Daily Devotional For Friday, June 19, 2026
Good morning and good day Southside. Our devotional reading for today comes from 1 Kings 13. We have the end and death of Jehoahaz and Jehoash’s. At the end of this comes Elisha’s final prophecy for God’s people. It is a strange story we read.
It seems that God had commanded Elisha not to eat or drink anything while he was in the location God had sent him. King Jeroboam had attempted to seize Elisha and God caused the king’s hand to wither or go limp. He begged Elisha to ask God to heal him and God did. The king then tried to get Elisha to stay and eat but he refused. On his way out of Bethel, there was another old prophet living there whose sons brought the message of these events.
He got on his donkey and began to go down a road to find Elisha. The old prophet tried to get Elisha to come home and eat and drink with him. Elisha refused at first telling the old prophet what God had said. The prophet decided to lie and trick Elisha and said that an angel had come to him ordering him to give Elisha something to eat and drink. Elisha believed him and ate and drank with him.
After dinner the Lord spoke to this old prophet telling him for his deception his body would not be buried in the grave of his ancestors when he died. Elisha left and the Bible says the Lord sent a lion to kill this old prophet. As people passed, they saw the lion, the old prophet’s donkey and the dead prophet. Elisha saw this and got the dead prophet’s body and took it back to town for the people to mourn and buried the old prophet in his (Elisha’s) own grave.
This story reminds me of how human history is so confusing and perplexing. Why is it that we can accomplish so much in science, medicine, space, and education cannot create lasting peace, prosperity and happiness? How is it possible for us to be so skilled at cruelty and foolishness and the destruction of innocent life? While we attempt so much good, we do not have the heart nor determination to really deal with evil. And the truth is we really do not want to deal with it.
Think about this: Hollywood screams over the number of people killed by guns while at the same time it glamorizes violence in movies, TV shows, videogames and media. In fact, it makes billions of money off of it. Our world is a mess with conflict, poverty and wars. Deception and lying has become our culture’s standard. While we condemn one thing, we endorse it by watching it and participating in it. We scream “EVIL” while all the time being evil, sinful people.
We have been lied to by the devil. We are told that all we need is more education, more programs, more government assistance and soon we will all be in the Garden of Eden, right? This old prophet lied. He used deceit and paid for it with his life. Did he know he was lying? Yes. Did he know he was being deceitful? Yes. Lying is the devil’s nature. Jesus talked about this in John 8:44b, “He (devil) was a murderer from the beginning. He has always hated the truth, because there is no truth in him. When he lies, it is consistent with his character; for he is a liar and the father of lies” (NLT).
The devil and our culture has been tenacious at feeding us lies since creation, but especially since the 1960s. Lies such as, “If it feels good, do it.” Ask Health Ledger, River Phoenix and Carrie Fisher that now. All of them did what felt good and now all 3 of them are stone-cold dead for it. God does not lie. This is why He says this in Romans 6:23, “For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord” (NASB). Sin’s wages is death. God has not hidden this truth from us. He warned Adam and Eve they would die also if they disobeyed Him (Gen. 2:17).
The devil and our culture lied to us saying, “Homosexuality is normal.” Well, go ask all of those who have died by AIDS if dying by AIDS is normal. Our culture and the devil lied to us saying, “Abortion on demand is a woman’s right.” Go ask the millions of those babies around the throne of God if they would agree with that.
Just like with this old prophet who lied to Elisha, a day of reckoning and judgment is coming to such liars. You can laugh now, but one day you are going to experience “weeping and gnashing of teeth” as Jesus says in (Matt. 13:42). In case you’re wondering how the Lord feels about this, look at 1 Corinthians 6:9-11, “Or do you not know that the unrighteous will not inherit the kingdom of God? Do not be deceived; neither fornicators, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, no ]effeminate, nor homosexuals, (10) nor thieves, nor the covetous, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor swindlers, will inherit the kingdom of God. (11) Such were some of you; but you were washed, but you were sanctified, but you were justified in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ and in the Spirit of our God” (NASB).
Reflection Assignment: How do you measure up to telling the truth and being completely honest, especially when it comes to people you love who are engaging in sin? Do you give the impression that you accept both them and their lifestyle? Where do you compromise (lie) in your faith? What is one area right now you need to start being totally truthful?
Scripture To Meditate On: John 8:32, “You will know the truth, and the truth will make you free” (NASB).
Prayer To Pray: “Dear Lord, help me to be a person who lives with integrity, truth and transparency. Please forgive me when and where I have sinned in this. Lord, I want to know You truth and be set free by it. I love You Lord. In Jesus’ name, Amen!”
I love you Southside! – Pastor Kelly