No Way!
And all the elders and all the people said unto him, Hearken not unto him, nor consent. Wherefore he said unto the messengers of Benhadad, Tell my lord the king, All that thou didst send for to thy servant at the first I will do: but this thing I may not do. And the messengers departed, and brought him word again. ~1 Kings 20:8-9
Have you ever been pushed and tempted in an area of your life where you finally came to the point where you said, “I can’t do this”? Have you defined in your life what you will not do? King Ahab was a weak and pathetic king. He was a man who expected to be pampered. He was led by a strong-willed wife who saw him as a means to her end. Ahab was confronted by Benhadad, the king of Syria. Benhadad wanted to control and dominate everything in Ahab’s life. When Benhadad threatened that his servants would take everything that was pleasant in their eyes from Ahab’s houses, Ahab told him, "This thing I may not do." Ahab told Benhadad, “No way!” Would you consider four areas where we need to say “no way” to?
Say “no way” to your desires.
I am referring to carnal, fleshly, and unrestrained desires—desires that are forbidden, desires that control us, desires that lead to pride, and desires that are the lust of the flesh and the lust of the eyes. These desires are many and hurtful. These desires lead to immoral advances, deceitful practices, defiled living, wicked uncontrolled thinking, and sordid relationships. Unrestrained desires lead to our downfall and destruction. Let’s tell our carnal desires, “No way.”
Say “no way” to the devil.
The devil plays the bait-and-switch game all the time. All temptations have a seductive lure to them and a stimulating lie. The devil always makes sin look good. The devil always makes doing wrong alright. The devil misleads us into listening to his counsel when we should be listening to God alone. Like Jesus, we must command Satan, “Get thee behind me!” Think of what would have happened if Eve told the devil, “No way!” Think of what would have happened if Achan told the devil, “No way!” Think of what would have happened if Judas Iscariot told the devil “No way!” Tell him, “No way!”
Say “no way” to desperation.
When we are desperate, we make compromising decisions. We go against the good counsel of our spiritual leaders. We have fate-induced thinking instead of faith-inspired thinking! We compromise Biblical commands to get ahead. We compromise our families to satisfy our selfish agendas. We compromise the peace of God so that we can enjoy the pleasures of sin for a season. We stop at a shade tree that leads to our ruin. Say "no way" to desperation. Don’t allow yourself to come to the place of desperation. That place is filled with doubt, godless thinking, and worldly strategizing. Say "no way" to desperation living, and say "yes" to depending on God for all your needs.
Say "no way" to defeat. Ahab knew that if he consented to Benhadad, the kingdom would be lost. Even he had a point in his life where he refused to fall deeper into the hole. Say “no way” to being defeated. Say "no way" to giving up. Say "no way" to throwing in the towel. Say "no way" to loser-thinking. Say “no way!”
This thing I may not do. Don’t do it. No way!
Have a resolute God Morning!
Bible Reading Schedule: Zechariah 1-7