My Month Of Integrity! Ps119:1

Yet another instruction from the Lord not to throw away our integrity.
Beware of gifts.
The Lord, who tells us that there is more happiness in giving than in receiving, warns us about accepting gifts.
We must already recognise that many of us give gifts with ulterior motives; we often expect favours and make the recipient feel indebted.
One day, the Lord sent a young prophet on a mission.
The prophet’s task was to give the Lord’s prophetic thoughts to King Jeroboam.
Jeroboam was burning incense when the man of God arrived.
The servant of God began to shout on the altar at the word of the Lord and gave a sign.
Jeroboam was the king and to see someone even though he was anointed by the Lord speak tactlessly to him made his pride swell.
Like any influential and powerful man, the king wanted to establish his authority, he relied on his gods who had no power and his hand dried up.
The Bible tells us that the altar cracked and the ashes were spread according to the sign the Lord had given.
In his cunning, the king begged for God’s mercy, which had been granted to him.
What interests us this morning is the attitude of King Jeroboam, when he realised that there was a power above his own,
that he could not act haphazardly and defy the Lord,
he began to use stratagems to seduce and seduce the Lord’s anointed.
Two people who were at odds, two people who had two different altars, two people who had opposing covenants, two people one of whom was for God and the other for idols,
two people who are not looking in the same direction.
How can they come to an agreement?
Jeroboam knows that we human beings love honours,
we like to feel important.
Given that he is the king and that a relationship with him can open all doors and make us sit with the great, wants to corrupt the man of God.
Jeroboam, knowing that the Lord’s worker was on his guard, offers to go to his house so that he can receive him and give him gifts.
Gifts are sometimes the source of our lack of integrity.
What we receive flatters us and leads us away from the Lord’s recommendations.
Gifts prevent us from being loyal,
Gifts limit our honesty,
Packages blur our objectivity.
The young prophet had received a very clear order from his superiors that he should be cautious about everything he was offered.
Here is our shepherd’s response.
1 Kings 13:8 – The man of God said to the king, “If you give me half your house, I will not go in with you. I will not eat bread or drink water in this place;
Pray that gifts will not cause you to lose your integrity.
The prophet refused everything the king could offer him.
No matter how much glory Jeroboam could give him, he was not prepared to deny his God for the glory of men.
So the Lord’s advice to us at this time of year is to look at all the gifts we can receive, because they can stifle our Christian walk and take us out of the blessing.
Good morning friends
Good day to you
https://youtu.be/RYzHe2k-mXA?si=do8wZIEciikjnPrr