DCLM Daily Manna 31 May 2022 Devotional By Pastor W. F. Kumuyi – Be Steadfast
TOPIC: Be Steadfast (DCLM Daily Manna 31 May 2022)
TEXT: 2 Chronicles 18:1-12 (KJV)
Now Jehoshaphat had riches and honour in abundance, and joined affinity with Ahab.
2 And after certain years he went down to Ahab to Samaria. And Ahab killed sheep and oxen for him in abundance, and for the people that he had with him, and persuaded him to go up with him to Ramothgilead.
3 And Ahab king of Israel said unto Jehoshaphat king of Judah, Wilt thou go with me to Ramothgilead? And he answered him, I am as thou art, and my people as thy people; and we will be with thee in the war.
4 And Jehoshaphat said unto the king of Israel, Enquire, I pray thee, at the word of the Lord to day.
5 Therefore the king of Israel gathered together of prophets four hundred men, and said unto them, Shall we go to Ramothgilead to battle, or shall I forbear? And they said, Go up; for God will deliver it into the king’s hand.
6 But Jehoshaphat said, Is there not here a prophet of the Lord besides, that we might enquire of him?
7 And the king of Israel said unto Jehoshaphat, There is yet one man, by whom we may enquire of the Lord: but I hate him; for he never prophesied good unto me, but always evil: the same is Micaiah the son of Imla. And Jehoshaphat said, Let not the king say so.
8 And the king of Israel called for one of his officers, and said, Fetch quickly Micaiah the son of Imla.
9 And the king of Israel and Jehoshaphat king of Judah sat either of them on his throne, clothed in their robes, and they sat in a void place at the entering in of the gate of Samaria; and all the prophets prophesied before them.
10 And Zedekiah the son of Chenaanah had made him horns of iron, and said, Thus saith the Lord, With these thou shalt push Syria until they be consumed.
11 And all the prophets prophesied so, saying, Go up to Ramothgilead, and prosper: for the Lord shall deliver it into the hand of the king.
12 And the messenger that went to call Micaiah spake to him, saying, Behold, the words of the prophets declare good to the king with one assent; let thy word therefore, I pray thee, be like one of their’s, and speak thou good.
KEY VERSE: “And the king of Israel said unto Jehoshaphat, There is yet one man, by whom we may enquire of the LORD: but I hate him; for he never prophesied good unto me, but always evil: the same is Micaiah the son of Imla. And Jehoshaphat said, Let not the king say so” (2 Chronicles 18:7).
MESSAGE:
A governor in one of the states in an African country lamented that his country’s leaders detest the truth. He was quoted as saying: “…A strategic leader must be willing to hear the truth and to learn. However, telling the truth and accepting it when told the same, have been our major problems. Some people will never tell you the truth when you are in power and honestly, many of us in power also do not want to hear the truth. We prefer to be told what we like to hear and that is a serious deficit in strategic leadership.”
Those who hate God hate the truth. In our text, Ahab has been known to hate anything that concerns God. His evil ways had made him a chronic enemy of God. With him were lying prophets who profiteer from telling lies and counterfeiting the true God. They delighted in telling King Ahab only what he wanted to hear and not what he should hear.
A lesson for believers is in the steadfastness of Prophet Micaiah. Despite the fact that the king hated him, he chose to remain on the side of God. Even when he was cajoled to follow the path of others by favouring King Ahab, he stood his ground.
Believers must learn to stand by their convictions in spite of the pressure to compromise. We must never follow the multitudes to do evil. Even when things become too difficult to be on God’s side, when it appears you are standing alone, remember that He never let them down that honour Him.
THOUGHT FOR THE DAY:
One with God is majority.
THE BIBLE IN ONE YEAR:
Haggai 1-2
DCLM Daily Manna was written by Pastor W. F. Kumuyi; is the founder and General Superintendent of the Deeper Life Bible Church situated at KM 42 on the busy Lagos-Ibadan Expressway, Nigeria.
