April 24, 2018 SHARE: Reading time: two minutes. One of my favorite stories from the many thrilling adventures of the prophets is the story of Micaiah (yes, Micaiah, not Micah, but he won’t survive your spell-checker) in 1 Kings 22. It is a perfect depiction of the difference between intellectual curiosity and closed-minded stubbornness. We’re all surrounded by people with insights, wisdom and perspectives that, if we’re curious enough, could be tremendously helpful. If we’re not wise enough to discern the difference between good advice and bad counsel, disaster follows. It’s the story about a very unusual alliance where the king of Israel in the north and the king of Judah in the south considered working together for a common purpose. And it’s a story of the prophet of the Lord having a good time with a couple of idiots. Jehoshaphat went to see Ahab and the two should have been natural enemies, but they had a common goal in attacking Ramoth-Gilead, so an alliance was formed. Jehoshaphat, in a little better standing with the Lord, suggested that they consult the prophets before making their move, so Ahab brought in his 400 “Yes-Men” who always told him just what he wanted them to say, and sure enough, they all say, “Go for it! God is with you!” Here’s where it gets interesting. Ahab has no interest in what God thinks about his ideas. He’s lost all curiosity. He’s locked in on his own desires and his own thinking. He’s satisfied that he already knows everything and he’s not interested in the truth. Jehoshaphat asks, “Isn’t there a real prophet around?” and Ahab, begrudgingly suggests, “Well, there is this one guy, Micaiah, but I hate him because he always says bad things about me.” Ouch. The truth hurts, Ahab! Micaiah is summoned and given instructions to just go along with the king, so he, quite sarcastically, says, “Sure. Knock yourself out. Attack, and have fun.” Ahab says, “Just tell the truth, would you!” Micaiah responds, “You are in deep weeds here, king. You’ve been lied to and deceived and you wouldn’t know the truth if it hit you in the face. Your idea is a disaster waiting to happen. Here’s how you’ll know if I’m telling the truth: if you make it back alive.” You have to read this chapter! Guess what happens. Ahab comes back dead. It pays to be curious and to listen, especially to the Lord. Who are your people of wisdom and insight? Who gives good advice, even though sometimes you’d rather not hear it? How have you benefitted from seeking out opinions other than your own? There’s joy to be found in hearing the truth. Thanks for reading. Subscribe to Blog Our ministry is made possible by the generous donations of people just like you. Click here to discover how simple it is to make your gift of any size to Grace Place Wellness. Do you know someone who might be interested in becoming a major benefactor to sponsor a retreat in your area? Our President/CEO Randy Fauser would love to hear from you today!