Courage to speak the truth

I Kings 22:13b-14 Let your word agree with theirs and speak favorably.  But Micaiah said, “As surely as the Lord lives, I can tell him only what the Lord tells me.”

It is so hard to be the lone voice speaking frankly or speaking the truth.  I have no doubt that this was not an easy thing for Micaiah to do.  All the other prophets were supposedly giving the king the word from the Lord also.  If they had been just people “off the street” that would be one thing, but they were representing God, or gods, which meant that to speak in opposition to their message was no small thing.  At the same time, I see that Ahab knew down deep that Micaiah’s message was from God.  He just did not want to accept it.  It had to have been the Spirit of God in Micaiah giving him the courage to go ahead and speak the truth in order for him to have not only the courage but also the willingness to speak boldly against the prevailing “good advice.”  I hope and pray that I will have that courage and boldness when I need it, because I know that without God’s help, given my personality, I would never be able to do what Micaiah did.