Speak Only What God Says
But Jehoshaphat asked, "Is there no longer a prophet of the Lord here whom we can inquire of?" 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."
. . . So the king of Israel called one of his officials and said, "Bring Micaiah son of Imlah at once."
Dressed in their royal robes, the king of Israel and Jehoshaphat king of Judah were sitting on their thrones . . . with all the prophets prophesying before them. Now Zedekiah son of Kenaanah had made iron horns and he declared, "This is what the LORD says: 'With these you will gore the Arameans until they are destroyed.' "
All the other prophets were prophesying the same thing. "Attack Ramoth Gilead and be victorious," they said, "for the LORD will give it into the king's hand."
The messenger who had gone to summon Micaiah said to him, "Look, the other prophets without exception are predicting success for the king. Let your word agree with theirs, and speak favorably."
But Micaiah said, "As surely as the LORD lives, I can tell him only what the LORD tells me." I Kings 22:7-14
. . . So the king of Israel called one of his officials and said, "Bring Micaiah son of Imlah at once."
Dressed in their royal robes, the king of Israel and Jehoshaphat king of Judah were sitting on their thrones . . . with all the prophets prophesying before them. Now Zedekiah son of Kenaanah had made iron horns and he declared, "This is what the LORD says: 'With these you will gore the Arameans until they are destroyed.' "
All the other prophets were prophesying the same thing. "Attack Ramoth Gilead and be victorious," they said, "for the LORD will give it into the king's hand."
The messenger who had gone to summon Micaiah said to him, "Look, the other prophets without exception are predicting success for the king. Let your word agree with theirs, and speak favorably."
But Micaiah said, "As surely as the LORD lives, I can tell him only what the LORD tells me." I Kings 22:7-14
This is a very rich passage of Scripture with so many valuable lessons for our lives.
First: Some will hate you because you boldly and fearlessly declare the truth of God to them. Jehoshaphat hated the true prophet of God because he told him the truth of what God thought of him. Micaiah would not tell the king what he wanted his itching ears to hear even though he could easily have lost his life for arousing the king's anger.
Never seek to please man but God alone, no matter how much pressure you might find yourself in. The LORD is the stronghold of your life and you should fear no human. If you are on God's mission, His hand will always be on you. Never be intimidated. Apply this principle everyday.
Second: It is simply amazing how people can declare blatant lies to you purporting to have heard from God on your behalf. Listen to God for yourself. You are a child of God with direct access to the throne of grace. Can God deliver a word to you through someone else? Absolutely yes! But be sure that what you hear is either a confirmation of what God has already told you or what He is about to reveal to you as you seek His confirmation. The Bible admonishes us to test the spirits because not every spirit is of God. There are many lying spirits.
Finally, the words of the true prophet Micaiah are very instructive: "As surely as the LORD lives, I can tell him only what the LORD tells me." Never make up anything in the name of God. Always fear the Living God and speak His truth and truth His alone, no matter the cost. Some speak falsely in the name of God just for material gain. But one day we will all stand before Him and give an account of every word we spoke on earth!
First: Some will hate you because you boldly and fearlessly declare the truth of God to them. Jehoshaphat hated the true prophet of God because he told him the truth of what God thought of him. Micaiah would not tell the king what he wanted his itching ears to hear even though he could easily have lost his life for arousing the king's anger.
Never seek to please man but God alone, no matter how much pressure you might find yourself in. The LORD is the stronghold of your life and you should fear no human. If you are on God's mission, His hand will always be on you. Never be intimidated. Apply this principle everyday.
Second: It is simply amazing how people can declare blatant lies to you purporting to have heard from God on your behalf. Listen to God for yourself. You are a child of God with direct access to the throne of grace. Can God deliver a word to you through someone else? Absolutely yes! But be sure that what you hear is either a confirmation of what God has already told you or what He is about to reveal to you as you seek His confirmation. The Bible admonishes us to test the spirits because not every spirit is of God. There are many lying spirits.
Finally, the words of the true prophet Micaiah are very instructive: "As surely as the LORD lives, I can tell him only what the LORD tells me." Never make up anything in the name of God. Always fear the Living God and speak His truth and truth His alone, no matter the cost. Some speak falsely in the name of God just for material gain. But one day we will all stand before Him and give an account of every word we spoke on earth!
Prayer: Lord, the pressures are incredible for your children to conform to the happenings around us. But help me to stand out for you in my words, thoughts and deeds no matter what the cost may be. Amen