“Tell Me What I Want to Hear”

Week 6
Main Point and Overview:   

How often do we look for people in our lives who will tell us what “we want to hear instead of what we need to hear?” The evil King Ahab is the “posterchild” for this kind of dysfunction in God’s Word. He always surrounded himself with “yes” men, and it greatly shows in our story for this week. When he had an insatiable desire, there was nothing that was going to sway him from pursuing it, including the truth. Ahab wasn’t a “man of God” in any way. He had surrounded himself with false prophets who were driven by their own lust for power and pleasure. When Jehoshaphat suggested that Ahab consult a true prophet of the Lord regarding war, he reluctantly mentioned Micaiah. Ahab was not eager to consult Micaiah because he always spoke the truth, sometimes in opposition to Ahab’s selfish agenda. Instead of being “teachable,” Ahab was stubborn and driven by his sensual desires. When Micaiah prophesied to Ahab that God would NOT give him a victory in his battle with Ramoth Gilead, Ahab reacted in anger instead of responding in wisdom. He put the prophet of the Lord in prison, and he continued his plans to take land that he believed belonged to Israel. Ultimately, he rejected the wisdom of the Lord because he was blinded by his own thirst for power and prosperity. How often are we blinded by our own desires that we reject the wisdom that has been given to us? Worse yet: how often do we “stack the deck” in our favor so that we will always get the answers that we want? Ahab was guilty of all of this. He proceeded against the will of God, and it cost him his life. He thought that he could “out scheme” the will of the Lord, and his plans failed. In the end, Ahab was like all of the other kings of Israel. He “did evil in the sight of the Lord,” and he would meet his consequences as a result. One of the biggest mistakes that we can ever make is to reject wise counsel. God has brought parents, pastors, mentors, coaches, etc. into our lives for a reason. Part of their life’s purpose is to lead us. Are we listening to them? Are we heeding their warnings? Are we applying their knowledge and wisdom to our everyday choices? Thank God for the people in your life that love you enough to tell you what you “need to hear!” The cost is high when we ignore them.