For so was it charged me by the word of the LORD. – Kings 13:9
An experiment with teenagers showed how they handle peer pressure. Groups of 10 adolescents were brought into a room and instructed to raise their hands when the teacher pointed to the longest line on three charts. Nine of the people had been told ahead of time to vote for the second-longest line. But one person in the group had not been told.
The experiment began with nine teenagers voting for the wrong line. The tenth person would typically glance around, frown in confusion, and slip his hand up with the group because he lacked the courage to challenge them.
In 1 Kings 13, an unidentified man of God performed miraculous signs at the altar of Bethel. But then, after this great victory, he took the word of another prophet to be the truth even though he knew it was contrary to what God had told him. Because of his disobedience, he was killed by a lion.
The story teaches us that God’s Word is superior to anyone else’s word and therefore should be obeyed. When we’re tempted to buckle under pressure, it’s then that we must stand firm. God’s Word – the truth – can always be relied on.
O help us, Lord, to heed Your Word.
Its precepts to obey;
And may we fight the tendecy
To walk in our own way.
God’s Word is the compass that keeps us on course.
