“And he cried out to the man of God who had come from Judah, “Thus says the Lord, ‘Because you have disobeyed the word of the Lord and have not kept the commandment which the Lord your God commanded you, but have come back and have eaten bread and drunk water in the place of which the Lord said to you, “You shall not eat bread nor drink water”; your body shall not come to the tomb of your fathers (ancestors).’” – 1 Kings 13:21-22

God has always called men into ministry with specific instructions peculiar to the assignment He has committed into their hands. And God, as much as He calls some ahead of others, He doesn’t take any delight in men changing His instructions because someone who seems to have been in the call gave such counsel. And this is what happened with the familiar story of the young and the old prophets.

God called the prophet from Judah to Bethel to deliver a specific message to the king with instructions that forbade him from eating, drinking and sleeping over in the city. He delivered the message well, with accuracy and precision and signs followed immediately to prove the authenticity of his message but did he get back home? No. What happened?

There was an old prophet in the land who used his influence to deceive this man of God from Judah into disobeying the specific instructions God gave him that should be followed after delivering the message. The old prophet said an angel of the Lord appeared to him and gave him instructions for the man of God that were different from what God had told him before. Unfortunately, he listened and that was his death.

The man of God made a grave mistake. You must have heard this popular saying that the voice of men is the voice of God but realistically, it is not true for the believer. The voice of God remains the voice of God. You don’t listen to the counsel of men without confirming that it’s indeed God. And that’s what the man of God should have done.

Truly, there are men who have walked with God ahead of you but you must be careful not make them gods and follow them blindly without being sure they are on track with God. You must not allow men, because of their age, convince you against what God has specifically instructed you. The old prophet was supposed to give an accurate counsel to the man of God but he’d allowed flesh to influence him and delivered a message God did not send him. Men of God, no matter their age, are supposed to represent God, and not replace in the lives of younger believers. Learn from this and make every necessary adjustment.

Reflections: Whose voice has the final authority over my life? Have I willing changed an instruction God gave me because of what an older minister said? What were the results?

Confession: I choose the voice of God as the ultimate authority over my life. I listen to counsels that align with the voice of God to me. I obey God’s instructions fully without holding back.

Related Scripture: 1 Kings 13

Bible Reading: Genesis 24