It’s Always Right

2 Kings 9:36
“Wherefore they came again, and told him. And he said, This is the word of the LORD, which he spake by his servant Elijah the Tishbite, saying, In the portion of Jezreel shall dogs eat the flesh of Jezebel:”

There are times when doing right seems to be fruitless. Elijah could have felt that way about his prophecy concerning the house of Ahab. The greatest battle Elijah faced was when he stood against the powerful house of Ahab and told him that his house would be destroyed and that the dogs would eat Jezebel’s flesh by the wall of Jezreel.

I’m sure, at times, Elijah wondered when the LORD’s word would come to pass. Elijah never gave up on believing the veracity of God’s Word even though he never realized its fruit; however, though Elijah didn’t see the fulfillment of God’s Word in his lifetime, he saw its fulfillment from Heaven. The verse above shows the fulfillment of this prophecy when it says, “…This is the word of the LORD, which he spake by his servant Elijah the Tishbite…” Though Elijah never saw that he was right in his lifetime, he was right and time vindicated his obedience. Three thoughts can be taken from this verse that should bring encouragement to every Christian.

First, God ALWAYS honors His Word. Matthew 5:18 says, “For verily I say unto you, Till heaven and earth pass, one jot or one tittle shall in no wise pass from the law, till all be fulfilled.” God will be a debtor to no man. If God gave His Word, He will fulfill it. What we don’t understand is that God is not obligated to fulfill it in our lifetime. Christian, you are going to have to realize that if God says something is right, it is right. If God says that He is going to do something, He will do it. God always honors His Word, and you have history to rely on this promise.

Second, truth is right whether or not you benefit from obeying it. Elijah never saw the benefit of his prophecy and stand against the house of Ahab, but that didn’t make his actions wrong. We often base right and wrong on immediate results which is a faulty measurement of truth. Just because you won’t benefit from doing right in your lifetime doesn’t make it wrong. You are going to have to realize that the benefits will sometimes be realized in the life of others. For instance, Moses never realized the benefit of choosing to suffer the affliction of serving the LORD by going into the Promised Land, but his choice to identify with the people of God was rewarded in the next generation. Right is right even if you never see its benefit. You must choose to do right because it is right to do.

Third, time always vindicates truth, right and obedience. Elijah had been in Heaven for many years before he was vindicated, but God honored His Word, and Elijah will forever be exonerated for what he said. Time is always on your side when you do right. You may be on the wrong side of the immediate results, but if you did right, you will be on the right side when time validates your actions. Just remember that God will honor His Word, even if He doesn’t honor it in your lifetime.

Christian, let me encourage you not to give up doing right. I know at times it can seem fruitless, but future generations will see you were right if you obey God’s Word. God always honors those who do right, even if it is not in the immediate. In the meantime, if you stay focused on the act of doing right and not the reward, discouragement will never stop you.

Author: Allen Domelle