Day 171
1 Kings 22:1-53; Acts 13:6-41; Psalm 138:1-8; Proverbs 17:17-18
What God Wants Me to Hear
In order to conquer the King of Aram, with whom he had been at war for three years, Ahab, king of the Northern Kingdom of Israel (a very bad king who “did evil in the sight of the Lord more than all who were before him”), joined forces with Jehoshaphat, king of the Southern Kingdom of Judah (a decent king “doing what was right in the sight of the Lord”).
As they are discussing battle plans, Jehoshaphat suggests that they should ask the Lord if they should go into battle. Ahab sends for his prophets, 400 of them! And all of them tell him what he wants to hear. Jehoshaphat seems skeptical. “Is there no other prophet of the Lord here of whom we may inquire?” There is – Micaiah – but Ahab never likes what he says because he never agrees with him. Even when Micaiah does initially sound like he agrees with the other 400, Ahab knows better. But he still doesn’t listen to what the Lord is saying through his prophet–which proves to be fatal.
The majority voice is not always the true voice. Most of us like it when our plans are supported by other people, but are they truly God’s plans? Sometimes the best friends we can have are the ones who are listening to God for us and who have the courage to tell us what we do not want to hear.
Lord, give us obedient hearts that desire always and only to follow where you lead and to be open to the sometimes lone voice who will direct us on the right path. Amen.
The Rev. Sarah Bronos