July 1, 2026

There are many who would lie to us and persuade us that the commandments of the Lord are incorrect, not necessary, or had changed. The prophet of Judah sent to Jeroboam in 1 Kings 13 was commanded not to eat or drink in the northern kingdom, or return by the same way he came. When Jeroboam told him to stay and eat, he was strong in his conviction and obeyed the Lord. However, later on in his return journey, another man claiming to be a prophet also lied and said the Lord commanded them to return together and eat. Because the prophet of Judah hearkened to the word of this man over the Lord, he ended up dying.

There is a similarity here to the warning of David's story. We must follow the Lord tomorrow just as today. Each day is the test of endurance, and each day we must choose the Lord. Just like Joshua said, "choose ye THIS day whom ye will serve". We can read that as "where do you stand? Make your commitment today and always stand by it". Which is good. But the truth is, no one is immune to sin just because of a strong commitment made once. We must make each day "THIS" day, and choose to serve the Lord every day we rise.

Why did the prophet follow the man instead of the Lord? Between the lines I see a man who started out strong in his commitment to the Lord. As time passed, and he became hungry and thirsty because he was commanded not to eat or drink until he returned to Judah, he felt the temptation of the flesh. He still did not give in at this point, but when an excuse made itself present (the other man claiming God told him it was okay to eat there), he was able to justify his disobedience and give in to the natural man. How often does this happen to us? We don't go out seeking to sin, but somehow sin is always justified, or so it seems when we sin. The flesh is weak but the spirit is willing. We must choose THIS day whom we will serve, and keep choosing every minute to value God's words over all else.

1 Kings 17:21-22 - temple