We live in a world full of deceit and under God’s condemnation. Unfortunately, instead of being arrested by the message of the coming judgment of God, it seems this world just goes faster than ever to its doom. But thanks be to God, there are still many who turn away from their sins to put their trust in the accomplished work of Christ on the cross to receive forgiveness and eternal life.

In 1 Kings 13, the man of God who had announced God’s judgment on Jeroboam’s altar had to swiftly go back to Judah by a different way from which he had come. Unfortunately, he did not haste to do so, and was deceived by an old prophet who lied to him to come back and eat bread and drink water. This old prophet was influenced by and walked according to the ways of this world. The judgment of God fell on the man of God because he went back, disobeying God’s clear command. As Peter wrote, “For the time has come for judgment to begin at the house of God; and if it begins with us first, what will be the end of those who do not obey the gospel of God?” (1 Pet. 4:17).

What happened to this man of God reminds us that our walk is important to the Lord. It has to be a testimony before this world that we no longer belong to it, nor walk in its ways, nor go back to what we left behind. Was this not what Lot and his family had to do? Lot is a very poor example to use here, but it makes a point: the angels said not to look behind, and the swift judgment of God fell on the one who did so. Our walk has to positively show that we “wait for [God’s] Son from heaven, whom He raised from the dead, even Jesus who delivers us from the wrath to come” (1 Th. 1:10). May each of us be not influenced like the old prophet, nor disobedient like the younger one, but keep the Lord’s Word and walk in it!