Ahab: Sullen and Displeased

Then the king of Israel said to him, "So shall your judgment be; you yourself have decided it." And he hastened to take the bandage away from his eyes; and the king of Israel recognized him as one of the prophets. 42 Then he said to him, "Thus says the LORD: Because you have let slip out of your hand a man whom I appointed to utter destruction, therefore your life shall go for his life, and your people for his people.'" So the king of Israel went to his house sullen and displeased, and came to Samaria.—1 Kings 20:40-43

And it came to pass after these things that Naboth the Jezreelite had a vineyard which was in Jezreel, next to the palace of Ahab king of Samaria. So Ahab spoke to Naboth, saying, "Give me your vineyard, that I may have it for a vegetable garden, because it is near, next to my house; and for it I will give you a vineyard better than it. Or, if it seems good to you, I will give you its worth in money." But Naboth said to Ahab, "The LORD forbid that I should give the inheritance of my fathers to you! "So Ahab went into his house sullen and displeased because of the word which Naboth the Jezreelite had spoken to him; for he had said, "I will not give you the inheritance of my fathers." And he lay down on his bed, and turned away his face, and would eat no food.—1 Kings 21:1-4

Ahab wanted what Ahab wanted. He did not want what God wanted.  When Ahab’s will was thwarted he became sullen and displeased.  His discontented heart affected not only Ahab but everyone around him.  If there was one sin in my life that I could wish would be gone forever it would be this one...discontent. Why?  Because it says that God is not good and is not enough. Because it is ugly.  It steals my joy...it steals the moment by blinding me to its preciousness and beauty...it sucks the joy from those around me also because in my discontent, I can make their lives miserable.  Matthew Henry says that discontent does not rise from a condition or circumstance but from our own minds.  I find this to be so very true.  He reminds us that Paul was content in a prison but Ahab was discontented in a palace. 

When I desire something that is not what God currently has for me it causes me to fret. Fretting, the Bible says in Psalm 37, ONLY causes harm.  This is exactly what discontent with my current lot from the Lord does for me. It causes me and those around me harm. I become vexed in my spirit with all manners of annoyances and irritations.  Like Ahab, I become sullen and displeased because God, in His grace and mercy toward me, loves me too much to give me my wrong desires.  Instead of accepting what He has for me and looking forward to how He might use it to transform my heart, I rail against it.  Instead of praying through it and asking God to show me His purposes in it, I become hardened, prideful and feel entitled. I forget that what I am truly entitled to is death and eternal punishment.  I forget that my God has pulled me up out of the miry clay.  I forget that I have been crucified with Christ and that the life I live now, I live unto Him who rescued me and redeemed my life and my very soul from destruction.  

The verse that I use to counter my wrong desires and wrong thinking is this very familiar one...

Psalm 23:1 (NLT) A psalm of David. The LORD is my shepherd; I have all that I need.

Psalm 23:1 (CSB) The LORD is my shepherd; I have what I need.

Psalm 23:1 (NIV) A psalm of David. The LORD is my shepherd, I lack nothing.

The Becoming One...the great I AM is my Shepherd and He lives in me!  I lack nothing!  I CAN be content because He is my shield and my exceedingly great reward.  I dwell at ease when my heart by His Spirit, commits its cause to God.  So much effort and energy goes into fighting for my way...energy that could be expended in His Spirit for His cause.  God’s people do not have to worry about themselves. They can focus on others because, as Spurgeon says,  God cares for their “estate.” 

Beloved, let Him do His perfect work in your life and in your heart.  Allow Him full sway.  Live in continual dependence upon your God and His grace.  Find your satisfaction in Him and dwell in ease and fullness of joy.  

The LORD God is a sun and shield; the LORD will give grace and glory; no good thing will He withhold from those who walk uprightly. 

Oh Father, how very blessed is the man who puts His trusts in You!