22/10/2019 - THE DECISION OF AN INSIDIOUS

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Now Ben-Hadad the king of Syria gathered all his forces together; thirty-two kings were with him, with horses and chariots. And he went up and besieged Samaria, and made war against it. 1 Kings 20:1

The lack of fear of God has already wrought havoc in the history of mankind and will still do. Those who lose respect for the Lord make the worst decisions when facing the trials of life. All sorts of crimes happen because people were used by the devil to make others suffer. Those who allow themselves to be used by the evil one have not yet fully developed.

Ben-Hadad was joined by 32 other kings to destroy the northern kingdom, whose name was Israel. In this kingdom all kings were evil and gave themselves to the enemy; therefore, one day, that kingdom was destroyed, and the people, scattered throughout the world, never again having their homeland. Be careful! Do not turn away from the Lord!

The king of Syria and his confederates besieged Samaria. The tactic was to make this city run out of provisions, since no one came in or out. And it came to pass, when Ben-hadad saw that it was time to impose his conditions, that he might not destroy the place, he sent messengers to Ahab, saying that he desired of him gold, silver, and women, and children without blemish. Since Ahab did not fear the Lord, he accepted the proposal.

Ahab’s answer was the most unfortunate one could give to the enemy of his people: My lord, O king, just as you say, I and all that I have are yours (1 Kings 20: 4). How could a descendant of Jacob say this to a wicked king? Unfortunately, sometimes we use words similar to those of the devil and give him what is ours. Thus, we offend the Most High. Love the Lord always!

Everyone should learn to love God to never say yes to the evil one. In addition to offending the Lord, accepting the devil’s offerings makes him want more. The servants of the heavenly Father need to be rooted in the Word; thus, they will not be defeated for lack of knowledge. Satan will not defeat he who is in Christ, and the Lord in him.

When you fail to take hold of the authority given by God, the devil requires more and more, because his purpose is to destroy he who belongs to the Lord. As for the lost, Satan does not care much, because that person is already his. Upon hearing Ahab’s foolish reply, the Syrian king made his demand, saying that he wanted everything that was pleasing to Ahab’s eyes. Watch out! If you give the devil something, he will want more.

The new request terrified Ahab. Perhaps you are also terrified with what the enemy is doing. It’s time to put an end to all that! Reconcile with the Lord and then use the Name of Jesus to drive out the evil one from your life and from the midst of your family. How about praying right now!

In Christ, with love,

R. R. Soares