“Be careful what you wish for. God might just give you what you ask for.”

Aaron Gallagher

Hmm. I had never thought about it that way. God never wants bad things to happen to us or for us to be unhappy, but sometimes, He allows those things because we made a bad decision. In Israel’s case, they rejected God, so He allowed them to have an earthly king to punish and teach them a lesson. When you find yourself complaining about things that aren’t going your way or aren’t to your liking, stop and think, “What am I wishing for?” It may just be that the things you’re complaining about today will be gone tomorrow and you’ll realize that even the little things that we take for granted, are really big things when we have to do without them. This month I want us to challenge ourselves with three things…

Challenge #1: Before complaining, remember the positives.

There is always something to be positive about in every situation you go through (Philippians 4:11).

Challenge #2: Thank God for your blessings, no matter how small.

Always pray to Him, thanking Him for everything He does for you, big and small. Sometimes, it’s the little things that make a big difference (1 Thessalonians 5:18).

Challenge #3: Remember that God is our Father.

As Christians, we are God’s children. He’s sovereign and will make sure that no matter what, we will be taken care of. Trust His decisions. He knows what’s best because He sees the whole picture (Romans 8:28).

As you go throughout this month, I want you to take this thought with you and hold it close…

“One of the greatest acts of grace and mercy in my life is prayers that I’ve prayed to God and God said ‘Uh, no’.”

Aaron Gallagher

God is looking out for you in the best possible way. When He says, “No”, remember just how meaningful that is.

The post Be Careful What You Wish For appeared first on Growing in Grace.

A Quick Background on Jezebel:

Jezebel was the wife of King Ahab who was also very wicked. The Bible tells us that, “Ahab the son of Omri did evil in the sight of the Lord, more than all who were before him.” (1 Kings 16:30 NKJV). Needless to say, this royal couple would’ve been scary to be around and you wouldn’t want to get on their bad side.

Jezebel’s Evil Character:

1. She Was An Idolater

It seems that Jezebel never had any desire to serve the true God. She served false gods. Gods that were worthless and useless.

2. She Was Willing To Do Anything To Get What She Wanted

Jezebel went to extremes to get her way. In 1 Kings 21, in order to make King Ahab happy, she had a man killed just so the king could have the man’s vineyard.

3. She Was Dishonest

Many times Jezebel lied. In the same story mentioned above, she wrote a letter in the king’s name and she spread false accusations against the man Naboth, which unfortunately, led to his death.

4. Her Conscience Was So Seared That She Had No Regrets For Her Sin

When she heard the news that Naboth was dead, she told King Ahab,

“Arise, take possession of the vineyard of Naboth the Jezreelite, which he refused to give you for money; for Naboth is not alive, but dead.”

1 Kings 21:15 NKJV

No regret is ever mentioned or implied. She almost seems proud of herself for getting the job done. This helps us see even more how wicked she was.

5. She Encouraged Evil

In 1 Kings 21:25, it says,

“But there was no one like Ahab who sold himself to do wickedness in the sight of the Lord, because Jezebel his wife stirred him up.”

1 Kings 21:25 NKJV

Jezebel not only did evil herself, she encouraged her husband to do evil!

These 5 things are very dangerous to us. We have to be careful not to fall into this same lifestyle.

Ways To Avoid Becoming Like Jezebel:

1. Seek God First

“But seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things shall be added to you.”

Matthew 6:33 NKJV

Seeking Him first can only lead to good things. Make sure to study to give yourself a firm foundation in the scriptures and belief in the one, true God.

2. Be Content

Jezebel took extreme measures to get what she wanted. In order to avoid this, we must learn to be content. Paul said in Philippians 4:11,

“…for I have learned in whatever state I am, to be content:”

Philippians 4:11 NKJV

Paul knew the importance of being content. He was looking forward to Heaven. Nothing else in this world matters. If you have God and the hope of Heaven, you can be content no matter what life’s circumstances. I’m not saying it isn’t hard, but WE CAN DO IT! Try not to compare yourself to others. Be grateful for what you have! God has blessed us with so much already!

3. Always Tell The Truth

Many times, lying happens to cover up a mistake you made. Although the consequences for our mistakes on earth can be bad if the truth is uncovered, it cannot compare with what the eternal consequence is if we choose to lie and don’t repent. God hates lying and liars will have their part “in the lake which burns with fire and brimstone” (Revelation 21:8 NKJV). It is much better to suffer the consequences of our mistakes here on earth than the eternal consequence of lying to try to hide them.

4. Let The Bible Be Your Guide, Not Your Conscience

When you make a mistake, don’t justify it. Avoid listening to your feelings and emotions and let the Bible guide you into truth. Admit that you’ve done wrong and change. Justifying your sin can lead to your conscience becoming seared like Jezebel.

“Speaking lies in hypocrisy, having their own conscience seared with a hot iron,”

1 Timothy 4:2 NKJV

When your conscience becomes seared, you can sin a little easier the next time until you’ve sinned so much that it doesn’t even bother you anymore. We have to guard against this!

5. Don’t Approve Of Others Who Practice Sin

Romans 1:32 says,

“Who, knowing the righteous judgment of God, that those who practice such things are deserving of death, not only do the same but also approve of those who practice them.”

Romans 1:32 NKJV

Our job on earth is not to make people happy. It is to share the gospel with others and to save souls! If we don’t expose sin, how are we going to help people get to Heaven? We must lovingly expose sin, and encourage people to change their lives.

There is a lot to be learned from the life of Jezebel. Even though she was a terribly wicked queen, there are good lessons we can learn to help us be better people and most importantly, better Christians. We do have to work at it, but with God all things are possible!

“But Jesus looked at them and said, ‘With men it is impossible, but not with God; for with God all things are possible.'”

Mark 10:27 NKJV

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