Originally posted on Facebook on Friday, May 16, 2025.

Was blessed with another treasure in Bible Study this morning. 1 Kings 13 is rich.

It's the account of the man of God who was killed by a lion after following instructions from a prophet that contradicted what God told him to do.

Reading it again this morning stirred so many questions in my heart.

I asked God, why did the man of God heed the prophet? The man of God clearly understood what God had commanded him, as he repeated it word for word at least twice.

I sense it's because what the man of God was tasked with was heavy, terrifying, and isolating. He was being sent into hostile territory to confront people gripped in a culture of idolatry—where he would have no allies, and to the king no less—someone who had power to hurt and kill him. In a word, the man of God felt alone (see 1 Kings 18:22).

After such a harrowing ordeal, I would have readily welcomed a friendly face too.

Then I observed that there was already a prophet in Bethel—the old prophet. So why didn't God send the prophet that was already there?

I sense that God did not send the prophet that was already there because he was already there. The old prophet was a part of the very thing that needed to be corrected.

The last question I'll share (as I have many) is how could the man of God have known? While he knew what God told him, how could he know that the old prophet was lying?

What burned in my heart is that it is vital that we not only discern the "what" of God, but also—and more importantly—the "why" of God. God does not just do things; He does them for a reason. So we must seek and discern His purpose and see it through to its completion.

God's purpose here was to restore—to bring His people out of a condition of sin, which you cannot do if you're participating in it with them.

"But others save with fear, pulling them out of the fire, hating even the garment defiled by the flesh." —Jude 1:23

In all, I gleaned:

• Be mindful of the things of God rather than the things of men. While an action or reaction may be perfectly reasonable, that is no excuse for disobedience. Be prepared to walk alone.

• Be careful not to be in the thing that God has chosen you to help others out of.

• Be clear, not only on what to do, but on God's why. Seek diligently and discern God's purpose in what He's leading you to do. When His leading is in agreement with His Word (1 Corinthians 14:32), stand on that and see it through to the end no matter what anyone else says (Acts 21:10-14).

#StayMindfulOfTheThingsOfGod