Some years ago, as I was relatively new to starting my business, I had been given guidance to join Facebook groups that would have my target audience. I joined a few of them. Well, not my most natural thing to do, but started commenting on other people’s posts, as this was the suggestion.
One particular post was of a woman telling others, how much money they can make in a very short amount of time. She had used an example of a statement. As an investment professional, I have a certain view on investments and I made a comment on her post about the reality of whether those returns were true or not.
Quite a few other women in the group came to her defense. They had known her and they spoke highly of her.
There are many people on the Internet who promise high returns, without talking about the risks, and as a professional, this is frustrating for me to see, and I want to protect everyone. I do mean: everyone.
As I read the responses praising this woman, I was embarrassed. I did not know her, and in my attempt to protect others, I stepped out of line.
As I processed with God, I sense the Lord asking me a question: ‘did I ask you to do that?’
I ended up leaving many of those groups as I knew my frustration would always be there of others promising, or providing false information, but also recognizing where God was calling me
Which brings me to today’s lesson from the Bible.
There is a story in 1 Kings 13 where God tells a prophet not to eat or drink in the town that he was being sent. He successfully completed his mission and an older prophet invited him to stay for dinner. He declined the invitation and explained that God said not to eat or drink there. The older prophet lied and said God had told him that he could stay there and eat and drink. The younger prophet stayed and on his way home he was killed by a lion. When the older prophet heard, he knew it was his fault.
I was shocked when I read this story. It was also at a time that I was wondering what the Lord had said. The note I subsequently wrote was: ‘don’t be deceived, stick to what God says.’
I guess the title of today’s message could have been any of the following:
Did I tell/ask you to do this thing?
Remember what I told you
Do not be deceived
Sometimes God will give us specific instructions of the things that we are to do, and sometimes we might want to act in our self-righteous state, but the question becomes was I instructed to do this?
Sometimes we will be confident of the instruction, and yet others will try to convince us that we heard wrong or we should take a different path.
While the consequences might not be as severe as being mauled by a lion, we will still have to deal with those consequences.
So, when others are giving us their opinions of what we should do, we have to pause and ask ‘what did God tell us to do?’ and do that, no matter how hard it is.
Dear Heavenly Father, thank you that you are a patient God even when we don’t get it right the first time. Thank you for your grace and forgiveness and your way of leading us to the path that we should go. Help us to be obedient to what you have called us to do and to let go of the places and things that you have not called us to.