Nougat 18

How strong is your conviction? Consider today’s Holy Nougat

“But the man of God said to the king: “Even if you give me half your house, I will not go with you nor will I eat bread or drink water in this place. For so I was charged by the word of Adonai, saying, ‘You are to eat no bread, nor drink water, nor return by the way by which you came.’”” ‭‭1 Kings‬ ‭13:8-9‬ ‭TLV‬‬

So you might recall that the ‘corrupt’ King Jeroboam, in gratitude for the man of God’s effective prayer, invited the man of God to a meal. His motives might have been pure; he (Jeroboam) might even have intended to offer him (the prophet) a ‘temple priest’ job. The man of God stood his ground – he was resolute in obedience to God’s direction.

That’s an awesome trait to have; more so as believers, whether prophet or pew holder. From what we have seen of Jeroboam, it could have been a bad thing to remain. But more importantly, God, who has the much bigger picture, said head straight home. As a prophet, the man would have learned from experi-ence to trust implicitly in God. Remember, his crossing the border from the relative safety of Judah was already proof of his faith in God’s plan.

The unfolding of events prior to Jeroboam offering a meal would have served as confirmation that his faith was not mis-placed. And the thing is; God gives the same kind of direct message to us. With confirmation. We just may need to attune our ears to hear on God’s frequency and be prepared to obey God’s command.

Now that’s the rub for many of us. We are not always able to accept our What from God. (Remember that’s where this series started, with our getting back to basics and determining our response to our What). The man was clear: he would not eat, drink, or tarry. Because God said so. It does not seem as though he was negotiating with God about How or Why he was to do that. And to demonstrate that he was not disrespectful, he then explained to the King what God said to him.

That’s conviction.

So, in light of all God has directed us, and all we face, how strong is our conviction?

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May all we seek be found in Christ