Nougat 15

The story unfolds dramatically between the prophet and Jeroboam in today’s Holy Nougat

“Now when the king heard the word of the man of God, which he proclaimed against the altar in Bethel, Jeroboam stretched out his hand from the altar saying: “Seize him!” But the hand which he stretched out against him withered—he could not even draw it back to himself.” ‭‭1 Kings‬ ‭13:4‬ ‭TLV‬‬

Isn’t it ‘funny’ that Jeroboam’s hand froze, well withered when he tried to attack the man of God? The prophet said nothing to him, the king’s hand stopped all by itself as though by magic. But it wasn’t magic; it was God,

The time in which they lived was somewhat similar to now. There were people who did their own thing spiritually, YHWH was not their priority. This included the king, despite him being anointed by another man of God some time past. This then means that Jeroboam knew God but Chose to go his own way. Operatively, Jeroboam turned his back on God and had zero respect for God’s prophet.

We will face many such in our lives. Some having gotten to that attitude because of the misdeeds of other believers (eg the current Southern Baptist cover up); and others, like Jeroboam, whose agendas no longer coincide with God’s. We face them in our various spaces and it might be uncomfortable to ‘deal with’ them.

But What if God sends us to them directly as happened with the prophet? What about our safety and security? Not everyone has the experience of seeing hands being withered. Stephen was stoned to death. And he was clearly under God’s anointing. (That’s why what if’s can be ‘unhelpful’. We can find ourselves in spaces that take us away from obedience to God). I say, when God sends us, God also prepares us for the situation we will face.

For when God sends us to Jerusalem, Judea, Samaria and the outermost parts of the world; it’s not all fun and laughter. It can get downright dicey. And whether the Jeroboams we face are as hostile as the original or not; we have God with and within us, to keep us from faltering.

While I have not seen such a miraculous inter-vention, God continues to intervene in similar situations. When sent, we go under God’s direction, knowing that God is with us and it will be well.

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May all we seek be found in Christ