“And the king of Israel said unto Jehoshaphat, There is yet one man, by whom we may enquire of the LORD: but I hate him; for he never prophesied good unto me, but always evil: the same is Micaiah the son of Imla. And Jehoshaphat said, Let not the king say so”(2 Chronicles 18:7).
TEXT — 2 Chronicles 18:1-12
Message
The lily flower is rooted in the mud below the water level, yet it blossoms in a rainbow of bright colors. A scientific study says these wonderful works of creation “have lots of tricks up their sleeves”, despite the filthy environment in which they breed. These flowers maintain their distinct characteristic of elegant beauty bestowed on them by nature, even when all around them is repugnant.
Prophet Micaiah was such a lily. He lived in the land of Israel which was governed by a weak king controlled by an idol-worshipping wife who both relied on syncretic devotion and the counsel of four hundred false prophets. He displayed the true traits of the servant of God despite functioning in the ‘mud’ of intimidating deceivers. While these hired liars misled the king, Micaiah always stood his ground of speaking only what he heard from heaven, even if it displeased the people.
True believers must not be like the chameleon, which turns on the nature of its surroundings as part of its survival tactics. This reptile cannot be pinned down to a particular color. But as servants of the Lord, we are not to be given to change because of the fear of man. We must remain unmoved by the currents of fad, fashion, and fickleness of those in authority. We must stay by our calling as “the salt of the earth” and “the light of the world” by being who God wants us to be and not what the world wants. The trip to heaven is linear, not subject to a turn to the left or right. It is, as our Lord put it, the “strait gate”. The journey is not guided by the transient laws of man and his institutions. We should not be controlled by these forces. The world’s wealth should also not be dangled before us to make us forsake our lily-white nature fashioned for us by God.
Thought for the day
The true Christian is like the beautiful lily: unmarred by its muddy surrounding.
Listed among “500 most powerful people on the planet” by the Foreign Policy magazine in 2013, Pastor (Dr.) William F. Kumuyi is the founder and General Superintendent of the Deeper Christian Life Ministry (DCLM) headquartered in Lagos, Nigeria. DCLM started in 1973 as a 15-member Bible study group right in Kumuyi’s apartment at University of Lagos where he was a lecturer. His revolutionary Bible teaching on personal holiness and commitment to evangelism soon gained so much traction and resulted in a widespread revival.
5 comments
I’m enjoying the audio. Help us include GHS that matches the topics
I’m enjoying the audio. Help us include GHS that matches the topics
O Lord! Please help me to be the lily in the mud everywhere I find myself in Jesus’ name Amen.
Thank God for the amazing topic. Others may, I cannot
I need to be receiving this teachings on various topics.Thanks
Lord, I pray for forgiveness of my sin and help me be the lily in anywhere I found myself.Amen.