June 20, 2024 -The Whole Truth and Nothing But

1 Kings 22:1-53

Acts 13:16-41

Psalm 138:1-8

Proverbs 17:17-18

One Year Bible Audio & Daily Reading (oneyearbibleonline.com)

1 Kings 22:5 But Jehoshaphat also said to the king of Israel, “First seek the counsel of the Lord.”

6 So the king of Israel brought together the prophets—about four hundred men—and asked them, “Shall I go to war against Ramoth Gilead, or shall I refrain?”

“Go,” they answered, “for the Lord will give it into the king’s hand.”

King Jehoshaphat who followed God advised king Ahab to seek the Lord before going into battle. We just had a youth group meeting last night to plan for next year and I asked the leaders to join me in seeking the Lord for what He would have us do in a few different areas. One involved the potential battle against the enemy as we seek to have access to the youth in our area through the schools. I pray that that all our hearts and minds will be seeking truth from the Lord and not be like Ahab's prophets who were more worried about making Ahab happy than hearing from God.

1 Kings 22:7 But Jehoshaphat asked, “Is there no longer a prophet of the Lord here whom we can inquire of?” 8 The king of Israel answered Jehoshaphat, “There is still one prophet through whom we can inquire of the Lord, but I hate him because he never prophesies anything good about me, but always bad. He is Micaiah son of Imlah.”

Jehoshaphat somehow knew that the 400 prophets were not trustworthy. God gave Him discernment to recognize that they were only looking to please their earthly king not their heavenly king.

Those prophets knew that the king did not like to get bad news. He only wanted to hear what he wanted to hear. It can be difficult to seek the Lord without putting our own preconceived ideas and desires into it. I would love to have been able to put out a call for general prayer for the group with no direction and see what God would say to each person. I would like to believe that we would all come together and all have the save message but that can be difficult. Because we are all "idea" people it will be difficult for us not to put our own thoughts into the mix. As the "leader" of the group I have been praying for guidance and believe that there are specific areas that we need to make decisions in so we are seeking Him in specific areas.

1 Kings 22:14 But Micaiah said, “As surely as the Lord lives, I can tell him only what the Lord tells me.”

Ahab didn't want to ask Micaiah to seek God for him because he knew that Micaiah will only tell him truth. Not what he wants to hear. I pray that each person can leave their own ideas and opinions at the foot of the cross and be willing to receive the truth and speak the truth. I pray that I would have discernment as Jehoshaphat to recognize truth and lies in others especially because I know that none of my staff would be like the 400 prophets and purposely mislead.

1 Kings 22:15 When he arrived, the king asked him, “Micaiah, shall we go to war against Ramoth Gilead, or not?”

“Attack and be victorious,” he answered, “for the Lord will give it into the king’s hand.”

After all the 400 prophets did not lie but they did not tell all the truth. They may very well have heard from God that they are to go to war and stopped there because that is what they wanted to hear. I pray that we would not stop seeking God but see it through till we hear all that he wants to tell us.

16 The king said to him, “How many times must I make you swear to tell me nothing but the truth in the name of the Lord?” 17 Then Micaiah answered, “I saw all Israel scattered on the hills like sheep without a shepherd, and the Lord said, ‘These people have no master. Let each one go home in peace.’”

But the rest of the story is go to war and you will die. So even if the answer is not what I want to hear I pray that we hear all the Lord would have to say to us. The Truth the whole truth and nothing but.

Acts 13:22 After removing Saul, he made David their king. God testified concerning him: ‘I have found David son of Jesse, a man after my own heart; he will do everything I want him to do.’

The only way to do any of this is to seek God with our whole heart like David did being humble and willing to do what He would want us to do and...

Acts 13:40 Take care that what the prophets have said does not happen to you:

41 “‘Look, you scoffers,

    wonder and perish,

for I am going to do something in your days

    that you would never believe,

    even if someone told you.’”

If we are able to be faithful and not scoff at what He tells us we can be sure that He will do something that we might never believe if someone told us.