ARTICLE:
 

 JUST DO IT...

Anchor passage-1Kings.13:18-19

      As i ponder over this passage of the scripture, i still find it hard to imagine how sacred and delicate it could be carrying out orders from God. The beginning of that chapter talks about a holy man that God sent to warn Jeroboam of his attrocities. God commanded him never to eat the smallest crumb of meal or anything in that land, and he was determined to obey Gods instruction to the letter. On his way back, an old prophet caught up with him and persuaded him to come dine with him in his home, this holy man refused and stated clearly that he was going to obey Gods command of not eating anything in that land. But instead of the prophet going back his way, he decided to persuade the holy man and even lie to him that he was also a man of God and there was nothing wrong with them having a meal together. Unfortunately, the holy man could not discern the lie and as such fell completely. He eventually disobeyed God's orders and went in to dine with the prophet. The bible in the later part of that chapter records that while he was still seated at the table eating with the prophet, God spoke to him and punished him for disobeying. He paid dearly with his life.

        Now i'm thinking..... How susceptible many of us are to a similar sin and how often we enjoy the grace of God. When God gives instructions and strict guidelines to go by, we trivialize it and seek a better and more convenient way of going about it. God is very principled and disciplined. He knows what He wants and how best to achieve it, so it is not in our own interest to help God devise a better way of carrying out His assignment. This holy man was determined to obey Gods command to the fullest, but unfortunately, his determination wasn't just enough. Sometimes we have to realize that our determination isn't enough. We need the constant guide of the holy-spirit every step along the way, especially in the area of discernment. The bible encourages us not be ignorant of the devises of the devil. We have to be wise. Sometimes, the devil comes up with better ideas and concepts of doing God's will, but we must never succumb because God is precise in His choices. Disobedience or application of wisdom like some of us call it, can sometimes be deadly even when it seems  the only rational thing to do.

      Many times we even get a second chance to make right our acts of disobedience, unlike this holy man who never got such. He died on his way back just the way God had commanded it. God saw his heart and knew  he really wanted to obey but He expected more from him. He expected him to be able to  discern the lie that the prophet had told him. This is the exact spot that caught my attention!! Why didn't God just stop him from going home with the prophet? Why couldn't He just tell him straightaway that the prophet was lying? So many times we allow ourselves to be deceived by our friends and colleagues as to what God tells us to do. We even seek their opinion concerning God's instruction and orders. God's words are final, irrespective of what anybody says or thinks. When God gives an instruction we should never allow anyone, irrespective of how spiritual they may seem to contaminate it for us. Most of us think that when we get a revelation from God, rather than jump to action,we should seek guide from spiritual elders. As good as this may seem,we have to be wise and stick to the the conviction of the holy-spirit inside our hearts. Anybody's opinion remains irrelevant as long as God is still speaking. His words are meant to be obeyed not discussed.

     May God help us to live a life of complete obedience to Him and grant us the ability to discern every lie of the devil in whatever form its coming from.

Enjoy the rest of your day.....