against the Word of God, and watch it crumble as your faith starts to take an immoveable shape. Jesus never said our sojourn would be easy. “In the world you will have tribulation; but be of good cheer, I have overcome the world,” John 16:33. Hold on to God's Word and remember, “Those who trust in the Lord are like Mount Zion, which cannot be moved, but abides forever. As the mountains surround Jerusalem, so the Lord surrounds His people from this time forth and forever,” Psalm 125:1-2. Be blessed!
We invite you to share your testimony of the many times that God's Word strengthened your faith and crushed your fear. Click on the comments link below to do so. You never know who you might encourage today!
Thursday, June 27, 2013
Talk Tuesday-A Lesson From Psalm 95: Thank Him In The Day of Your Trial
Last night I learned a very valuable lesson from Psalm 95. This was a Word GOD had given in the midst of a very dark and long trial. It begins with praise:
“Oh come, let us sing to the LORD! Let us shout joyfully to the Rock of our salvation. Let us come before His presence with thanksgiving; let us shout joyfully to Him with psalms. For the LORD is the great God, and the great King above all gods. In His hands are the deep places of the earth; the heights of the hills are His also. The sea is His, for He made it; And His hands formed the dry land. Oh come, let us worship and bow down; let us kneel before the LORD our Maker. For He is our God, and we are the people of His pasture, and the sheep of His hand.” Psalm 95:1-7
For those of you who don't know, I am a worship leader and a soloist at church. My heart's passion is to sing God's praises and to encourage others to join in unbridled praise to the LORD. I am happiest when I am worshiping with my brothers and sisters in Christ, with my family or by myself with my guitar in a room. I love meditating on His Word. I love to remember His great deeds, the many times He parted the 'Red Sea' in my own life, and to give Him the praise of thanksgiving.
Yet I will be the first to confess that it is much easier to praise and thank God when life is going well. It is hard to 'sing joyfully' when everything seems bleak and hopeless. When your situation seems to be getting worse instead of getting better, and when you cannot see the proverbial 'light at the end of the tunnel', the temptation to shut down spiritually is very great. The temptation to find alternate means of coping becomes even greater. I recently began to experience discouragement that was so great, I started slipping towards spiritual apathy- watching t.v. and reading fiction books so that I could block reality out. I started spending less time with God, and more time in pursuit of earthly pleasures. This lasted about two weeks. A few days ago, a very close friend of mine came to visit. Unbeknownst to her, God used her to snap me back into the reality of who He is. Then last night, as I sat down to meditate on Psalm 95, I realized that it is precisely at this time we MUST remember that GOD alone is our Refuge! Like the Israelites, who passed down through oral tradition, the many miraculous works that the LORD had done on their behalf, we MUST remind ourselves of who God is by thanking Him for the many answered prayers in our own lives. A posture of praise will keep us grounded in Christ.
“Today if you will hear His voice: 'Do not harden your hearts, as in the rebellion, as in the day of trial in the wilderness, when your fathers tested Me; they tried Me, though they saw my work. For forty years I was grieved with that generation, and said, It is a people who go astray in their hearts, and they do not know my ways. So I swore in My wrath, they shall not enter My rest.'” Psalm 95:8-11
LORD, we pray for the grace, strength, courage and fortitude to remember who You are in the midst of the storm. Holy Spirit, bring to the forefront of our minds, the memories of the many things God has done on our behalf in the past. Help us to recall His wondrous works. Lord Jesus, You sit at the right hand of God the Father making constant intercession for us. Help us to be a people of praise and great faith, so that we would not harden our hearts in the days of our own trials, but declare through faith in You, that we are more than conquerors! We ask these things, in the Mighty Name of Jesus Christ. Amen.
“Oh come, let us sing to the LORD! Let us shout joyfully to the Rock of our salvation. Let us come before His presence with thanksgiving; let us shout joyfully to Him with psalms. For the LORD is the great God, and the great King above all gods. In His hands are the deep places of the earth; the heights of the hills are His also. The sea is His, for He made it; And His hands formed the dry land. Oh come, let us worship and bow down; let us kneel before the LORD our Maker. For He is our God, and we are the people of His pasture, and the sheep of His hand.” Psalm 95:1-7
For those of you who don't know, I am a worship leader and a soloist at church. My heart's passion is to sing God's praises and to encourage others to join in unbridled praise to the LORD. I am happiest when I am worshiping with my brothers and sisters in Christ, with my family or by myself with my guitar in a room. I love meditating on His Word. I love to remember His great deeds, the many times He parted the 'Red Sea' in my own life, and to give Him the praise of thanksgiving.
Yet I will be the first to confess that it is much easier to praise and thank God when life is going well. It is hard to 'sing joyfully' when everything seems bleak and hopeless. When your situation seems to be getting worse instead of getting better, and when you cannot see the proverbial 'light at the end of the tunnel', the temptation to shut down spiritually is very great. The temptation to find alternate means of coping becomes even greater. I recently began to experience discouragement that was so great, I started slipping towards spiritual apathy- watching t.v. and reading fiction books so that I could block reality out. I started spending less time with God, and more time in pursuit of earthly pleasures. This lasted about two weeks. A few days ago, a very close friend of mine came to visit. Unbeknownst to her, God used her to snap me back into the reality of who He is. Then last night, as I sat down to meditate on Psalm 95, I realized that it is precisely at this time we MUST remember that GOD alone is our Refuge! Like the Israelites, who passed down through oral tradition, the many miraculous works that the LORD had done on their behalf, we MUST remind ourselves of who God is by thanking Him for the many answered prayers in our own lives. A posture of praise will keep us grounded in Christ.
“Today if you will hear His voice: 'Do not harden your hearts, as in the rebellion, as in the day of trial in the wilderness, when your fathers tested Me; they tried Me, though they saw my work. For forty years I was grieved with that generation, and said, It is a people who go astray in their hearts, and they do not know my ways. So I swore in My wrath, they shall not enter My rest.'” Psalm 95:8-11
LORD, we pray for the grace, strength, courage and fortitude to remember who You are in the midst of the storm. Holy Spirit, bring to the forefront of our minds, the memories of the many things God has done on our behalf in the past. Help us to recall His wondrous works. Lord Jesus, You sit at the right hand of God the Father making constant intercession for us. Help us to be a people of praise and great faith, so that we would not harden our hearts in the days of our own trials, but declare through faith in You, that we are more than conquerors! We ask these things, in the Mighty Name of Jesus Christ. Amen.
Tuesday, June 18, 2013
Talk Tuesday-How Do You Hear The Voice of The Lord?
I have often heard Christians say, “God spoke to my heart.” I could remember being confused by this as a much younger Christian, yet as I journeyed with the Lord I began to understand. Jesus said, “My sheep hear My voice, and I know them, and they follow Me,” John 10:27. “15 If you love me, keep my commands. 16 And I will ask the Father, and He will give you another advocate to help you and be with you forever— 17 the Spirit of truth,” John 14:15-16.
As a young christian, I had a passion for reading the Bible. I would sit and spend hours reading, then silently meditating on what I had read. It was as though some invisible force was connecting my heart to the words, and the words were challenging, shaping, moulding, correcting and transforming my heart. “For the word of God is alive and active. Sharper than any double-edged sword, it penetrates even to dividing soul and spirit, joints and marrow; it judges the thoughts and attitudes of the heart,” Hebrews 4:12; “26 But the Helper, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in My name, He will teach you all things, and bring to your remembrance all things that I said to you,” John 14:26.
Let me share a personal experience with you. It was my turn to lead worship last Sunday at church. As I was going through the list of songs, I asked the Holy Spirit to help me choose. He brought to mind a hymn, 'Great Is Thy Faithfulness'. I had never personally done that hymn in my worship set before, but I complied. Worship was anointed and sweet. Together as a congregation we sang, “Great is Thy faithfulness, O God my Father, there is no shadow of turning with Thee. Thou changest not, Thy compassions they fail not. As Thou has been, Thou forever wilt be.” Now as we got to the chorus, the truth of the words became palpable in the sanctuary, “Great is Thy faithfulness! Great is Thy faithfulness! Morning by morning new mercies I see: All I have needed Thy hand hath provided, Great is Thy faithfulness, Lord unto me!” All day I kept humming that song.
Since then, I have continued to experience an ongoing trial. As I woke up this morning, the first thing I heard was the song, echoing in my heart. As I proceeded to do my homework for my course on Spiritual Formation, which I am taking at seminary, I opened up my workbook to today's exercise. We are required to read the entire Book of Lamentations...and there I saw it! “Through the LORD's mercies we are not consumed, because His compassions fail not. They are new every morning; Great is Your faithfulness,” Lamentations 3:22-23. Section c) of my workbook states, “The following songs have been inspirational for the people of God throughout past and present generations. As you read (sing) these songs try to discover how they speak into your life today,” (Re-Connect, Spiritual Exercises To Develop Intimacy With GOD by David Sherbino, p.69). Below, in my workbook, was the song, 'Great Is Thy Faithfulness'!
Now some may attribute this to coincidence, but for me, it is the voice of God! The Holy Spirit led me to that hymn. The Holy Spirit began to work its truth in my heart through music, and today, through the reading of the actual scripture. As I sat to do my homework, I stopped in my tracks and stared in amazement at the words before me, 'GREAT IS THY FAITHFULNESS, LORD UNTO ME!' Now I can continue to walk through my trial with the peace that God's faithfulness will bring a blessed result.
How do you hear the voice of the LORD? How do you know it is He who is speaking, and not another? Please click on the comments link below to share your thoughts with the BGO Community of believers. We love hearing from you!
Let me share a personal experience with you. It was my turn to lead worship last Sunday at church. As I was going through the list of songs, I asked the Holy Spirit to help me choose. He brought to mind a hymn, 'Great Is Thy Faithfulness'. I had never personally done that hymn in my worship set before, but I complied. Worship was anointed and sweet. Together as a congregation we sang, “Great is Thy faithfulness, O God my Father, there is no shadow of turning with Thee. Thou changest not, Thy compassions they fail not. As Thou has been, Thou forever wilt be.” Now as we got to the chorus, the truth of the words became palpable in the sanctuary, “Great is Thy faithfulness! Great is Thy faithfulness! Morning by morning new mercies I see: All I have needed Thy hand hath provided, Great is Thy faithfulness, Lord unto me!” All day I kept humming that song.
Since then, I have continued to experience an ongoing trial. As I woke up this morning, the first thing I heard was the song, echoing in my heart. As I proceeded to do my homework for my course on Spiritual Formation, which I am taking at seminary, I opened up my workbook to today's exercise. We are required to read the entire Book of Lamentations...and there I saw it! “Through the LORD's mercies we are not consumed, because His compassions fail not. They are new every morning; Great is Your faithfulness,” Lamentations 3:22-23. Section c) of my workbook states, “The following songs have been inspirational for the people of God throughout past and present generations. As you read (sing) these songs try to discover how they speak into your life today,” (Re-Connect, Spiritual Exercises To Develop Intimacy With GOD by David Sherbino, p.69). Below, in my workbook, was the song, 'Great Is Thy Faithfulness'!
Now some may attribute this to coincidence, but for me, it is the voice of God! The Holy Spirit led me to that hymn. The Holy Spirit began to work its truth in my heart through music, and today, through the reading of the actual scripture. As I sat to do my homework, I stopped in my tracks and stared in amazement at the words before me, 'GREAT IS THY FAITHFULNESS, LORD UNTO ME!' Now I can continue to walk through my trial with the peace that God's faithfulness will bring a blessed result.
How do you hear the voice of the LORD? How do you know it is He who is speaking, and not another? Please click on the comments link below to share your thoughts with the BGO Community of believers. We love hearing from you!
Sunday, June 16, 2013
Wednesday, June 12, 2013
Talk Tuesday-Our Battle Cry
I have often heard it said that the battle the Lord's. What does this mean? We are called to trust God in every season of our lives, but when the battle is raging, the struggle between faith and fear escalates. In 2 Chronicles 20, the people of Moab, Ammon and Mount Seir come to battle against the people of Judah. King Jehosaphat gathers all the people together to pray and seek the LORD. They begin their petition by acknowledging who God is, recounting what He has done for them and declaring their dependence on Him alone.
“O Lord God of our fathers, are You not God in heaven, and do You not rule over all the kingdoms of the nations, and in Your hand is there not power and might, so that no one is able to withstand You? 7 Are You not our God, who drove out the inhabitants of this land before Your people Israel, and gave it to the descendants of Abraham Your friend forever? 8 And they dwell in it, and have built You a sanctuary in it for Your name, saying, 9 ‘If disaster comes upon us—sword, judgment, pestilence, or famine—we will stand before this temple and in Your presence (for Your name is in this temple), and cry out to You in our affliction, and You will hear and save.’ 10 And now, here are the people of Ammon, Moab, and Mount Seir—whom You would not let Israel invade when they came out of the land of Egypt, but they turned from them and did not destroy them— 11 here they are, rewarding us by coming to throw us out of Your possession which You have given us to inherit. 12 O our God, will You not judge them? For we have no power against this great multitude that is coming against us; nor do we know what to do, but our eyes are upon You,” 2 Chronicles 20:6-12.
God's response, communicated through Jahaziel son of Zechariah, is a bold proclamation of protection, favour and victory.“Do not be afraid nor dismayed because of this great multitude, for the battle is not yours, but God’s,” 2 Chron. 15; “'You will not need to fight in this battle. Position yourselves, stand still and see the salvation of the Lord, who is with you, O Judah and Jerusalem!’ Do not fear or be dismayed; tomorrow go out against them, for the Lord is with you,” 2 Chronicles 20:17.
In the midst of the battle patience, perseverance and faith are required of God's children. Yet, it is the presence of praise and worship that moves God's mighty hand. “Now when they began to sing and to praise, the LORD set ambushes against the people of Ammon, Moab and Mount Seir, who had come against Judah; and they were defeated,” 2 Chron. 20:22.
How can we trust God when things seem impossible? What are some of the things you do to keep grounded in faith when fear is pounding at the door of your heart? Why do you think praise and worship was important here? Do you find it hard to worship in the midst of the battle? Please share your thoughts with the BGO community by clicking on the comments link below. We look forward to hearing from you!
Monday, June 3, 2013
Talk Tuesday-The Voice of The Deceiver
This week I was talking to someone who shared a testimony of how her obedience brought the blessing and faithfulness of GOD in her life. Her parting words were, “The only things that matter are obedience and faith.” I began to ponder this and wondered, “Why do we disobey God when we know what He requires of us?”
In the book of 1 Kings, chapters 12 & 13, we meet a broken Israelite kingdom after the death of King Solomon. Ten tribes went with Jeroboam son of Nebat, while Judah and Benjamin remained with Rehoboam, Solomon's son. Jeroboam believed that if the people went to Jerusalem to worship at the Temple, their allegiance would revert to Solomon's son so he built altars of idolatry in Bethel and Dan, placing golden calves upon them telling the people, “Here are your gods, Israel, who brought you up out of Egypt,” 1 Kings 12:28. The LORD sent a prophet, 'a man of God', to Bethel to speak against this altar of idolatry. The prophet was given strict instructions by God not to accept the hospitality of anyone from the town, but to prophesy and leave. When the 'man of God' had finished his task, King Jeroboam invited him into his home and offered him a gift. He replied, “Even if you were to give me half your possessions, I would not go with you, nor would I eat bread or drink water here. For I was commanded by the word of the Lord: ‘You must not eat bread or drink water or return by the way you came,’” 1 Kings 13:8-9.
“Now there was a certain old prophet living in Bethel whose sons came and told him all that the man of God had done that day,” 1 Kings 13:11. This old prophet went in search of the prophet. “He found him sitting under an oak tree and asked, 'Are you the man of God who came from Judah?' 'I am,' he replied. So the prophet said to him, 'Come home with me and eat.' The man of God said, 'I cannot turn back and go with you, nor can I eat bread or drink water with you in this place.'” 1 Kings 13:14-16. The old prophet responded, “I too am a prophet, as you are. And an angel said to me by the word of the LORD: 'Bring him back with you to your house so that he may eat bread and drink water.' (But he was lying to him.) So the man of God returned with him and ate and drank in his house,” 1 Kings 13:18-19. “While they were sitting at the table, the word of the Lord came to the old prophet who had brought him back. He cried out to the man of God who had come from Judah, 'This is what the Lord says: You have defied the word of the Lord and have not kept the command the Lord your God gave you. You came back and ate bread and drank water in the place where he told you not to eat or drink. Therefore your body will not be buried in the tomb of your ancestors,’” 1 Kings 13:20-22.
Why did the first prophet-'the man of God'-reject God's instruction? What caused him to change his mind even after he declined the King's offer? What causes us to disobey God, even after He has directed our paths in the way in which we should walk? Please click on the comments link below to share your thoughts with us at BGO. We look forward to hearing from you and thank you for walking with us! Let us encourage each other in Christ!
In the book of 1 Kings, chapters 12 & 13, we meet a broken Israelite kingdom after the death of King Solomon. Ten tribes went with Jeroboam son of Nebat, while Judah and Benjamin remained with Rehoboam, Solomon's son. Jeroboam believed that if the people went to Jerusalem to worship at the Temple, their allegiance would revert to Solomon's son so he built altars of idolatry in Bethel and Dan, placing golden calves upon them telling the people, “Here are your gods, Israel, who brought you up out of Egypt,” 1 Kings 12:28. The LORD sent a prophet, 'a man of God', to Bethel to speak against this altar of idolatry. The prophet was given strict instructions by God not to accept the hospitality of anyone from the town, but to prophesy and leave. When the 'man of God' had finished his task, King Jeroboam invited him into his home and offered him a gift. He replied, “Even if you were to give me half your possessions, I would not go with you, nor would I eat bread or drink water here. For I was commanded by the word of the Lord: ‘You must not eat bread or drink water or return by the way you came,’” 1 Kings 13:8-9.
“Now there was a certain old prophet living in Bethel whose sons came and told him all that the man of God had done that day,” 1 Kings 13:11. This old prophet went in search of the prophet. “He found him sitting under an oak tree and asked, 'Are you the man of God who came from Judah?' 'I am,' he replied. So the prophet said to him, 'Come home with me and eat.' The man of God said, 'I cannot turn back and go with you, nor can I eat bread or drink water with you in this place.'” 1 Kings 13:14-16. The old prophet responded, “I too am a prophet, as you are. And an angel said to me by the word of the LORD: 'Bring him back with you to your house so that he may eat bread and drink water.' (But he was lying to him.) So the man of God returned with him and ate and drank in his house,” 1 Kings 13:18-19. “While they were sitting at the table, the word of the Lord came to the old prophet who had brought him back. He cried out to the man of God who had come from Judah, 'This is what the Lord says: You have defied the word of the Lord and have not kept the command the Lord your God gave you. You came back and ate bread and drank water in the place where he told you not to eat or drink. Therefore your body will not be buried in the tomb of your ancestors,’” 1 Kings 13:20-22.
Why did the first prophet-'the man of God'-reject God's instruction? What caused him to change his mind even after he declined the King's offer? What causes us to disobey God, even after He has directed our paths in the way in which we should walk? Please click on the comments link below to share your thoughts with us at BGO. We look forward to hearing from you and thank you for walking with us! Let us encourage each other in Christ!
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