Way too often we respond to people the way that we feel they want to hear, not the way that we feel prompted of God to speak. Micaiah was known for being the type person who would be obedient to God in spite of what the king or anyone else wanted to hear, because in vs 7 the king indicated that he would just as soon not even have Micaiah come to prophesy for him. Often this strong minded, honest, dedicated type individual would meet with opposition from their peers, as seen in vs 12. But imagine the peace that Micaiah must have felt when he laid his head down at night, knowing that he laid truth on the line and allowed the chips to fall where they had to. Imagine the alternative and how ineffective the prophet would have been if he merely spoke the popular word and then saw disaster follow. He could have gone into depression knowing that his faithfulness could have prevented a disaster. Friend, it is way more important to seek God’s face, listen to His voice and obey Him, in spite of possible breaks in friendships, popularity or even lack of promotion. We should strive to be popular in God’s sight, not in pleasing man. Our obedience to God supersedes everything else. So teachers, teach what the Word says, in spite of what might be going on in the lives of your class members. Pastors/Evangelists – preach what God lays on your heart, and especially what the Word declares. Let God speak to His people. He really don’t need you to sugar-coat things for Him. Sometimes saying it the way that it is written is far more effective, and will have more of an impact, than anything we can add to it. Let God be God and speak to and through us as He speaks soberly to His people!