1 Kings 13:17 “I have been told by the word of the LORD: ‘You must not eat bread or drink water there or return by the way you came.'”

The story of Rehoboam and Jeroboam is quite interesting and a lot to grasp all at once. The above verse is one from this story that really caught my attention. Solomon had allowed the worship of other gods and eventually partook in such worship; division split his kingdom after his death. His son Rehoboam ruled part of the Kingdom and Jeroboam ruled the rest.

A prophet was sent by God to give Jeroboam a message, however the prophet was told by the Lord not to eat or drink in the land he was sent nor return by the way he came. That prophet was lied to by another and convinced to eat with that man. As a result, when he continued on his way he was attacked and killed by a lion.

I think that’s how it is with all of us sometimes. We may have a job to do. We may pass through all kinds of areas and meet all kinds of people in this world. However, that does not mean that our minds should be fed by the foolish, nor our hearts nourished by the corrupt. What’s more, life goes ever onward and we should not revert to ways we have outgrown or long for what has gone by. At least, not where it sways or delays us from our destination.