You Know!

There was a little boy in our church that was reading a children’s book at home. It had a recurring line “You know! But you just don’t want to say it!” It became his favorite saying.

How old are you?

“You know! But you just don’t want to say it!”

What is your name?

“You know! But you just don’t want to say it!”

Eventually the phrase was shortened to just “You know!!”

Sometimes this childish phrase fits the situation, as in the case of Jehoshaphat and Ahab.

Jehoshaphat had visited Ahab and while he was there, Ahab flattered him and convinced him to send his armies to fight together with Ahab’s armies. Yet even in the midst of this bad decision, Jehoshaphat wanted to hear what God said about it. Ahab called 400 of his prophets and with one voice they told the two kings “Go up! You will win.”

The only problem was something didn’t ring true in their prophesying. Jehoshaphat recognized this, and asked “Don’t you have any other prophets? I really want to hear what God says.”

Well…I do…but he never prophesies good about me.

Nonetheless, Jehoshaphat convinced Ahab to call Micaiah. When Micaiah arrives, at first he goes along with what everyone else says. Now, even Ahab can recognize this is not the truth, and admonishes Micaiah to tell the truth, Micaiah did, and Ahab ignores the warning. Jehoshaphat, who wanted to hear what God would say, doesn’t want to believe what God said. Off to battle they go, and soon Ahab dies.

How often, the false prophets speak, and deep within, we know it is not the truth.

“You know!”

The fault-finders criticize and bend the truth…

“You know!”

Leaders are attacked because of their stand for righteousness and separation…

“You know!”

The Holy Spirit bears witness within and we know what is right. That was one of the things that was so refreshing when I came to NTCC, I knew what they were saying was right.

When others criticize, and attack, we know what spirit they are of, and maybe, just maybe, it is time to say it!
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