Skip to main content

Guess Who

 


  In 2nd Kings 22, the wicked king Ahab has found out that God has set up a plan to get him killed. He had been trying to get the king of Judah, Jehoshapat, to unite with him in battle against the king of Aram.

  But Jehoshaphat was hesitant, not sure that the prophets Ahab had brought forth to foretell God's blessing were really on the up and up. So, the prophet Micaiah is brought in, even though he’s never been pro-Ahab.  Ahab expects Micaiah to be against his idea; however, Micaiah says do it, it’s all part of God’s plan to knock off Ahab.

  Yet, this revelation doesn’t make Ahab cancel his attack. Instead, he tries to fool God.

The king of Israel said to Jehoshaphat, "I will disguise myself and go into the battle, but you put on your robes." So the king of Israel disguised himself and went into the battle.

1st Kings 22:30 

  At first, his ruse appears to work. The enemies’ orders are to attack Ahab personally, and they go after Jehoshaphat, thinking it’s Ahab. When they see that Ahab isn’t there, they turn away. Ahab thinks he has hidden himself in the masses.

  But then a random archer fires a random arrow that just hits Ahab in a random place that proves to be a fatal wound.

  Maybe it wasn’t so random after all?

  Many folks operated with the same mindset. We think we do what we want, even if it's not right, if we can hide ourselves in the process. We mummer anonymously, we hide in good deeds, we cover up the motives with confusion, all thinking we can fool God.

 We can’t. You might fool the world, or your allies, or even your enemies, but God sees through our disguises for what we really are.

 

Comments

Popular posts from this blog

Mysterious Ways

    William Cowper didn’t see any reason to live.   He decided that he’d jump off the bridge over the Thames. So, he called a cab to take him there.   But that night in 1763, a thick fog enveloped London. It was so thick the cab driver couldn’t find the bridge and couldn’t even find the way to take William home. In frustration, he ordered the driver to stop and get out to get his bearings. He walked up to the nearest house to read the number and it was William's house. Gone now were William’s thoughts of suicide and instead a new idea came into his head. So, he went in and wrote these words: God moves in mysterious ways His wonders to perform. He plants his footsteps in the sea And rides upon the storm.  You fearful saints, fresh courage take; The clouds you so much dread Are big with mercy and shall break In blessings on your head.     I sometimes wish we could see all the ways God watches over us when need it. There are...

The Gift You Give Yourself

    I always hated buying gifts for my Mom. If I got her something like a new set of pans, it was like saying “Here’s something you can use to go make me something to eat”. A gift for her was seemingly a gift for me.   There are however gifts you give that benefit you more than the receiver. For example, forgiveness. When you give it, you are giving it to yourself as much as you are giving it to them. Jesus said that when we forgive others it means God is forgiving us our wrongs (Matthew 6:14-15).  I once read: “ Heaven is where everyone's forgiven. Hell is where nobody's forgiven.  So, when we forgive we pull heaven down into our lives.  When we withhold forgiveness, we pull hell up into our lives ” Give yourself something nice today, Forgive.

Canned Faith

  As Dale Jenkins wrote: “Faith is a little like paint. As long as it’s in the can, it isn't much. Left in the can long enough a gallon of paint will ruin. Faith left unpracticed and unexercised will too….  You can’t just talk about faith.  To be effective, you must be living it out. So take the paint out of the can and start painting.”   The Bible says in James 2:18,”  But someone may well say, "You have faith and I have works; show me your faith without the works, and I will show you my faith by my works . " Faith is something that only works when it is used. If our faith doesn’t do anything, is it really there at all?   Truly “ living by faith ” isn’t just a proclamation we make but one we live in how we walk and talk, how we live and interact, and what we say but also what we do.  Is our faith canned? Is it something we have if we go looking for it? Or is it something that is being used daily in our lives?   Does your faith color eve...