In the Bible, I Kings 13:7-24 tells of a prophet of God who visited the king of Judah. After a series of events, the king tried to convince the prophet to come to his home so the he could reward the prophet.
The prophet adamantly refused. He told the king that even if the king were to give him half his house, the prophet would not go there nor would he eat or drink there. The prophet said the Lord had distinctly told him not to eat or drink anything, nor return home the way he came.
So he started home a different way than he came.
On that prophet’s way home, an older prophet heard about him. The older prophet went in search of the young prophet and found him sitting under a tree.
The older prophet verified the younger prophet was the one who had just came from Judah. The older prophet asked the younger prophet to come home and eat with him.
The younger prophet told the older prophet exactly what he had told the king—that he could not go with him because the Lord had specifically told him not to eat or drink anything and to go home by a different route.
The older prophet told the younger prophet that he too was a prophet and that the Lord had told him to bring the younger prophet back to his home to eat and drink. The older prophet was lying.
Out of respect and regard for the age and position of the elder prophet, the younger prophet went with him and ate bread and drank water.
The story doesn’t end well for the younger prophet. Because he disobeyed what the Lord had told him, a lion attacked him on his way home.
You may be wondering why I’ve told you this story. The reason is this, sometimes when God tells us something, others who we trust tell us something different than what we feel the Lord has told us.
That person might be a person we love and respect, or even someone we hold in high esteem. It might be someone in a position of authority. Because we do have regard for that person and their position of authority, it is sometimes easy for us to doubt ourselves and what we felt we heard. It is easy to be swayed by them because they are Christians too.
When you feel the Lord has told you something or even if you feel in your heart there is something you should or should not do, do not be easily influenced to do something different.
Examine your heart. Check your intents and motives. Is it something you feel deep within you should do or should not do? If so, hold firm to your conviction. Trust yourself.
Remember–no one is perfect. The person advising you might have the best of intentions. Or, as with the older the prophet, they might have an ulterior motive. Either way they may give you unwise advice.
I am not saying to be so stubborn you don’t listen to reason or to what another person says. Weigh what they say compared to how you feel. If there is something deep within you that tells you what you feel is right, then hold fast to that.
Each day is a gift. Hold firm to your convictions.
©2019 Bev Brown – All Rights Reserved
Reflections with Bev 