“And the king of Israel said unto Jehoshaphat, I will disguise myself, and enter into the battle; but put thou on thy robes. And the king of Israel disguised himself, and went into the battle.” 1 Kings 22:20.

‘Oh what a tangled web we weave/When first we practice to deceive’ means that when you lie or act dishonestly you are initiating problems; resulting in a snowball effect of complications which eventually will run out of control. King Ahab of Israel tried deception and found out you can run but you sure cannot hide!

Satan is the father of all lies; his greatest weapon is deception. It is unfortunate that those who fall privy to his lies and deceit, think that somehow, they can hide from God! King Ahab of Israel assumed he could save himself by disguise; God is omniscient and has divine providence over all creation. “And the king of Israel said unto Jehoshaphat, I will disguise myself, and enter into the battle; but put thou on thy robes. And the king of Israel disguised himself, and went into the battle.” 1 Kings 22:30.

He selfishly had no regards for the life of Jehoshaphat, King of Judah; His plan to disguise himself left King Jehoshaphat in the heat of the battle alone…but God is not sleep and He sure is not dead; the plan of deception was perceived immediately; the armies turn to pursue after King Ahab instead, and there he met his demise. “And a certain man drew a bow at a venture and smote the king of Israel between the joints of the harness: wherefore he said unto the driver of his chariot, Turn thine hand, and carry me out of the host; for I am wounded. And the battle increased that day: and the king was stayed up in his chariot against the Syrians, and died at even: and the blood ran out of the wound into the midst of the chariot.” 1 Kings 22:34-35.

Lies and deceit are not the pathways of God’s beloved children; they come into play when we try to satisfy our own selfish desires, trying to orchestrate our own plans instead of seeking Him to order our steps. The bible reminds us that following down a path of deception is brought on by the spirit of the world; led by the archenemy of our souls! “For all that is in the world, the lust of the flesh, and the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life, is not of the Father, but is of the world.” 1 John 2:16.

My friends, watch your step . . . stay the course, remain fervent in prayer, and do not fall for Satan’s promises of instant gratification in anything, his main focus is to rob, steal and leave us for dead; but God’s amazing grace is always waiting for His own, return unto Him and following where He leads, and never forget that His will is the best place to be! “For I know the thoughts that I think toward you, saith the Lord, thoughts of peace, and not of evil, to give you an expected end.” Jeremiah 29:11.

God blessings and grace be with us all.