1 Kings 22:13-28 NET
Now the messenger who went to summon Micaiah said to him, “Look, the prophets are in complete agreement that the king will succeed. Your words must agree with theirs; you must predict success.”
[14] But Micaiah said, “As certainly as the LORD lives, I will say what the LORD tells me to say.”
[15] When he came before the king, the king asked him, “Micaiah, should we attack Ramoth Gilead or not?” He answered him, “Attack! You will succeed; the LORD will hand it over to the king.”
[16] The king said to him, “How many times must I make you solemnly promise in the name of the LORD to tell me only the truth?”
[17] Micaiah said, “I saw all Israel scattered on the mountains like sheep that have no shepherd. Then the LORD said, ‘They have no master. They should go home in peace.’”
[18] The king of Israel said to Jehoshaphat, “Didn’t I tell you he does not prophesy prosperity for me, but disaster?”
[19] Micaiah said, “That being the case, hear the word of the LORD. I saw the LORD sitting on his throne, with all the heavenly assembly standing on his right and on his left.
[20] The LORD said, ‘Who will deceive Ahab, so he will attack Ramoth Gilead and die there?’ One said this and another that.
[21] Then a spirit stepped forward and stood before the LORD. He said, ‘I will deceive him.’ The LORD asked him, ‘How?’
[22] He replied, ‘I will go out and be a lying spirit in the mouths of all his prophets.’ The LORD said, ‘Deceive and overpower him. Go out and do as you have proposed.’
[23] So now, look, the LORD has placed a lying spirit in the mouths of all these prophets of yours, but the LORD has decreed disaster for you.”
[24] Zedekiah son of Kenaanah approached, hit Micaiah on the jaw, and said, “Which way did the LORD’s spirit go when he went from me to speak to you?”
[25] Micaiah replied, “Look, you will see in the day when you go into an inner room to hide.”
[26] Then the king of Israel said, “Take Micaiah and return him to Amon the city official and Joash the king’s son.
[27] Say, ‘This is what the king says, “Put this man in prison. Give him only a little bread and water until I safely return.”’”
[28] Micaiah said, “If you really do safely return, then the LORD has not spoken through me.” Then he added, “Take note, all you people.”

Different means to not be the same as another, unlike another in nature, form, character or quality: to be distinct, separate and individual and to have the courage to do something:
To dare is to be brave enough to defy or challenge the norm, to provoke, goad or taunt one to prove themselves.
We are called to be different, according to Romans 12:2 which says we should no longer be patterned according to this word but to be renewed or transformed in our mind by the word of God.
We need courage and boldness to be different in the world right now, we are expected to speak, act, and look like everyone else but God made us, to stand out in the crowd as unique individuals made only in his image and likeness.
1 John 2:20 says we are anointed so must therefore know and speak the truth but we live in a world that wants us to not only tell lies but to agree with every deception of the devil concerning everything.
So many people, confessed believers do not have the boldness or courage to dare to stand out and be different. They are more willing to go with the status quo to avoid falling out of favour.
Micaiah didn’t have such a problem he went to extraordinary lengths to stand out from the crowd, not concerned with what it would cost him. Can we say the same of ourselves? Would we dare to say no when everyone is saying yes or dare to disagree with the majority?
Micaiah boldly declared that he would only say what the Lord said to him when one of the king’s messengers instructed and expected him to agree with the other prophets but Micaiah, faithful to his divine mission as a prophet, announced his purpose to proclaim honestly whatever God should bid him.
Micaiah was being scriptural in daring to stand out as Romans 12:6 declares that those with the gift of prophecy should speak only when they are confident that the Holy Spirit is truly revealing something to them, not what the hearer wishes to hear or what will make them more popular and we each have the grace to be different from our peers, even in prophecy.
Would you dare to go against the tide if it would be detrimental or beneficial?
1 John 2:15 admonishes us not to love the world, especially as the world system takes delight in opposing God, His word, standard, principle and will.
Everyone, groups, organisations, families and even churches want to tell us what to believe, and how much of God’s word is acceptable in this season.
According to Isaiah 40:8, God’s word will never pass away or change but the world is trying to adapt, update and overturn biblical principles to satisfy the “king” of the world.
Servants of God and believers seem to forget that their loyalty and obedience are to God and not the world, so we must, like Micaiah speak as the bible dictates we do.
In the face of a hostile and perverse society, we must dare to be different to win souls to Christ and not conform to the systems, lies and tricks of the world and her master, satan.
Be bold, be courageous according to Joshua 1:9 and dare to be different.
Shalom