TOPIC: BE THE LILY IN THE MUD 

Text: 2 Chronicles 18:1-12 (KJV)

Now Jehoshaphat had riches and honour in abundance, and joined affinity with Ahab.

² And after certain years he went down to Ahab to Samaria. And Ahab killed sheep and oxen for him in abundance, and for the people that he had with him, and persuaded him to go up with him to Ramothgilead.

³ And Ahab king of Israel said unto Jehoshaphat king of Judah, Wilt thou go with me to Ramothgilead? And he answered him, I am as thou art, and my people as thy people; and we will be with thee in the war.

⁴ And Jehoshaphat said unto the king of Israel, Enquire, I pray thee, at the word of the Lord to day.

⁵ Therefore the king of Israel gathered together of prophets four hundred men, and said unto them, Shall we go to Ramothgilead to battle, or shall I forbear? And they said, Go up; for God will deliver it into the king’s hand.

⁶ But Jehoshaphat said, Is there not here a prophet of the Lord besides, that we might enquire of him?

⁷ 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.

⁸ And the king of Israel called for one of his officers, and said, Fetch quickly Micaiah the son of Imla.

⁹ And the king of Israel and Jehoshaphat king of Judah sat either of them on his throne, clothed in their robes, and they sat in a void place at the entering in of the gate of Samaria; and all the prophets prophesied before them.

¹⁰ And Zedekiah the son of Chenaanah had made him horns of iron, and said, Thus saith the Lord, With these thou shalt push Syria until they be consumed.

¹¹ And all the prophets prophesied so, saying, Go up to Ramothgilead, and prosper: for the Lord shall deliver it into the hand of the king.

¹² And the messenger that went to call Micaiah spake to him, saying, Behold, the words of the prophets declare good to the king with one assent; let thy word therefore, I pray thee, be like one of theirs, and speak thou good.

KEY VERSE: “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)

MESSAGE

The lily flower is rooted in the mud below the water level; yet it blossoms in a rainbow of bright colours. 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 their surroundings as part of its survival tactics. This reptile cannot be pinned down to a particular colour. 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.

BIBLE IN ONE YEAR: Numbers 14-15

DEEPER is the of the Deeper Christian Life Bible Ministry written by Pastor W. F. Kumuyi. It is an extraction of God’s Word designed to draw the sincere seeker closer to God on a daily basis through an insightful exposition and analysis of God’s Word