Good morning! It’s Friday, June 13, 2025.
We’re one decision away from a totally different life. One step away from something significant. One compromise away from disaster. Checking a text while driving—it doesn’t take much. Just one.
Today’s reading gives us: One lie. One deviation. One life. It’s the oracle of the nameless.
Today's Reading:
1 Kings 13,14; 2 Chronicles 12; Philippians 3
Scripture
“He cried out against the altar by the word of the Lord… and the altar was split apart and its ashes poured out.” (1 Kings 13:2,5)
Observation
1 Kings 13 tells the story of a prophet sent from Judah to confront King Jeroboam’s false altar. He obeys God’s command—not to eat, drink, or return the same way—and boldly delivers a miracle-backed word of judgment. But later, an older prophet lies, claiming an angel gave him a different word. The man of God believes the lie, disobeys, and is killed by a lion.
The old prophet lives. The faithful one falls.
Why? The answer lies in the nature of God’s Word: it doesn’t contradict itself. The man of God wasn’t judged for hearing a lie—but for believing it over what God had already said.
What stopped me today: no one is named. The man of God delivers a word from heaven… and dies nameless. The old prophet misleads… and remains nameless. But in verse 2, Josiah is named—300 years early—because he will fulfill God’s Word.
This is the oracle of the nameless:
Obedience is what’s remembered.
Not names. Not reputation.
Obedience.
Application
We hear all kinds of voices—news, social media, even spiritual ones. But the question isn’t, “Did I hear that?” It’s: “Did I believe it—and live by it—instead of God’s truth?”
I’m not accountable for every voice I hear—but I am accountable for what I choose to believe and obey.
Everyone saw the prophet stand boldly in public, but he fell in private—on a quiet road, where compromise crept in.
Obedience isn’t just one bold moment. It’s every small step when no one’s watching.
Legacy is determined by obedience. My choices can be remembered long after my name has been forgotten. Obedience is greater than reputation because the greatest reputation is a life marked by obedience. Their names are unknown, but their actions speak forever.
Obedience leaves a legacy. Compromise fades into obscurity.
Prayer
Lord, let me be faithful not just in the spotlight, but in every quiet step. Help me finish well. I want to listen only to Your Word—let that ring loudest and true. Amen.
—Chris Kiriakos