A Difficult but Life-saving Truth
Scripture Reading — 1 Kings 22:1-23
"I hate him because he never prophesies anything good about me ..." 1 Kings 22:8
I just read about a beat-up old fan, offered at a garage sale. One of its five blades was cracked off. The sign on the fan said, "Still 80% effective!" Now, that's optimism!
Micaiah won't be optimistic with Ahab, and Ahab hates him for it. Ahab would rather hear cheap flattery from false prophets than to have someone tell him how sinfully damaged he is. Though Ahab repented earlier, he's up to no good again.
There's a story about a chicken farmer who e-mailed a government agriculture official with this message: "This morning I found all my chickens lying on the ground, not breathing. What do you think might be the cause?" The official e-mailed back: "Dear Sir: It sounds like your chickens are dead." Ahab is a dead chicken hoping for an optimistic report. But he's turned away from God again, and his heart is too cold, too dead, to hear any truth in what Micaiah is saying.
Is your Christian walk defective? Is your heart dead and cold in sin? You can find many people--even popular prophets--that will gloss over your problem and flatter you. But it's time to face the truth.
The Bible's message is difficult: You have an unacceptable defect--you are dead in sin. You need forgiveness through Jesus. You need to clean up your walk.
It's a hard but life-bringing message.
Father, forgive my sins. Save me; restore me; change me. Fill me with your Spirit of truth and help me live faithfully for you each day. In Jesus' name I pray. Amen.
About the author — Keith Mannes
Keith Mannes serves as pastor at Highland Christian Reformed Church in McBain, Michigan. Keith and his wife, Alicia, recently celebrated their 20th wedding anniversary,
and they are thankful for their three children—Eben, Charis, and Breanna.
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