King James Daily Bible Study Devotional
Message Title: Standing by God
Date: Monday April 16, 2012
Today's Chapters: 1 Kings 21-22

Hello My Friend,

It's not always easy becoming a Christian, you learn rather quickly who your real friends are by the way they react to your new found faith. As you grow in Christ, it gets even harder when you place God before family or friends. However, there is truly no better life than the Christian life. Jesus said, “If the world hate you, ye know that it hated me before it hated you. If ye were of the world, the world would love his own: but because ye are not of the world, but I have chosen you out of the world, therefore the world hateth you. Remember the word that I said unto you, The servant is not greater than his lord. If they have persecuted me, they will also persecute you; if they have kept my saying, they will keep yours also.” - John 15:18-20.

Just think about it, whether you know Christ or not you still have to deal with cruelty, hate, hardships, temptation, just to name a few, but at least with Christ by your side He makes it much easier to deal with these things. “But thanks be to God, which giveth us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ. Therefore, my beloved brethren, be ye stedfast, unmoveable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, forasmuch as ye know that your labour is not in vain in the Lord.” - 1 Corinthians 15:57,28.

Ahab was one of the most detestable, vile kings of the Old Testament, at the center of all this was his wife, Jezebel. While he may have been king in Israel, she was the one in control and whatever Ahab wanted, she got for him. This time Jezebel did something so wicked that God would place judgment upon his entire family. “And it came to pass after these things, that Naboth the Jezreelite had a vineyard, which was in Jezreel, hard by the palace of Ahab king of Samaria. And Ahab spake unto Naboth, saying, Give me thy vineyard, that I may have it for a garden of herbs, because it is near unto my house: and I will give thee for it a better vineyard than it; or, if it seem good to thee, I will give thee the worth of it in money. And Naboth said to Ahab, The LORD forbid it me, that I should give the inheritance of my fathers unto thee. And Ahab came into his house heavy and displeased because of the word which Naboth the Jezreelite had spoken to him: for he had said, I will not give thee the inheritance of my fathers. And he laid him down upon his bed, and turned away his face, and would eat no bread. But Jezebel his wife came to him, and said unto him, Why is thy spirit so sad, that thou eatest no bread?” - 1 Kings 21:1-5.

The wicked Jezebel had Naboth killed so that Ahab could get that property. The one time in her life she uses God's name and it is to lie to the people to get them to stone an innocent man. Wicked people may claim that they do not believe in God, but they will sure use His name to get what they want. The devil is the biggest liar there is to use God's name to his advantage, taking multitudes of people down to hell with him, but one day he and every person who has used God's name in a wicked way have the same fate. “And the devil that deceived them was cast into the lake of fire and brimstone, where the beast and the false prophet are, and shall be tormented day and night for ever and ever.” - Revelation 20:10.

Naboth was right to stand by God, even if that meant it would end his life because he knew that his new life would begin in heaven. “According to my earnest expectation and my hope, that in nothing I shall be ashamed, but that with all boldness, as always, so now also Christ shall be magnified in my body, whether it be by life, or by death. For to me to live is Christ, and to die is gain. But if I live in the flesh, this is the fruit of my labour: yet what I shall choose I wot not. For I am in a strait betwixt two, having a desire to depart, and to be with Christ; which is far better:” -Philippians 1:20-23.

Now, Elijah never backed down in his faith in God, no matter what task God gave him he remained faithful and obedient to His commands, even when they seemed life threatening. Of course he got discouraged at times, even ran for his life a couple of times, but he never lost his faith in the Almighty God. When God saw Ahab walking through Naboth's vineyard He called on Elijah to go back to the Northern Kingdom to face Ahab with some dire news. “Arise, go down to meet Ahab king of Israel, which is in Samaria: behold, he is in the vineyard of Naboth, whither he is gone down to possess it. And thou shalt speak unto him, saying, Thus saith the LORD, Hast thou killed, and also taken possession? And thou shalt speak unto him, saying, Thus saith the LORD, In the place where dogs licked the blood of Naboth shall dogs lick thy blood, even thine. And Ahab said to Elijah, Hast thou found me, O mine enemy? And he answered, I have found thee: because thou hast sold thyself to work evil in the sight of the LORD...And of Jezebel also spake the LORD, saying, The dogs shall eat Jezebel by the wall of Jezreel.” - 1 Kings 21:18-20,23.

Ahab looked to Elijah as an enemy, someone out to get him, what he failed to realize was that Elijah was not against him, but for him, God was trying to get him to repent. Those who are living in sin get very offensive when confronted about their sin, especially by those who are living for God. While we are not to judge the sinner, for we all are sinners, we are able to give the right judgment to people. “Brethren, if any of you do err from the truth, and one convert him; Let him know, that he which converteth the sinner from the error of his way shall save a soul from death, and shall hide a multitude of sins.” - James 5:19,20.

Elijah's prophecy would soon unfold, Ahab disguised himself and went into battle to get Benhadad to return a portion of land to Ahab that he had possession of for sparing his life. “And a certain man drew a bow at a venture, and smote the king of Israel between the joints of the harness: wherefore he said unto the driver of his chariot, Turn thine hand, and carry me out of the host; for I am wounded...So the king died, and was brought to Samaria; and they buried the king in Samaria. And one washed the chariot in the pool of Samaria; and the dogs licked up his blood; and they washed his armour; according unto the word of the LORD which he spake.” - 1 Kings 20:34,37,38.

Elijah and Naboth was hated by their own people because they would not go against God nor lie to keep peace. Lies do nothing, but create more problems, you see where it got Ahab and eventually all the evil that Jezebel thought she got away with would come back to haunt her as well. While it may seem easier to compromise with the world, all it does is make a godly person sin against God. Those who truly are a friend will respect what we believe, will not try to get us to go against what we believe, and will believe too . “And the servant of the Lord must not strive; but be gentle unto all men, apt to teach, patient, In meekness instructing those that oppose themselves; if God peradventure will give them repentance to the acknowledging of the truth; And that they may recover themselves out of the snare of the devil, who are taken captive by him at his will.” - 2 Timothy 2:24-26.

Today's Psalm: 20:8 - “They are brought down and fallen: but we are risen, and stand upright.”

Today's Proverb: 28:5 - “Evil men understand not judgment: but they that seek the LORD understand all things.”

Today's Prayer: God, You know my heart, You know my faith, and You know my desire to love You with all my heart, mind, and soul, but there is not a day that goes by where I am not being challenged by family, friends, or even strangers, to change what I believe. People mock me, tease me, and constantly try to test me to see if I will stand by You or fall. Lord, give me Your power and strength to get through this day and every day, even when I fall I know You are there to pick me up and get me back on my feet again. Let me not lose sight of You in anything that I do. I ask this in Jesus; name. Amen.

Enjoy the rest of your day/night.
God Bless You, I am praying for you,
Christina

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