Let’s have a “sit down”. I have some special “Raspberry Tea” I would love to share with you. Actually you can choose Jasmine Tea or a Breakfast Tea if you like. But let’s sit here at this table.

I was reading a while back in I Kings chapter 22….and this “jumped” off the page.

“For three years there was no war between Aram and Israel. But in the third year Jehoshaphat king of Judah went down to see the king of Israel.” I Kings 22:1-2

The king of Israel asks Jehoshaphat if he will go with him in war against Ramoth Gilead. Jehoshaphat replied that “I am as you are, my people as your people, my horses as your horses”….then he also said…”First seek the counsel of the LORD.”

So the four hundred or so prophets were brought in to give “the word” to the king. Or the “go ahead”.

And they all tell him “what he wants to hear”.

But in verse 7 Jehoshaphat asked, “Is there not a prophet of the LORD here whom we can inquire of?” (Sounded to me like he saw straight through all the hog-wash)

So they brought out Micaiah —even though the king really didn’t want to hear what he had to say because “he never prophesies anything good about me, but always bad.” (Verse 8)

I think that when all the “sounding brass” prophets began their encouragement to go to battle—it may have sounded something like “Charlie Brown’s teacher”…”wah-wah-waaaaah–wah—wahhhhh… to Jehoshaphat’s ears.

But when Micaiah was called in and gave his “Word from the LORD”…it rang clear— as truth always does. To those who want to “hear” the truth.

Then Micaiah answered, “I saw all Israel scattered on the hills like sheep without a shepherd, and the LORD said, ‘These people have no master. Let each one go home in peace.'” (Verse 17)

Micaiah continued, “Therefore hear the word of the LORD: I saw the LORD sitting on his throne with all the host of heaven standing around him on his right and on his left. And the Lord said, ‘Who will entice Ahab into attacking Ramoth Gilead and going to his death there?’
“One suggested this, and the other that. Finally, a spirit came forward, stood before the LORD and said, ‘I will entice him.’ “By what means?’ the LORD asked. “‘I will go out and be a lying spirit in the mouths of all his prophets,’ he said. “‘You will succeed in enticing him,’ said the LORD. ‘Go and do it.’ “So now the LORD has put a lying spirit in the mouths of all these prophets of yours. The LORD has decreed disaster for you.” I Kings 22:19-23 (emphasis mine)

Okay. I know you are wondering….what is up with this?

Let me finish…drink you tea.

Sit back. Rest.

We’ve got all day….well, maybe just a little while longer. But it won’t take me long.

Here—let me pass you some sugar…need some lemon for your tea?

On most week days, my sister, Aimee and I discuss whatever we read that morning or the night before in our devotionals or Bible Study. Sometimes, life enters our conversations. Okay. On most days. Life interrupts what we most enjoy discussing.

Sometime last year (I really can’t remember the month it took place), we were plagued yet again by another “family situation”—we begin to talk about the “whys”.

No clear answer—-except the “enemy of lies and deceit” has been at work. It is purely amazing who he attacks.

We have a loved one who is surrounded by bars of deceit. We both love him and have prayed for him for all of our praying lives. Little does he realize the metal that constrains his life has constrained ours as well. Not in a physical form…but in a spiritual form.

Why? Well, I think maybe because it has caused us shame. Not only shame, but pain.

The pain comes from the fact that “the loved one” cannot see what the enemy is doing. Even though this road has been traveled before. You’d think one’s eyes would be open to the ploys of the enemy. But I see now that his eyes were not opened completely—and sad to say…for many of us we don’t learn a lesson of listening to lies the first time.

I have battled telling this story. Partly due to the shame of it all. Even though it is not about us. It still affects us. Even though we didn’t cause it…we still feel it.

Do we realize that our actions have “reactions” in others? That they are affected by our actions and decisions. Parents know this is true —they know it all too well.

But kids know it as well. Kids of parents that are living with the enemy of lies and deceit.

I don’t know what you have faced. I don’t know who or what you have listened to. But know this. God is not one who would lie. Rather He will help you see the truth and deal with the truth—even though it may be painful. He is the only One who can heal, restore and bring glory to the shame filled—deceived life. If you have a wound—that has not healed due to the lies of the enemy—give it over to Him today. Don’t let it poison your entire life. Let Him heal you.

It’s okay to have a scar. A scar shows a sign that the Lord has come in and applied His ointment to our lives. We are changed. And…

We are left with a reminder of His love and mercy.

Picture from the our Women’s Tea –I was invited to sit at “Susan’s table”!

What was it? Well, there was more than one miracle that day….go to the Sisters of Faith site to read it all….It is Day 23 in the 90 Days with the One and Only!

And don’t forget….pray for my April today….as she labors (pray that it won’t be as long as the first time) and delivers a “healthy” baby! (It’s a boy—totally a quiver full of 5 in the grandchildren department!)

IF you aren’t already involved in a good Bible Study….I have a couple of suggestions: Sisters of Faith (click on the blogsite) and Amy (my bloggity designer!!!) of In Pursuit of Proverbs 31!

Feed your soul….some good nourishment—

May God’s best blessings be poured out “onya”!

II Corinthians 4
NLT
1 And so, since God in His mercy has given us this wonderful ministry, we never give up. (As Tom Ford said, “I won’t back up, let up, or shut up until I am taken up”).

2 We reject all shameful and underhanded methods. We do not try to trick anyone, and we do not distort the Word of God. We tell the truth before God, and all who are honest know that.

3 If the Good News we preach is veiled from anyone, it is a sign that they are perishing.

John 12:40 says: “He has blinded their eyes and deadened their hearts, so they can neither see with their eyes, nor understand with their hearts, nor turn—and I would heal them”.

5 We don’t go around preaching about ourselves; we preach Christ Jesus, the Lord. All we say about ourselves is that we are your servants because of what Jesus has done for us.

I Corinthians 9:19 says: Though I am free and belong to no man, I make myself a slave to everyone, to win as many as possible.

6 For God, who said, “Let there be light in the darkness,” has made us understand that this light is the brightness of the glory of God that is seen in the face of Jesus Christ. [Jesus said to the people, “I am the light of the world. If you follow me, you won’t be stumbling through the darkness, because you will have the light that leads to life.” John 8:12]

7 But this precious treasure—this light and power that now shine within us—is held in perishable containers, that is, in our weak bodies. So everyone can see that our glorious power is from God and is not our own.

8 We are pressed on every side by troubles, but we are not crushed and broken. We are perplexed, but we don’t give up and quit.

9 We are hunted down, but God never abandons us. We get knocked down, but we get up again and keep going.
10 Through suffering, these bodies of ours constantly share in the death of Jesus so that the life of Jesus may also be seen in our bodies.

Romans 8:17 says: Since we are his children, we will share his [God’s] treasures—for everything God gives to his Son, Christ, is ours, too. But if we are to share his glory, we must also share his suffering.

11 Yes, we live under constant danger of death because we serve Jesus, so that the life of Jesus will be obvious in our dying bodies.

12 So we live in the face of death, but it has resulted in eternal life for you.

13 But we continue to preach because we have the same kind of faith the psalmist had when he said, “I believed in God, and so I speak.”

14 We know that same God who raised our Lord Jesus will also raise us with Jesus and present us to himself along with you.

15 All of these things are for your benefit. And as God’s grace brings more and more people to Christ, there will be great thanksgiving, and God will receive more and more glory.

16 That is why we never give up. Though our bodies are dying, our spirits are being renewed every day.

17 For our present troubles are quite small and won’t last very long. Yet they produce for us an immeasurably great glory that will last forever!

1 Peter 1:6-7 Be truly glad! There is wonderful joy ahead, even though it is necessary for you [God’s chosen people] to endure many trials for a while. These trials are only to test your faith, to show that it is strong and pure. It is being tested as fire tests and purifies gold–and your faith is far more precious to God than mere gold. So if your faith remains strong after being tried by fiery trials, it will bring you much praise and glory and honor on the day when Jesus Christ is revealed to the whole world.

18 So we don’t look at the troubles we can see right now; rather, we look forward to what we have not yet seen. For the troubles we see will soon be over, but the joys to come will last forever.

And even we Christians, although we have the Holy Spirit within us as a foretaste of future glory, also groan to be released from pain and suffering. We, too, wait anxiously for that day when God will give us our full rights as his children, including the new bodies he has promised us. Now that we are saved, we eagerly look forward to this freedom. For if you already have something, you don’t need to hope for it. Romans 8:23-24

I PRAISE HIS NAME that we can see that day approaching.

I lift my voice and my hands toward heaven and glorify my Father….the giver of life! The lifter of heads, the soon coming King! My heart’s desire is MORE of Christ….less of me.