DO NOT LISTEN OR CONSENT

“And all the elders and all the people said to him, “Do not listen or consent.” 1 Kings 20:8 (NKJV)

There are three gates into a man’s life, the eye, the ear and the mouth, and one must be very careful who/what they give access to. These are not the days to walk about carelessly, or to handle yourself anyhow. Ephesians 5:15 (KJV) says “See then that ye walk circumspectly, not as fools, but as wise.“ This means that, you must be careful what you pay attention to, because whatever you give your attention to, has the ability to affect your life either positively or negatively.

If you read from verse one of 1Kings 20, you will see that the King of Syria literally decided to start a war with the King of Israel. He started sending him threatening messages demanding the goods of the land, and the King of Israel agreed to these terms. And of course, Ben-Hadad even requested for more than what he asked for initially. At this point, Ahab cried out to the elders of the land about what was happening. Verse 8, which is our text of the day, tells us what the elders’ response was. They said to him “Do not listen or consent”, because whatever you consent to, has the power to influence you.

I particularly like the order of their statement, which is listen first, then consent, because you must listen first, to give consent. These elders said, don’t even listen, not to mention giving consent, and I believe that, that was the turning point for Ahab. The Bible tells us that they went on to defeat the Syrians.

Child of God, what are you listening to, and what are you consenting to? You can change the course of situations, you can turn it around, you have the power and authority to do that. Therefore, don’t just accept any thought that comes into your head, you have the right to choose what you pay attention to, and what you consent to. Make the right decision today.

Further Reading: 1 Kings 20:1-21
Daily Bible Reading: Morning- 2 Chronicles 30-31; Evening- John 18:1-18