The halfbaked Bard

2Kings 1 Two captains and hundred men were killed by fire brought from heaven by Elijah from Tishbe. Then third one was wise to plead for mercy. This is fear of the Lord. This is wisdom. This is how you know how to live. Trusting in the one who said - apart from me you can do nothing. The one who said - eternal life is knowing the Father. Where as the world says - blind faith is for naive people. Pro:19:23. Fear of the Lord leads to life. Bringing security and protection from harm. King Ahaziah did not have the wisdom;he was trying to prove. But an unnamed captain feared the Lord. And his life was spares.  Without fear there is no wisdom. Unless you are rich unto God, you will be called a fool finally. Luke 12:21. According to the world, he was a wise investor. But God calls him a fool. The world may call you anything; Doesn't matter. What God calls you will matter.

Asa and Jehoshaphath were good kings of Judah. But they did not completely follow the Lord. They failed to remove all the pagan shrines. Is my heart completely set to follow the Lord? Are their still pagan shrines which I haven't broken down?  Habits of the past? Not necessarily the bad ones. But which eat away time and fill up the priority to God  Habits which the world has accepted, the norm of the world. But clearly unacceptable to God. There is a prick in my heart. But can't do anything about it. Choices which are clearly appeasing the world and not the Master. Dialects that have been with us since childhood. That filthy lingo which you can't control. Lord, I pray; I am unable to bring many of my pagan shrines down. It has been part of my life. I, on my own find it difficult to tear it down. Forcefully you do it, Lord. I let you do it. Help me, my Father 

I'm so surprised that, Ahab was probably the most evil king of Israel, yet much is told about him. How many opportunities God was giving him, through prophets. How he refused to listen. How he was exposed time and again to godly men. The advises he got both good and bad and what he listened to and what he gave importance to. It just shows God's heart yearning to bring Ahab back from the grip of Satan. How much God loved Ahab..... Are we any different? Rom:5:8 For since our friendship with God was restored by the death of His Son, while we were still his enemies. Oh! What a gracious God is this? When we rebelled, when we were His enemies, when we were jeering at His face, He loved us.

Micaiah was a prophet at the time of King Ahab. When he was called to prophesy, the one statement that he commits himself to, challenged me. "I will say only what the Lord tells me to say." For which he has made the king angry. For which he is imprisoned. For which he is unsure of his release even. But one thing he is sure. " I will say only what the Lord tells me to say." Well I am not a preacher to vow like that, is it? Mal:3:16 Then those who feared the Lord spoke with each other and the Lord listened to what they said. What you say, what you speak with your friends, the Lord is carefully (as in Malayalam translation) listening. God would tell, come on, Amith is speaking something, let us listen to what he is talking. Will He be ashamed before the angels because of what I talk or would He be proud of me? Would He want to listen again the next time, calling others as well? Would He find me good and faithful? Be sure of what you talk.

As a child of God, what do my words do? Build up someone or crumble them? Twice in 1Kings:22, King Jehoshaphath of Judah, when he came to spend time with Ahab, King of Israel, he reminds him; Jehoshaphath remains a man of integrity. He says words of edification. 🔺"But first let's find out what the Lord says." Promoting Ahab to seek the will of God. Though he is willing to help him out of his brotherly love to him, he motivates Ahab to look unto the Lord. What do I inspire people around me to do? Do I bring them closer to their Father God. God forbid, I take them farther away. But being equivocal or silent, trying to protect my image, I am agreeing with them. How much God would be happy, if we could bring them a step closer to Him? 🔺"That's not the way a king should talk." A gentle correction. According to his wisdom. And Jehoshaphath is in Ahab's kingdom now. Any word that would trigger Ahab, a very cruel king would have ended his life and ...

1Kings:16:30 But Ahab, son of Omri did what was evil in the Lord's sight, even more than any of the kings before him. 1Kings:21:25 No one else so completely sold himself to what was evil in the Lord's sight as Ahab did under the influence of his wife Jezebel. Is there hope for such a man as Ahab? But when Elijah pointed out, what he did to Naboth was wrong, Ahab tore his clothing, dressed and slet in burlap, fasted and went into deep mourning. See what God had to say finally about him to Elijah. 1Kings:21:29 Do you see how Ahab has humbled Himself before me? I do not know whether Ahab was reinstated before God. But the fact that he humbled Himself and repented, is true and because of that there is hope for him. Ah! There is hope for a man as worse as Ahab, brings in hope for me as well. Not that I am less; as I am in my heart, as worse as him. Yet there is hope, if I repent. Hope to be reinstated for the very purpose I am created, though I had rebelled and walked aw...

When pointed out a mistake, do not be angry or sullen. Respond with repentance, a feeling that I have hurt Him. That I have grieved Him yet again. Repent from the depths of your heart, for that is humility Repent and do not sulk. Pride prevents. Pride gives another excuse. Pride justifies  Pride points fingers at others too. But a humble one accepts his wrong. Ahab in 1Kings:20:43 was angry and sullen When a prophet said he was entirely wrong. In contrast to David who cried aloud. Against you and you alone have I sinned. That is exactly why, David was reinstated and Ahab was not. That is why David was called a man after God's own heart. How do I take criticism?