Can I pray for you in any way? Send any prayer requests to faithhopegodlove@aol.com In Christ, Mark
The scriptures. May God bless the reading of His holy word.
And the word of the Lord came to him: "What are you doing here, Elijah?"
He replied, "I have been very zealous for the Lord God Almighty. The Israelites have rejected your covenant, broken down your altars, and put your prophets to death with the sword. I am the only one left, and now they are trying to kill me too."
The Lord said, "Go out and stand on the mountain in the presence of the Lord, for the Lord is about to pass by."
Then a great and powerful wind tore the mountains apart and shattered the rocks before the Lord, but the Lord was not in the wind.
After the wind there was an earthquake, but the Lord was not in the earthquake.
After the earthquake came a fire, but the Lord was not in the fire.
And after the fire came a gentle whisper. When Elijah heard it, he pulled his cloak over his face and went out and stood at the mouth of the cave.
Then a voice said to him, "What are you doing here, Elijah?"
He replied, "I have been very zealous for the Lord God Almighty. The Israelites have rejected your covenant, broken down your altars, and put your prophets to death with the sword. I am the only one left, and now they are trying to kill me too."
The Lord said to him, "Go back the way you came, and go to the Desert of Damascus. When you get there, anoint Hazael king over Aram. Also, anoint Jehu son of Nimshi king over Israel, and anoint Elisha son of Shaphat from Abel Meholah to succeed you as prophet. Jehu will put to death any who escape the sword of Hazael, and Elisha will put to death any who escape the sword of Jehu. Yet I reserve seven thousand in Israel—all whose knees have not bowed down to Baal and all whose mouths have not kissed him."
1 Kings 19:9b-18
This ends this reading from God's holy word. Thanks be to God.
Are you presently feeling or have you ever felt like life has you on the run? And in that pursuit, you’re not sure if you can keep running from the challenges that life brings whether they be financial, emotional, physical or psychological?
If so, then you can relate to Elijah in today’s scripture. You’ll recall at the beginning of Chapter 19 that Jezebel, already with a nasty reputation for killing prophets, was hot on Elijah’s trail…so much so that scripture told us he ran for his life. His running took him to a broom tree in the desert where Elijah stopped and prayed the Lord might kill him instead of him falling victim to Jezebel. And as Elijah slept, you’ll recall that the Lord woke him and brought him food and drink twice before sending him off for forty days and night, initially strengthened to carry on despite Jezebel’s pursuit but soon weary and beginning to lose hope again.
For as Elijah awakened from his sleep in the cave, we read where the Lord asks him, “What are you doing here, Elijah?" To which Elijah explained his situation, stating that he had been “very zealous for the Lord” but the Israelites rejected His covenant and broke down His altars while putting the Lord’s prophets “to death with the sword” leaving only Elijah surviving. And now his life was in peril.
We have seen earlier in this chapter and throughout scripture where God is always there for His people when they need Him most in accordance with His perfect will and way. As we will see, this time becomes no different…and the message the Lord means to share with us is that we need to continue to trust in Him, no matter how tough times might become.
For as Elijah was feeling forlorn and downcast, the Lord tells him to, “Go out and stand on the mountain in the presence of the Lord, for the Lord is about to pass by." What an awesome proclamation this must have been! Can you imagine yourself in the place of Elijah? That in your biggest time of need the Lord tells you to go outside and watch because He was about to pass by? I don’t know about you but I would move pretty fast to be where the Lord told me to go. And Elijah did just that.
So how did the Lord appear to Elijah? In what way do you think Elijah expected to see Him? In what way would you expect to see Him?
Well, we first see where “a great and powerful wind tore the mountains apart and shattered the rocks before the Lord”. Now that might be a sign of the Lord’s presence…one that would make total sense because we know we serve a God who can move mountains. But guess what? Scripture tells us that “the Lord was not in the wind”.
Next, we read where an earthquake followed the wind. Surely, that was the sign that the Lord was there. Who else could make the earth tremble? But “the Lord was not in the earthquake”.
What do you think Elijah was thinking at this point? A strong wind tore the mountains apart and shattered rocks and an earthquake shook the earth but neither act revealed the Lord. How much more power would be displayed? Elijah had to think there was something pretty phenomenal in store. Wouldn’t you?
So what happened after the earthquake?
Scripture tells us that fire was next. We don’t know how vast and damaging the fire was but it had to be impressive because the Lord doesn’t do anything that isn’t. So surely the Lord was in the fire.
He wasn’t.
OK…so no Lord in the strong wind. No Lord in the earthquake. And no Lord in the fire.
So how did the Lord come? In the way that Elijah…and us as well…would have least expected it. For after the fire came a quiet whisper…the Lord’s whisper…and when Elijah heard it, it led him to pull his cloak “over his face” as he “went out and stood at the mouth of the cave”. There, the Lord brought him specific instruction to anoint two kings, Hazael over Aram and Jehu over Israel. Elijah was also told to anoint Elisha as his successor…as the next great prophet of Israel. The kings and Elisha would put the people of Israel to the sword who broke the Lord’s covenant commands but the Lord chose to spare “seven thousand in Israel” because they all had “not bowed down to Baal” nor kissed him with their mouths. Their obedience would be what saved them.
So what is the take away from this scripture for us? What is the Lord trying to teach us?
He trying to teach us that He will and can come in whatever way He wishes…and we need to be ready to receive Him in any way He chooses to come in the midst of our circumstances. For the Lord doesn’t always come with great fanfare.
Yes…He can come in strong destructive winds. Yes…He can come in the earth-shaking power of an earthquake. And yes, He can be found in the destructive nature of fire.
But we must also keep in mind that He can be found in a gentle whisper...especially spoken for us to help us in the midst of our circumstances.
The question is…will we be listening when He does?
In Christ,
Mark
PS: Please share this with anyone you feel might be blessed by it.
http://www.faithhopeandlove.info/
Send any prayer requests to faithhopegodlove@aol.com
Saturday, June 27, 2009
Sunday, June 7, 2009
THERE WHEN WE NEED HIM MOST
Can I pray for you in any way? Send any prayer requests to faithhopegodlove@aol.com In Christ, Mark
The scriptures. May God bless the reading of His holy word.
Now Ahab told Jezebel everything Elijah had done and how he had killed all the prophets with the sword. So Jezebel sent a messenger to Elijah to say, "May the gods deal with me, be it ever so severely, if by this time tomorrow I do not make your life like that of one of them."
Elijah was afraid and ran for his life. When he came to Beersheba in Judah, he left his servant there, while he himself went a day's journey into the desert. He came to a broom tree, sat down under it and prayed that he might die. "I have had enough, Lord," he said. "Take my life; I am no better than my ancestors." Then he lay down under the tree and fell asleep.
All at once an angel touched him and said, "Get up and eat." He looked around, and there by his head was a cake of bread baked over hot coals, and a jar of water. He ate and drank and then lay down again.
The angel of the Lord came back a second time and touched him and said, "Get up and eat, for the journey is too much for you." So he got up and ate and drank. Strengthened by that food, he traveled forty days and forty nights until he reached Horeb, the mountain of God. There he went into a cave and spent the night.
1 Kings 19:1-9a
This ends this reading from God's holy word. Thanks be to God.
If you recall back in Chapter 18 of 1st Kings, Jezebel had a reputation for killing prophets (1 Kings 18:4), so much so that Elijah had to come to the rescue of many of them, saving 100 by having them hide in caves. Without the help of Elijah, those prophets would have surely died.
Further, Elijah had ordered all the prophets of Baal killed after God showed everyone who the real God was by sending fire to consume the water-soaked sacrifice prepared by Elijah after the Baal worshipers were unable to get a reply from their false god.
So as Chapter 19 opens, we find Jezebel being informed about Elijah’s actions by the wicked king Ahab…which caused her to turn her attention solely upon Elijah. The one who had saved the prophets before now was in danger himself.
And so we read where Elijah was “afraid and ran for his life”, taking his servant with him as he went to “Beersheba in Judah”. Who was going to come to Elijah’s rescue? Who would save him?
Once at Beersheba, we read where “he left his servant” and “went a day's journey into the desert” where he eventually “came to a broom tree” where he “sat down…and prayed that he might die”. Frightened and unsure what was ahead, Elijah cried out to the Lord saying:
"I have had enough, Lord…Take my life; I am no better than my ancestors."
And with that, he “lay down under the tree and fell asleep”.
Question: How many times have you been at a place like where Elijah was? Afraid…under duress of some kind…ready to just give up feeling you would just be better off dead, even going as far as asking God to take your life from you.
Maybe you are under your own “broom tree” this very moment, feeling like you’ve had enough within your circumstances…feeling like it’s time to just give it all up.
Well, our scripture today gives us hope…hope for us when we are in despair…hope for us when we feel up against life’s challenges…hope for when we’re just ready to give up. For in this passage, we’re reminded of the presence and the power of the Lord…the One and only One who can grant us the strength to carry on…the only One who is there when we need Him most.
As we see, He was there for Elijah in the midst of his circumstance. For as Elijah fell asleep feeling defeated, the Lord sent an angel to him with provisions and guidance. We read where the angel touched Elijah and urged him to “get up and eat”. And when Elijah did, what a sight he saw. For there was a “cake of bread” which had been “baked over hot coals” laying by his head with a “jar of water” which Elijah “ate and drank” before lying down again…now nourished.
We read then that the “angel of the Lord” returned a “second time and touched him” again telling him to “Get up and eat” because “the journey is too much for you”. And with that, Elijah once again “got up and ate and drank” receiving strength from the food to travel “forty days and forty nights until he reached Horeb, the mountain of God” where ironically, he went into his own cave and spent the night…much like the prophets he had saved from Jezebel earlier.
When Elijah needed help most, there was the Lord…providing and guiding him…strengthening and protecting him. And the good news is that He stands ready to do the same for anyone who just places their faith and trust in Him.
One thing is certain. We all will have our faith tested in the course of this life on earth that we have been given by God. How we respond to those tests will speak volumes as to how well we are or aren’t trusting Him to take care of us…to deliver us…and to strengthen us to carry on and move toward the better days that He has ahead.
Just trust in Him…the One who is there when we need Him most.
Amen.
In Christ,
Mark
PS: Please share this with anyone you feel might be blessed by it.
http://www.faithhopeandlove.info/
Send any prayer requests to faithhopegodlove@aol.com
The scriptures. May God bless the reading of His holy word.
Now Ahab told Jezebel everything Elijah had done and how he had killed all the prophets with the sword. So Jezebel sent a messenger to Elijah to say, "May the gods deal with me, be it ever so severely, if by this time tomorrow I do not make your life like that of one of them."
Elijah was afraid and ran for his life. When he came to Beersheba in Judah, he left his servant there, while he himself went a day's journey into the desert. He came to a broom tree, sat down under it and prayed that he might die. "I have had enough, Lord," he said. "Take my life; I am no better than my ancestors." Then he lay down under the tree and fell asleep.
All at once an angel touched him and said, "Get up and eat." He looked around, and there by his head was a cake of bread baked over hot coals, and a jar of water. He ate and drank and then lay down again.
The angel of the Lord came back a second time and touched him and said, "Get up and eat, for the journey is too much for you." So he got up and ate and drank. Strengthened by that food, he traveled forty days and forty nights until he reached Horeb, the mountain of God. There he went into a cave and spent the night.
1 Kings 19:1-9a
This ends this reading from God's holy word. Thanks be to God.
If you recall back in Chapter 18 of 1st Kings, Jezebel had a reputation for killing prophets (1 Kings 18:4), so much so that Elijah had to come to the rescue of many of them, saving 100 by having them hide in caves. Without the help of Elijah, those prophets would have surely died.
Further, Elijah had ordered all the prophets of Baal killed after God showed everyone who the real God was by sending fire to consume the water-soaked sacrifice prepared by Elijah after the Baal worshipers were unable to get a reply from their false god.
So as Chapter 19 opens, we find Jezebel being informed about Elijah’s actions by the wicked king Ahab…which caused her to turn her attention solely upon Elijah. The one who had saved the prophets before now was in danger himself.
And so we read where Elijah was “afraid and ran for his life”, taking his servant with him as he went to “Beersheba in Judah”. Who was going to come to Elijah’s rescue? Who would save him?
Once at Beersheba, we read where “he left his servant” and “went a day's journey into the desert” where he eventually “came to a broom tree” where he “sat down…and prayed that he might die”. Frightened and unsure what was ahead, Elijah cried out to the Lord saying:
"I have had enough, Lord…Take my life; I am no better than my ancestors."
And with that, he “lay down under the tree and fell asleep”.
Question: How many times have you been at a place like where Elijah was? Afraid…under duress of some kind…ready to just give up feeling you would just be better off dead, even going as far as asking God to take your life from you.
Maybe you are under your own “broom tree” this very moment, feeling like you’ve had enough within your circumstances…feeling like it’s time to just give it all up.
Well, our scripture today gives us hope…hope for us when we are in despair…hope for us when we feel up against life’s challenges…hope for when we’re just ready to give up. For in this passage, we’re reminded of the presence and the power of the Lord…the One and only One who can grant us the strength to carry on…the only One who is there when we need Him most.
As we see, He was there for Elijah in the midst of his circumstance. For as Elijah fell asleep feeling defeated, the Lord sent an angel to him with provisions and guidance. We read where the angel touched Elijah and urged him to “get up and eat”. And when Elijah did, what a sight he saw. For there was a “cake of bread” which had been “baked over hot coals” laying by his head with a “jar of water” which Elijah “ate and drank” before lying down again…now nourished.
We read then that the “angel of the Lord” returned a “second time and touched him” again telling him to “Get up and eat” because “the journey is too much for you”. And with that, Elijah once again “got up and ate and drank” receiving strength from the food to travel “forty days and forty nights until he reached Horeb, the mountain of God” where ironically, he went into his own cave and spent the night…much like the prophets he had saved from Jezebel earlier.
When Elijah needed help most, there was the Lord…providing and guiding him…strengthening and protecting him. And the good news is that He stands ready to do the same for anyone who just places their faith and trust in Him.
One thing is certain. We all will have our faith tested in the course of this life on earth that we have been given by God. How we respond to those tests will speak volumes as to how well we are or aren’t trusting Him to take care of us…to deliver us…and to strengthen us to carry on and move toward the better days that He has ahead.
Just trust in Him…the One who is there when we need Him most.
Amen.
In Christ,
Mark
PS: Please share this with anyone you feel might be blessed by it.
http://www.faithhopeandlove.info/
Send any prayer requests to faithhopegodlove@aol.com
Sunday, May 31, 2009
THE LORD – HE IS GOD!
Can I pray for you in any way? Send any prayer requests to faithhopegodlove@aol.com In Christ, Mark
The scriptures. May God bless the reading of His holy word.
So Obadiah went to meet Ahab and told him, and Ahab went to meet Elijah. When he saw Elijah, he said to him, "Is that you, you troubler of Israel?"
"I have not made trouble for Israel," Elijah replied. "But you and your father's family have. You have abandoned the Lord's commands and have followed the Baals. Now summon the people from all over Israel to meet me on Mount Carmel. And bring the four hundred and fifty prophets of Baal and the four hundred prophets of Asherah, who eat at Jezebel's table."
So Ahab sent word throughout all Israel and assembled the prophets on Mount Carmel. Elijah went before the people and said, "How long will you waver between two opinions? If the Lord is God, follow him; but if Baal is God, follow him."
But the people said nothing.
Then Elijah said to them, "I am the only one of the Lord's prophets left, but Baal has four hundred and fifty prophets. Get two bulls for us. Let them choose one for themselves, and let them cut it into pieces and put it on the wood but not set fire to it. I will prepare the other bull and put it on the wood but not set fire to it. Then you call on the name of your god, and I will call on the name of the Lord. The god who answers by fire—he is God."
Then all the people said, "What you say is good."
Elijah said to the prophets of Baal, "Choose one of the bulls and prepare it first, since there are so many of you. Call on the name of your god, but do not light the fire." So they took the bull given them and prepared it.
Then they called on the name of Baal from morning till noon. "O Baal, answer us!" they shouted. But there was no response; no one answered. And they danced around the altar they had made.
At noon Elijah began to taunt them. "Shout louder!" he said. "Surely he is a god! Perhaps he is deep in thought, or busy, or traveling. Maybe he is sleeping and must be awakened." So they shouted louder and slashed themselves with swords and spears, as was their custom, until their blood flowed. Midday passed, and they continued their frantic prophesying until the time for the evening sacrifice. But there was no response, no one answered, no one paid attention.
Then Elijah said to all the people, "Come here to me." They came to him, and he repaired the altar of the Lord, which was in ruins. Elijah took twelve stones, one for each of the tribes descended from Jacob, to whom the word of the Lord had come, saying, "Your name shall be Israel." With the stones he built an altar in the name of the Lord, and he dug a trench around it large enough to hold two seahs of seed. He arranged the wood, cut the bull into pieces and laid it on the wood. Then he said to them, "Fill four large jars with water and pour it on the offering and on the wood."
"Do it again," he said, and they did it again. "Do it a third time," he ordered, and they did it the third time. The water ran down around the altar and even filled the trench.
At the time of sacrifice, the prophet Elijah stepped forward and prayed: "O Lord, God of Abraham, Isaac and Israel, let it be known today that you are God in Israel and that I am your servant and have done all these things at your command. Answer me, O Lord, answer me, so these people will know that you, O Lord, are God, and that you are turning their hearts back again."
Then the fire of the Lord fell and burned up the sacrifice, the wood, the stones and the soil, and also licked up the water in the trench.
When all the people saw this, they fell prostrate and cried, "The Lord - He is God! The Lord - He is God!"
Then Elijah commanded them, "Seize the prophets of Baal. Don't let anyone get away!" They seized them, and Elijah had them brought down to the Kishon Valley and slaughtered there.
And Elijah said to Ahab, "Go, eat and drink, for there is the sound of a heavy rain." So Ahab went off to eat and drink, but Elijah climbed to the top of Carmel, bent down to the ground and put his face between his knees.
"Go and look toward the sea," he told his servant. And he went up and looked.
"There is nothing there," he said.
Seven times Elijah said, "Go back."
The seventh time the servant reported, "A cloud as small as a man's hand is rising from the sea."
So Elijah said, "Go and tell Ahab, 'Hitch up your chariot and go down before the rain stops you.' "
Meanwhile, the sky grew black with clouds, the wind rose, a heavy rain came on and Ahab rode off to Jezreel. The power of the Lord came upon Elijah and, tucking his cloak into his belt, he ran ahead of Ahab all the way to Jezreel.
1 Kings 18:16-46
This ends this reading from God's holy word. Thanks be to God.
How many people today walk through life doubting the existence of God or feeling they follow a god who is equal to or over God? All this despite the ways that God shows daily that He is alive and moving in His creation.
Well, as Chapter 18 of 1st Kings opened, we found Elijah traveling and meeting Obadiah, a man who was a devout believer of the Lord and had invested a lot of time to protect prophets from the hand of the murderous Jezebel.
You’ll recall that Elijah asked Obadiah to go and tell the evil King Ahab to come and meet with him…a request that led Obadiah to become panic-stricken and afraid…afraid that Elijah was sending him to his death, particularly if Obadiah brought Ahab and Elijah would not be where he said he would be. In his words, we had examined how Obadiah’s faith had turned to doubt.
Elijah assured Obadiah that he would “surely present myself to Ahab” as “the Lord Almighty lives”.
And so we read where “Obadiah went to meet Ahab” telling him about Elijah’s request and Ahab took Elijah up on his offer, going to meet him. As Ahab came to Elijah, scripture tells us he scoffed, “Is that you, you troubler of Israel?" to which Elijah replied, “I have not made trouble for Israel…But you and your father's family have. You have abandoned the Lord's commands and have followed the Baals. Now summon the people from all over Israel to meet me on Mount Carmel. And bring the four hundred and fifty prophets of Baal and the four hundred prophets of Asherah, who eat at Jezebel's table."
So Ahab did as Elijah requested. He “sent word throughout all Israel and assembled the prophets on Mount Carmel” and Elijah addressed them saying, “How long will you waver between two opinions? If the Lord is God, follow him; but if Baal is God, follow him." He received no feedback because “the people said nothing”. And so Elijah offered a holy challenge.
What was the challenge?
We see where Elijah told the 450 prophets of Baal to get two bulls…one for them and one for Elijah. The Baal prophets were then supposed to cut their bull into pieces and “put it on the wood but not set fire to it”. Elijah would do likewise with his bull. And after the preparation, each would call on the name of their god…the Ball prophets calling on Baal while Elijah would call on the one true God…the God of Israel…and whichever god responded by fire…then that god would be God.
The Baal prophets accepted and the challenge was on.
The prophets of Baal took a bull and prepared it as Elijah had instructed. They then “called on the name of Baal from morning till noon” but received no response. So they continued to dance around the altar in hope that their god would answer. Things began to drag out so much that Elijah taunted the Baal prophets saying, “Shout louder!…Surely he is a god! Perhaps he is deep in thought, or busy, or traveling. Maybe he is sleeping and must be awakened."
And so the Baal prophets began to shout even “louder and slashed themselves with swords and spears, as was their custom, until their blood flowed”. Scripture tells us that “midday passed, and they continued their frantic prophesying until the time for the evening sacrifice” but to no avail. Their god was not responding…because their god didn’t exist.
Finally, Elijah had seen enough. It was his turn now and so he called the people to him. They watched him repair “the altar of the Lord, which was in ruins”, taking “twelve stones, one for each of the tribes descended from Jacob” and building “an altar in the name of the Lord”. He then “dug a trench” around the altar and “arranged the wood” before he “cut the bull into pieces and laid it on the wood”.
Elijah was nearly ready to summon his God…the true God…to respond but there was one more thing he needed to do to make what was about to happen be even more spectacular.
For he ordered the people to “fill four large jars with water and pour it on the offering and on the wood." And he didn’t just have them do it once. He had them do it three times until the “water ran down around the altar” and “filled the trench”.
“Huh?”, the people had to be thinking. “Wet wood is never going to burn. This prophet is truly crazy.”
So the scene was set and the time had come for Elijah to call on God. Everyone had to be looking on with curious anticipation and maybe just a hint of doubt. After all, the wood and offering were drenched in water. No one had ever seen wet matter like that burn. Not at least until now.
For “at the time of sacrifice”, we read where “Elijah stepped forward and prayed” the following:
"O Lord, God of Abraham, Isaac and Israel, let it be known today that you are God in Israel and that I am your servant and have done all these things at your command. Answer me, O Lord, answer me, so these people will know that you, O Lord, are God, and that you are turning their hearts back again."
And with his last word, “the fire of the Lord fell and burned up the sacrifice, the wood, the stones and the soil, and also licked up the water in the trench”. Not a drop of water…a piece of wood…or any of the bull were left unconsumed.
Can you imagine what this must have been like? How incredibly amazing it had to be for all those who bore witness to it?
Surely, no one at that point could doubt that Elijah’s God…the one true God of Israel…was indeed God.
The people present couldn’t that’s for sure because after seeing God’s power and might displayed, “they fell prostrate” and cried out, "The Lord - He is God! The Lord - He is God!"
The prophets who refused to acknowledge God and instead drove people toward Baal were seized and slaughtered in the Kishon Valley…executed for following a false god and leading the people astray.
For the others, the end of the drought was soon to come. Their testimony to God at the altar brought His grace, mercy and forgiveness on them. Relief was on the way.
Friends, isn’t this what happens to us when we allow ourselves to turn away from God? Don’t we find ourselves in the midst of our own drought…a spiritual drought that begins to dry up our very souls?
Well, the good news in today’s scripture is that there is relief for the dried out, parched soul…and that relief is God, the giver of every good and perfect thing from above (James 1:17). All we need to do is turn to Him and confess just as the former Baal worshippers did professing and confessing, "The Lord - He is God! The Lord - He is God!"
And when we do this with all our heart and mind and soul and strength…God answers and brings us spiritual rain to quench our thirst and restore us spiritually unto Him.
Are you in need of a little spiritual rain today? Or do you know someone who is in need?
The Lord…our God…awaits.
Amen.
In Christ,
Mark
PS: Please share this with anyone you feel might be blessed by it.
http://www.faithhopeandlove.info/
Send any prayer requests to faithhopegodlove@aol.com
The scriptures. May God bless the reading of His holy word.
So Obadiah went to meet Ahab and told him, and Ahab went to meet Elijah. When he saw Elijah, he said to him, "Is that you, you troubler of Israel?"
"I have not made trouble for Israel," Elijah replied. "But you and your father's family have. You have abandoned the Lord's commands and have followed the Baals. Now summon the people from all over Israel to meet me on Mount Carmel. And bring the four hundred and fifty prophets of Baal and the four hundred prophets of Asherah, who eat at Jezebel's table."
So Ahab sent word throughout all Israel and assembled the prophets on Mount Carmel. Elijah went before the people and said, "How long will you waver between two opinions? If the Lord is God, follow him; but if Baal is God, follow him."
But the people said nothing.
Then Elijah said to them, "I am the only one of the Lord's prophets left, but Baal has four hundred and fifty prophets. Get two bulls for us. Let them choose one for themselves, and let them cut it into pieces and put it on the wood but not set fire to it. I will prepare the other bull and put it on the wood but not set fire to it. Then you call on the name of your god, and I will call on the name of the Lord. The god who answers by fire—he is God."
Then all the people said, "What you say is good."
Elijah said to the prophets of Baal, "Choose one of the bulls and prepare it first, since there are so many of you. Call on the name of your god, but do not light the fire." So they took the bull given them and prepared it.
Then they called on the name of Baal from morning till noon. "O Baal, answer us!" they shouted. But there was no response; no one answered. And they danced around the altar they had made.
At noon Elijah began to taunt them. "Shout louder!" he said. "Surely he is a god! Perhaps he is deep in thought, or busy, or traveling. Maybe he is sleeping and must be awakened." So they shouted louder and slashed themselves with swords and spears, as was their custom, until their blood flowed. Midday passed, and they continued their frantic prophesying until the time for the evening sacrifice. But there was no response, no one answered, no one paid attention.
Then Elijah said to all the people, "Come here to me." They came to him, and he repaired the altar of the Lord, which was in ruins. Elijah took twelve stones, one for each of the tribes descended from Jacob, to whom the word of the Lord had come, saying, "Your name shall be Israel." With the stones he built an altar in the name of the Lord, and he dug a trench around it large enough to hold two seahs of seed. He arranged the wood, cut the bull into pieces and laid it on the wood. Then he said to them, "Fill four large jars with water and pour it on the offering and on the wood."
"Do it again," he said, and they did it again. "Do it a third time," he ordered, and they did it the third time. The water ran down around the altar and even filled the trench.
At the time of sacrifice, the prophet Elijah stepped forward and prayed: "O Lord, God of Abraham, Isaac and Israel, let it be known today that you are God in Israel and that I am your servant and have done all these things at your command. Answer me, O Lord, answer me, so these people will know that you, O Lord, are God, and that you are turning their hearts back again."
Then the fire of the Lord fell and burned up the sacrifice, the wood, the stones and the soil, and also licked up the water in the trench.
When all the people saw this, they fell prostrate and cried, "The Lord - He is God! The Lord - He is God!"
Then Elijah commanded them, "Seize the prophets of Baal. Don't let anyone get away!" They seized them, and Elijah had them brought down to the Kishon Valley and slaughtered there.
And Elijah said to Ahab, "Go, eat and drink, for there is the sound of a heavy rain." So Ahab went off to eat and drink, but Elijah climbed to the top of Carmel, bent down to the ground and put his face between his knees.
"Go and look toward the sea," he told his servant. And he went up and looked.
"There is nothing there," he said.
Seven times Elijah said, "Go back."
The seventh time the servant reported, "A cloud as small as a man's hand is rising from the sea."
So Elijah said, "Go and tell Ahab, 'Hitch up your chariot and go down before the rain stops you.' "
Meanwhile, the sky grew black with clouds, the wind rose, a heavy rain came on and Ahab rode off to Jezreel. The power of the Lord came upon Elijah and, tucking his cloak into his belt, he ran ahead of Ahab all the way to Jezreel.
1 Kings 18:16-46
This ends this reading from God's holy word. Thanks be to God.
How many people today walk through life doubting the existence of God or feeling they follow a god who is equal to or over God? All this despite the ways that God shows daily that He is alive and moving in His creation.
Well, as Chapter 18 of 1st Kings opened, we found Elijah traveling and meeting Obadiah, a man who was a devout believer of the Lord and had invested a lot of time to protect prophets from the hand of the murderous Jezebel.
You’ll recall that Elijah asked Obadiah to go and tell the evil King Ahab to come and meet with him…a request that led Obadiah to become panic-stricken and afraid…afraid that Elijah was sending him to his death, particularly if Obadiah brought Ahab and Elijah would not be where he said he would be. In his words, we had examined how Obadiah’s faith had turned to doubt.
Elijah assured Obadiah that he would “surely present myself to Ahab” as “the Lord Almighty lives”.
And so we read where “Obadiah went to meet Ahab” telling him about Elijah’s request and Ahab took Elijah up on his offer, going to meet him. As Ahab came to Elijah, scripture tells us he scoffed, “Is that you, you troubler of Israel?" to which Elijah replied, “I have not made trouble for Israel…But you and your father's family have. You have abandoned the Lord's commands and have followed the Baals. Now summon the people from all over Israel to meet me on Mount Carmel. And bring the four hundred and fifty prophets of Baal and the four hundred prophets of Asherah, who eat at Jezebel's table."
So Ahab did as Elijah requested. He “sent word throughout all Israel and assembled the prophets on Mount Carmel” and Elijah addressed them saying, “How long will you waver between two opinions? If the Lord is God, follow him; but if Baal is God, follow him." He received no feedback because “the people said nothing”. And so Elijah offered a holy challenge.
What was the challenge?
We see where Elijah told the 450 prophets of Baal to get two bulls…one for them and one for Elijah. The Baal prophets were then supposed to cut their bull into pieces and “put it on the wood but not set fire to it”. Elijah would do likewise with his bull. And after the preparation, each would call on the name of their god…the Ball prophets calling on Baal while Elijah would call on the one true God…the God of Israel…and whichever god responded by fire…then that god would be God.
The Baal prophets accepted and the challenge was on.
The prophets of Baal took a bull and prepared it as Elijah had instructed. They then “called on the name of Baal from morning till noon” but received no response. So they continued to dance around the altar in hope that their god would answer. Things began to drag out so much that Elijah taunted the Baal prophets saying, “Shout louder!…Surely he is a god! Perhaps he is deep in thought, or busy, or traveling. Maybe he is sleeping and must be awakened."
And so the Baal prophets began to shout even “louder and slashed themselves with swords and spears, as was their custom, until their blood flowed”. Scripture tells us that “midday passed, and they continued their frantic prophesying until the time for the evening sacrifice” but to no avail. Their god was not responding…because their god didn’t exist.
Finally, Elijah had seen enough. It was his turn now and so he called the people to him. They watched him repair “the altar of the Lord, which was in ruins”, taking “twelve stones, one for each of the tribes descended from Jacob” and building “an altar in the name of the Lord”. He then “dug a trench” around the altar and “arranged the wood” before he “cut the bull into pieces and laid it on the wood”.
Elijah was nearly ready to summon his God…the true God…to respond but there was one more thing he needed to do to make what was about to happen be even more spectacular.
For he ordered the people to “fill four large jars with water and pour it on the offering and on the wood." And he didn’t just have them do it once. He had them do it three times until the “water ran down around the altar” and “filled the trench”.
“Huh?”, the people had to be thinking. “Wet wood is never going to burn. This prophet is truly crazy.”
So the scene was set and the time had come for Elijah to call on God. Everyone had to be looking on with curious anticipation and maybe just a hint of doubt. After all, the wood and offering were drenched in water. No one had ever seen wet matter like that burn. Not at least until now.
For “at the time of sacrifice”, we read where “Elijah stepped forward and prayed” the following:
"O Lord, God of Abraham, Isaac and Israel, let it be known today that you are God in Israel and that I am your servant and have done all these things at your command. Answer me, O Lord, answer me, so these people will know that you, O Lord, are God, and that you are turning their hearts back again."
And with his last word, “the fire of the Lord fell and burned up the sacrifice, the wood, the stones and the soil, and also licked up the water in the trench”. Not a drop of water…a piece of wood…or any of the bull were left unconsumed.
Can you imagine what this must have been like? How incredibly amazing it had to be for all those who bore witness to it?
Surely, no one at that point could doubt that Elijah’s God…the one true God of Israel…was indeed God.
The people present couldn’t that’s for sure because after seeing God’s power and might displayed, “they fell prostrate” and cried out, "The Lord - He is God! The Lord - He is God!"
The prophets who refused to acknowledge God and instead drove people toward Baal were seized and slaughtered in the Kishon Valley…executed for following a false god and leading the people astray.
For the others, the end of the drought was soon to come. Their testimony to God at the altar brought His grace, mercy and forgiveness on them. Relief was on the way.
Friends, isn’t this what happens to us when we allow ourselves to turn away from God? Don’t we find ourselves in the midst of our own drought…a spiritual drought that begins to dry up our very souls?
Well, the good news in today’s scripture is that there is relief for the dried out, parched soul…and that relief is God, the giver of every good and perfect thing from above (James 1:17). All we need to do is turn to Him and confess just as the former Baal worshippers did professing and confessing, "The Lord - He is God! The Lord - He is God!"
And when we do this with all our heart and mind and soul and strength…God answers and brings us spiritual rain to quench our thirst and restore us spiritually unto Him.
Are you in need of a little spiritual rain today? Or do you know someone who is in need?
The Lord…our God…awaits.
Amen.
In Christ,
Mark
PS: Please share this with anyone you feel might be blessed by it.
http://www.faithhopeandlove.info/
Send any prayer requests to faithhopegodlove@aol.com
Tuesday, May 19, 2009
DOUBT OVER FAITH, CHRIST OVER DOUBT
Can I pray for you in any way? Send any prayer requests to faithhopegodlove@aol.com In Christ, Mark
The scriptures. May God bless the reading of His holy word.
After a long time, in the third year, the word of the Lord came to Elijah: "Go and present yourself to Ahab, and I will send rain on the land." So Elijah went to present himself to Ahab.
Now the famine was severe in Samaria, and Ahab had summoned Obadiah, who was in charge of his palace. (Obadiah was a devout believer in the Lord. While Jezebel was killing off the Lord's prophets, Obadiah had taken a hundred prophets and hidden them in two caves, fifty in each, and had supplied them with food and water.) Ahab had said to Obadiah, "Go through the land to all the springs and valleys. Maybe we can find some grass to keep the horses and mules alive so we will not have to kill any of our animals." So they divided the land they were to cover, Ahab going in one direction and Obadiah in another.
As Obadiah was walking along, Elijah met him. Obadiah recognized him, bowed down to the ground, and said, "Is it really you, my lord Elijah?"
"Yes," he replied. "Go tell your master, 'Elijah is here.' "
“What have I done wrong," asked Obadiah, "that you are handing your servant over to Ahab to be put to death? As surely as the Lord your God lives, there is not a nation or kingdom where my master has not sent someone to look for you. And whenever a nation or kingdom claimed you were not there, he made them swear they could not find you. But now you tell me to go to my master and say, 'Elijah is here.' I don't know where the Spirit of the Lord may carry you when I leave you. If I go and tell Ahab and he doesn't find you, he will kill me. Yet I your servant have worshiped the Lord since my youth. Haven't you heard, my lord, what I did while Jezebel was killing the prophets of the Lord? I hid a hundred of the Lord's prophets in two caves, fifty in each, and supplied them with food and water. And now you tell me to go to my master and say, 'Elijah is here.' He will kill me!"
Elijah said, "As the Lord Almighty lives, whom I serve, I will surely present myself to Ahab today."
1 Kings 18:1-15
This ends this reading from God's holy word. Thanks be to God.
As Chapter 17 opened, we read where the prophet Elijah had brought bad news from the Lord to the evil king Ahab saying, “As the Lord, the God of Israel, lives, whom I serve, there will be neither dew nor rain in the next few years except at my word." (1 Kings 17:1) Immediately after this, the Lord had Elijah hide in Kerith Ravine where he was able to drink from a brook and was attended to by ravens who brought him food. (1 Kings 17:2-6)
So why did the Lord send Elijah into hiding?
As we read the opening portion of Chapter 18, we see where it became dangerous in the land to be a prophet. Three years had passed since Elijah’s proclamation and the “famine was severe in Samaria”…so severe that Ahab began to exact his wrath on all prophets, sending Jezebel to kill them off.
Thank goodness for a “devout believer in the Lord”…a man named Obadiah…who scripture tells us had “taken a hundred prophets and hidden them in two caves, fifty in each, and had supplied them with food and water”, all this knowing the danger he faced if he had been caught. Surely he would have been seen as directly opposing the king and would have faced death himself. Still, he boldly went forward in trying to protect God’s chosen messengers despite the risk incurred.
Friends, how would we have responded had we been in Obadiah’s position? Could we have been as brave and bold in support of the Lord and His chosen, despite the present danger involved in doing so? Or would we have worried more about self preservation and left the prophets to fend for themselves?
Well…it was in the midst of this situation that the Lord sent Elijah to Ahab “in the third year” to tell him the Lord was going to “send rain on the land." And on his way to share that message, Elijah met Obadiah who had been sent by Ahab to, “Go through the land to all the springs and valleys” to seek “grass to keep the horses and mules alive” so that no animals would have to be killed. After a three year famine, Ahab had hoped that there might be somewhere outside of his immediate rule that grass might be present. And so the land to be covered was divided and Ahab went in one direction while Obadiah went the other where he encountered Elijah.
Obviously, Elijah’s reputation had proceeded him for scripture tells us that “Obadiah recognized him” and then “bowed down to the ground” saying, "Is it really you, my lord Elijah?" As someone we already knew had a deep respect and heart for prophets, Obadiah was now in the presence of one of the Lord’s best at the time.
As he bowed, we read where Elijah answers Obadiah’s question with an acknowledgement that he was indeed to prophet that Obadiah had thought he was and then wasted no time giving Obadiah direction saying, “Go tell your master, 'Elijah is here.' " Elijah’s request seemed simple on the surface. But as we see, it sparked immediate concern for this devout believer and delivered him from faith to doubt and fear.
For immediately after Elijah gave his command, we read where Obadiah asks, “What have I done wrong…that you are handing your servant over to Ahab to be put to death?” Why did he feel this way? Because Ahab had been looking for Elijah specifically with there not being a “nation or kingdom” where Ahab, Obadiah’s master, had not “sent someone” looking for the prophet who had brought the news of the famine…and the one who would end it with his word. And while this search went on, other prophets were being killed along the way.
How often does this happen to us? The Lord attempts to send us to do His will into a circumstance that we know in advance could be difficult and we respond, not in trust, but doubt and fear, questioning Him about what He called us to do? I think we can all relate very well to Obadiah if we look closely at our own lives.
So what concerns Obadiah the most as Elijah send him to the king?
He’s afraid that when he tells the king that he found Elijah and gives him direction on where to find him, that the king will go to that place and find Elijah had gone, possibly carried somewhere else by the “Spirit of the Lord”. And this would result in Ahab exacting his wrath on Obadiah, killing him in place of not being able to kill Elijah.
Obadiah then goes on to tell Elijah about the depth of his service to the Lord…that he had “worshiped the Lord” since his youth and had “hid a hundred of the Lord's prophets in two caves, fifty in each, and supplied them with food and water” while Jezebel was on her prophet killing spree. Now Obadiah asks…after all he had done to serve the Lord so faithfully…was Elijah wanting to sign his death warrant by sending him to Ahab with the news that the prophet had arrived?
Again…how many of us would be like Obadiah? Questioning God’s will for us when it might place us in a dangerous position by trying to remind the Lord about how pious and dedicated we had been toward Him…and asking Him if it was fair to now place us in a place where we might have to suffer for His sake? How many of us would allow our faith turn to doubt?
Friends, as Christians, we need to ever remember the root of our title, Christ, and turn to Him…the One who well knew His destiny was to suffer and die to fulfill the will of His Father and save all of us. And despite knowing what was ahead, still He went forward and persevered, not questioning but instead fulfilling…not seeking to save Himself but instead exercising the deepest level of self sacrifice in going where God intended for Him to go…even to death.
Indeed, as we begin to sense Satan creeping into our hearts and minds, leading us to doubt the path the Lord calls for us to walk, let us turn immediately to Jesus and gain our strength and power to move forward boldly and faithfully, seeking to emulate His courage and devotion to the Father, no matter what He calls us to do.
For we need to always remember in the midst of life’s circumstances that we like Paul discovered can do all things through Christ who gives us strength. (Philippians 4:13, New Living Translation)
Amen.
In Christ,
Mark
PS: Please share this with anyone you feel might be blessed by it.
http://www.faithhopeandlove.info/
Send any prayer requests to faithhopegodlove@aol.com
The scriptures. May God bless the reading of His holy word.
After a long time, in the third year, the word of the Lord came to Elijah: "Go and present yourself to Ahab, and I will send rain on the land." So Elijah went to present himself to Ahab.
Now the famine was severe in Samaria, and Ahab had summoned Obadiah, who was in charge of his palace. (Obadiah was a devout believer in the Lord. While Jezebel was killing off the Lord's prophets, Obadiah had taken a hundred prophets and hidden them in two caves, fifty in each, and had supplied them with food and water.) Ahab had said to Obadiah, "Go through the land to all the springs and valleys. Maybe we can find some grass to keep the horses and mules alive so we will not have to kill any of our animals." So they divided the land they were to cover, Ahab going in one direction and Obadiah in another.
As Obadiah was walking along, Elijah met him. Obadiah recognized him, bowed down to the ground, and said, "Is it really you, my lord Elijah?"
"Yes," he replied. "Go tell your master, 'Elijah is here.' "
“What have I done wrong," asked Obadiah, "that you are handing your servant over to Ahab to be put to death? As surely as the Lord your God lives, there is not a nation or kingdom where my master has not sent someone to look for you. And whenever a nation or kingdom claimed you were not there, he made them swear they could not find you. But now you tell me to go to my master and say, 'Elijah is here.' I don't know where the Spirit of the Lord may carry you when I leave you. If I go and tell Ahab and he doesn't find you, he will kill me. Yet I your servant have worshiped the Lord since my youth. Haven't you heard, my lord, what I did while Jezebel was killing the prophets of the Lord? I hid a hundred of the Lord's prophets in two caves, fifty in each, and supplied them with food and water. And now you tell me to go to my master and say, 'Elijah is here.' He will kill me!"
Elijah said, "As the Lord Almighty lives, whom I serve, I will surely present myself to Ahab today."
1 Kings 18:1-15
This ends this reading from God's holy word. Thanks be to God.
As Chapter 17 opened, we read where the prophet Elijah had brought bad news from the Lord to the evil king Ahab saying, “As the Lord, the God of Israel, lives, whom I serve, there will be neither dew nor rain in the next few years except at my word." (1 Kings 17:1) Immediately after this, the Lord had Elijah hide in Kerith Ravine where he was able to drink from a brook and was attended to by ravens who brought him food. (1 Kings 17:2-6)
So why did the Lord send Elijah into hiding?
As we read the opening portion of Chapter 18, we see where it became dangerous in the land to be a prophet. Three years had passed since Elijah’s proclamation and the “famine was severe in Samaria”…so severe that Ahab began to exact his wrath on all prophets, sending Jezebel to kill them off.
Thank goodness for a “devout believer in the Lord”…a man named Obadiah…who scripture tells us had “taken a hundred prophets and hidden them in two caves, fifty in each, and had supplied them with food and water”, all this knowing the danger he faced if he had been caught. Surely he would have been seen as directly opposing the king and would have faced death himself. Still, he boldly went forward in trying to protect God’s chosen messengers despite the risk incurred.
Friends, how would we have responded had we been in Obadiah’s position? Could we have been as brave and bold in support of the Lord and His chosen, despite the present danger involved in doing so? Or would we have worried more about self preservation and left the prophets to fend for themselves?
Well…it was in the midst of this situation that the Lord sent Elijah to Ahab “in the third year” to tell him the Lord was going to “send rain on the land." And on his way to share that message, Elijah met Obadiah who had been sent by Ahab to, “Go through the land to all the springs and valleys” to seek “grass to keep the horses and mules alive” so that no animals would have to be killed. After a three year famine, Ahab had hoped that there might be somewhere outside of his immediate rule that grass might be present. And so the land to be covered was divided and Ahab went in one direction while Obadiah went the other where he encountered Elijah.
Obviously, Elijah’s reputation had proceeded him for scripture tells us that “Obadiah recognized him” and then “bowed down to the ground” saying, "Is it really you, my lord Elijah?" As someone we already knew had a deep respect and heart for prophets, Obadiah was now in the presence of one of the Lord’s best at the time.
As he bowed, we read where Elijah answers Obadiah’s question with an acknowledgement that he was indeed to prophet that Obadiah had thought he was and then wasted no time giving Obadiah direction saying, “Go tell your master, 'Elijah is here.' " Elijah’s request seemed simple on the surface. But as we see, it sparked immediate concern for this devout believer and delivered him from faith to doubt and fear.
For immediately after Elijah gave his command, we read where Obadiah asks, “What have I done wrong…that you are handing your servant over to Ahab to be put to death?” Why did he feel this way? Because Ahab had been looking for Elijah specifically with there not being a “nation or kingdom” where Ahab, Obadiah’s master, had not “sent someone” looking for the prophet who had brought the news of the famine…and the one who would end it with his word. And while this search went on, other prophets were being killed along the way.
How often does this happen to us? The Lord attempts to send us to do His will into a circumstance that we know in advance could be difficult and we respond, not in trust, but doubt and fear, questioning Him about what He called us to do? I think we can all relate very well to Obadiah if we look closely at our own lives.
So what concerns Obadiah the most as Elijah send him to the king?
He’s afraid that when he tells the king that he found Elijah and gives him direction on where to find him, that the king will go to that place and find Elijah had gone, possibly carried somewhere else by the “Spirit of the Lord”. And this would result in Ahab exacting his wrath on Obadiah, killing him in place of not being able to kill Elijah.
Obadiah then goes on to tell Elijah about the depth of his service to the Lord…that he had “worshiped the Lord” since his youth and had “hid a hundred of the Lord's prophets in two caves, fifty in each, and supplied them with food and water” while Jezebel was on her prophet killing spree. Now Obadiah asks…after all he had done to serve the Lord so faithfully…was Elijah wanting to sign his death warrant by sending him to Ahab with the news that the prophet had arrived?
Again…how many of us would be like Obadiah? Questioning God’s will for us when it might place us in a dangerous position by trying to remind the Lord about how pious and dedicated we had been toward Him…and asking Him if it was fair to now place us in a place where we might have to suffer for His sake? How many of us would allow our faith turn to doubt?
Friends, as Christians, we need to ever remember the root of our title, Christ, and turn to Him…the One who well knew His destiny was to suffer and die to fulfill the will of His Father and save all of us. And despite knowing what was ahead, still He went forward and persevered, not questioning but instead fulfilling…not seeking to save Himself but instead exercising the deepest level of self sacrifice in going where God intended for Him to go…even to death.
Indeed, as we begin to sense Satan creeping into our hearts and minds, leading us to doubt the path the Lord calls for us to walk, let us turn immediately to Jesus and gain our strength and power to move forward boldly and faithfully, seeking to emulate His courage and devotion to the Father, no matter what He calls us to do.
For we need to always remember in the midst of life’s circumstances that we like Paul discovered can do all things through Christ who gives us strength. (Philippians 4:13, New Living Translation)
Amen.
In Christ,
Mark
PS: Please share this with anyone you feel might be blessed by it.
http://www.faithhopeandlove.info/
Send any prayer requests to faithhopegodlove@aol.com
Monday, May 18, 2009
SUSTAINING FAITH THROUGH DIFFICULT TIMES
Can I pray for you in any way? Send any prayer requests to faithhopegodlove@aol.com In Christ, Mark
The scriptures. May God bless the reading of His holy word.
Some time later the son of the woman who owned the house became ill. He grew worse and worse, and finally stopped breathing. She said to Elijah, "What do you have against me, man of God? Did you come to remind me of my sin and kill my son?"
"Give me your son," Elijah replied. He took him from her arms, carried him to the upper room where he was staying, and laid him on his bed. Then he cried out to the Lord, "O Lord my God, have you brought tragedy also upon this widow I am staying with, by causing her son to die?" Then he stretched himself out on the boy three times and cried to the Lord, "O Lord my God, let this boy's life return to him!"
The Lord heard Elijah's cry, and the boy's life returned to him, and he lived. Elijah picked up the child and carried him down from the room into the house. He gave him to his mother and said, "Look, your son is alive!"
Then the woman said to Elijah, "Now I know that you are a man of God and that the word of the Lord from your mouth is the truth."
1 Kings 17:17-24
This ends this reading from God's holy word. Thanks be to God.
As we go through life, we find out one thing clearly about faith and the way we exercise it.
It’s much easier when things are going well.
Think about it. We see it happen all the time. As long as a person’s life is trouble-free, then God is awesome and good and right. But let a little challenge enter in…let the sunny days turn cloudy, stormy and rainy…let good times turn bad and something happens to us. We stop believing and trusting in the same God who was there for us when things were going well…the God who never changed, unlike our circumstances.
Maybe you can relate. I know I can.
So we can maybe see a little bit of ourselves in the widow in 1st Kings, Chapter 17. You see things had been looking rather bad for her and her son before Elijah came into their lives. You’ll recall that a drought had struck the land and caused a great famine. The woman was down to her last bit of flour and oil…enough to make one more meal for them before they would perish from starvation.
And in the midst of this hardship, we saw where God delivered.
For when Elijah asked the woman to bring him a piece of bread and the woman lamented on having so little, Elijah assured her that the Lord would provide saying:
“For this is what the Lord, the God of Israel, says: 'The jar of flour will not be used up and the jug of oil will not run dry until the day the Lord gives rain on the land.' " (1 Kings 17:14)
And so the woman complied with Elijah’s wishes and experienced the bounty of God’s blessing as her supply of flour indeed did not run out nor did her oil. God’s word had come alive in truth for her. Surely she would never doubt Him again…would she?
Not as long as everything continued to go well as we will see.
For some time after God had provided her, her son, and Elijah with enough provision to eat while others struggled to find food to eat, we read where the widow’s son became ill with her condition growing “worse and worse” until he “finally stopped breathing”. So did the woman sustain faith in the midst of her tragedy?
Not exactly.
For scripture tells us she turns on Elijah questioning him by saying, “What do you have against me, man of God? Did you come to remind me of my sin and kill my son?"
Wow. This man Elijah had done nothing but showed up to save the woman and her son from starvation. Didn’t he deserve her praise and thanks? In fact, we didn’t read any place in this passage where she gave thanks to anyone for the blessing she had received. No thanks to God…no thanks to Elijah.
But as things went bad for the widow, she doesn’t hesitate to rain down curses on Elijah…and indirectly on God, hinting that Elijah was a harbinger of death sent to punish her for her sinfulness.
How quickly her faith went away in the midst of hardship. The widow felt God had brought down judgment upon her. She never saw it as God possibly testing her faith…a test that she was failing badly.
In the midst of this turn of events, we find Elijah not getting into a verbal confrontation with his accuser but instead taking the lifeless son from the widow and moving him to his upper room where he “laid him on his bed”. Then, with the boy on the bed, we hear Elijah make his own plea, crying out the Lord and saying:
"O Lord my God, have you brought tragedy also upon this widow I am staying with, by causing her son to die?"
It was a very valid question. Maybe it was the Lord’s will for the son to pass. After all, the son really belonged to God, not the widow. If it was time for the Lord to call the son home, then it was time. No one had a right to argue that. From a human perspective, the loss was tragic. No doubt about that. But from a divine perspective, nothing God does is ill timed. And so no one has any right to question Him. No one. Not even a trusted prophet.
Back to the scripture where we find Elijah move from questioning to action, stretching “himself out on the boy three times” and crying out, "O Lord my God, let this boy's life return to him!"
It’s at this juncture that the ball is still in the Lord’s court. He didn’t have to bring the son back to life. But then again, the Lord can do whatever He wants to do. We need only trust His infinite wisdom. And in this case, God knew that resurrecting the son would have a positive impact on both Elijah and the woman.
So when “the Lord heard Elijah's cry”, we read where “the boy's life returned to him and he lived”. Immediately, “Elijah picked up the child and carried him down from the room into the house” where “he gave him to his mother” and said, "Look, your son is alive!"
And then…and only then…do we find the widow express her gratitude…to Elijah and the Lord…as she said, “Now I know that you are a man of God and that the word of the Lord from your mouth is the truth." Too bad it took a death and resurrection to open her eyes to this.
I mean wouldn’t a sudden endless supply of flour and oil as predicted by a prophet cause a person to know that the prophet was a man of God who spoke words of truth from Him? I know it would bring me to praise and thanksgiving.
So what is it in your life that you’re taking for granted? In what way is God blessing you that you are failing to give Him praise and thanks for? What’s it going to take for the Lord to get your attention? Will it take a tragedy? And if it will, how will you respond? Will it be by cursing the same God who blessed you while not receiving gratitude? And what will it take for you to finally believe God as the God of truth and goodness and provision and wisdom in your life? Is it going to take a miracle to open your eyes?
In closing, the widow has a lot in common with a future disciple of Jesus. You might remember him…his name was Thomas…Thomas who doubted. Maybe you can relate to him like you can relate to the widow. This is because we’re too often like Thomas as well.
Remember that Thomas refused to believe that a resurrected Jesus had actually appeared to his fellow disciples saying, "Unless I see the nail marks in his hands and put my finger where the nails were, and put my hand into his side, I will not believe it." (John 20:25) And when Jesus appeared to Thomas, he told him to, "Put your finger here; see My hands. Reach out your hand and put it into My side.” (John 20:27) And as Thomas proclaimed, “My Lord and my God!”, Jesus finishes the dialogue by saying, “"Because you have seen Me, you have believed; blessed are those who have not seen and yet have believed." (John 20:29)
Indeed, blessed are those who have not yet seen and yet have believed…all because they stand on the foundation of faith of which Hebrews will ever remind us is “being sure of what we hope for and certain of what we do not see.” (Hebrews 11:1)
How do we sustain faith in difficult times? We need to be sure of what we hope for…and that is that we serve a Lord who can always be trusted…a Lord who always operates in perfect righteousness…a Lord who never needs questioned…only praised, now and forever. Amen.
In Christ,
Mark
PS: Please share this with anyone you feel might be blessed by it.
http://www.faithhopeandlove.info/
Send any prayer requests to faithhopegodlove@aol.com
The scriptures. May God bless the reading of His holy word.
Some time later the son of the woman who owned the house became ill. He grew worse and worse, and finally stopped breathing. She said to Elijah, "What do you have against me, man of God? Did you come to remind me of my sin and kill my son?"
"Give me your son," Elijah replied. He took him from her arms, carried him to the upper room where he was staying, and laid him on his bed. Then he cried out to the Lord, "O Lord my God, have you brought tragedy also upon this widow I am staying with, by causing her son to die?" Then he stretched himself out on the boy three times and cried to the Lord, "O Lord my God, let this boy's life return to him!"
The Lord heard Elijah's cry, and the boy's life returned to him, and he lived. Elijah picked up the child and carried him down from the room into the house. He gave him to his mother and said, "Look, your son is alive!"
Then the woman said to Elijah, "Now I know that you are a man of God and that the word of the Lord from your mouth is the truth."
1 Kings 17:17-24
This ends this reading from God's holy word. Thanks be to God.
As we go through life, we find out one thing clearly about faith and the way we exercise it.
It’s much easier when things are going well.
Think about it. We see it happen all the time. As long as a person’s life is trouble-free, then God is awesome and good and right. But let a little challenge enter in…let the sunny days turn cloudy, stormy and rainy…let good times turn bad and something happens to us. We stop believing and trusting in the same God who was there for us when things were going well…the God who never changed, unlike our circumstances.
Maybe you can relate. I know I can.
So we can maybe see a little bit of ourselves in the widow in 1st Kings, Chapter 17. You see things had been looking rather bad for her and her son before Elijah came into their lives. You’ll recall that a drought had struck the land and caused a great famine. The woman was down to her last bit of flour and oil…enough to make one more meal for them before they would perish from starvation.
And in the midst of this hardship, we saw where God delivered.
For when Elijah asked the woman to bring him a piece of bread and the woman lamented on having so little, Elijah assured her that the Lord would provide saying:
“For this is what the Lord, the God of Israel, says: 'The jar of flour will not be used up and the jug of oil will not run dry until the day the Lord gives rain on the land.' " (1 Kings 17:14)
And so the woman complied with Elijah’s wishes and experienced the bounty of God’s blessing as her supply of flour indeed did not run out nor did her oil. God’s word had come alive in truth for her. Surely she would never doubt Him again…would she?
Not as long as everything continued to go well as we will see.
For some time after God had provided her, her son, and Elijah with enough provision to eat while others struggled to find food to eat, we read where the widow’s son became ill with her condition growing “worse and worse” until he “finally stopped breathing”. So did the woman sustain faith in the midst of her tragedy?
Not exactly.
For scripture tells us she turns on Elijah questioning him by saying, “What do you have against me, man of God? Did you come to remind me of my sin and kill my son?"
Wow. This man Elijah had done nothing but showed up to save the woman and her son from starvation. Didn’t he deserve her praise and thanks? In fact, we didn’t read any place in this passage where she gave thanks to anyone for the blessing she had received. No thanks to God…no thanks to Elijah.
But as things went bad for the widow, she doesn’t hesitate to rain down curses on Elijah…and indirectly on God, hinting that Elijah was a harbinger of death sent to punish her for her sinfulness.
How quickly her faith went away in the midst of hardship. The widow felt God had brought down judgment upon her. She never saw it as God possibly testing her faith…a test that she was failing badly.
In the midst of this turn of events, we find Elijah not getting into a verbal confrontation with his accuser but instead taking the lifeless son from the widow and moving him to his upper room where he “laid him on his bed”. Then, with the boy on the bed, we hear Elijah make his own plea, crying out the Lord and saying:
"O Lord my God, have you brought tragedy also upon this widow I am staying with, by causing her son to die?"
It was a very valid question. Maybe it was the Lord’s will for the son to pass. After all, the son really belonged to God, not the widow. If it was time for the Lord to call the son home, then it was time. No one had a right to argue that. From a human perspective, the loss was tragic. No doubt about that. But from a divine perspective, nothing God does is ill timed. And so no one has any right to question Him. No one. Not even a trusted prophet.
Back to the scripture where we find Elijah move from questioning to action, stretching “himself out on the boy three times” and crying out, "O Lord my God, let this boy's life return to him!"
It’s at this juncture that the ball is still in the Lord’s court. He didn’t have to bring the son back to life. But then again, the Lord can do whatever He wants to do. We need only trust His infinite wisdom. And in this case, God knew that resurrecting the son would have a positive impact on both Elijah and the woman.
So when “the Lord heard Elijah's cry”, we read where “the boy's life returned to him and he lived”. Immediately, “Elijah picked up the child and carried him down from the room into the house” where “he gave him to his mother” and said, "Look, your son is alive!"
And then…and only then…do we find the widow express her gratitude…to Elijah and the Lord…as she said, “Now I know that you are a man of God and that the word of the Lord from your mouth is the truth." Too bad it took a death and resurrection to open her eyes to this.
I mean wouldn’t a sudden endless supply of flour and oil as predicted by a prophet cause a person to know that the prophet was a man of God who spoke words of truth from Him? I know it would bring me to praise and thanksgiving.
So what is it in your life that you’re taking for granted? In what way is God blessing you that you are failing to give Him praise and thanks for? What’s it going to take for the Lord to get your attention? Will it take a tragedy? And if it will, how will you respond? Will it be by cursing the same God who blessed you while not receiving gratitude? And what will it take for you to finally believe God as the God of truth and goodness and provision and wisdom in your life? Is it going to take a miracle to open your eyes?
In closing, the widow has a lot in common with a future disciple of Jesus. You might remember him…his name was Thomas…Thomas who doubted. Maybe you can relate to him like you can relate to the widow. This is because we’re too often like Thomas as well.
Remember that Thomas refused to believe that a resurrected Jesus had actually appeared to his fellow disciples saying, "Unless I see the nail marks in his hands and put my finger where the nails were, and put my hand into his side, I will not believe it." (John 20:25) And when Jesus appeared to Thomas, he told him to, "Put your finger here; see My hands. Reach out your hand and put it into My side.” (John 20:27) And as Thomas proclaimed, “My Lord and my God!”, Jesus finishes the dialogue by saying, “"Because you have seen Me, you have believed; blessed are those who have not seen and yet have believed." (John 20:29)
Indeed, blessed are those who have not yet seen and yet have believed…all because they stand on the foundation of faith of which Hebrews will ever remind us is “being sure of what we hope for and certain of what we do not see.” (Hebrews 11:1)
How do we sustain faith in difficult times? We need to be sure of what we hope for…and that is that we serve a Lord who can always be trusted…a Lord who always operates in perfect righteousness…a Lord who never needs questioned…only praised, now and forever. Amen.
In Christ,
Mark
PS: Please share this with anyone you feel might be blessed by it.
http://www.faithhopeandlove.info/
Send any prayer requests to faithhopegodlove@aol.com
Sunday, May 17, 2009
A LOT FROM A LITTLE
Can I pray for you in any way? Send any prayer requests to faithhopegodlove@aol.com In Christ, Mark
The scriptures. May God bless the reading of His holy word.
Some time later the brook dried up because there had been no rain in the land. Then the word of the Lord came to him: "Go at once to Zarephath of Sidon and stay there. I have commanded a widow in that place to supply you with food." So he went to Zarephath. When he came to the town gate, a widow was there gathering sticks. He called to her and asked, "Would you bring me a little water in a jar so I may have a drink?" As she was going to get it, he called, "And bring me, please, a piece of bread."
"As surely as the Lord your God lives," she replied, "I don't have any bread—only a handful of flour in a jar and a little oil in a jug. I am gathering a few sticks to take home and make a meal for myself and my son, that we may eat it—and die."
Elijah said to her, "Don't be afraid. Go home and do as you have said. But first make a small cake of bread for me from what you have and bring it to me, and then make something for yourself and your son. For this is what the Lord, the God of Israel, says: 'The jar of flour will not be used up and the jug of oil will not run dry until the day the Lord gives rain on the land.' "
She went away and did as Elijah had told her. So there was food every day for Elijah and for the woman and her family. For the jar of flour was not used up and the jug of oil did not run dry, in keeping with the word of the Lord spoken by Elijah.
1 Kings 17:7-16
This ends this reading from God's holy word. Thanks be to God.
I have a confession to make. Since I have arrived here in Africa, I have lot sight of my priorities.
Sure, I have been very successful in my first two months here and have gained a lot of acclaim and compliment on all the work I have invested to improve the command for all the service members here. And herein highlights how I have lost sight of my priorities.
For in my wanting to do so well here and get off to a good start, I have essentially placed my work and service to the command over the One who is in command. I always tell others I serve God and country in that order. Over the last eight weeks, I’m afraid I have fallen short of making good on that statement, allowing Satan to slyly pull me away from my daily writing by getting me consumed with my workload. Shame on me for allowing that to happen.
And so today, I write to you with a renewed commitment. One that will ensure that I allow God to guide my time and allot Him all that He desires to work in and through me. I anticipate that He will show me that I will be just as successful if not more so by adjusting the attitude I have concerning my time management.
As I pick up where I left off…at Chapter of 17 in 1st Kings, you’ll recall we were introduced to one of Israel’s greatest prophets, Elijah, who the Lord used to send a message to Ahab, the wicked, standing king of Israel. The message was a foreboding one. For the Lord was going to bring a drought on Israel with no dew or rain on the land for “the next few years”.
Well, the drought happened and as Elijah was staying in the Kerith Ravine by direction of the Lord where he was fed day and night by the ravens, eventually the brook that he drank from “dried up because there had been no rain in the land”.
It was at that time that “the word of the Lord came to him” saying:
"Go at once to Zarephath of Sidon and stay there. I have commanded a widow in that place to supply you with food."
And so Elijah…the faithful, obedient servant that he was…did what the Lord commanded and “went to Zarephath” and when “he came to the town gate”, he came upon a widow just as the Lord had said he would. As the widow was “gathering sticks”, Elijah “called to her” saying, “Would you bring me a little water in a jar so I may have a drink?" and he followed it up with a request for “a piece of bread."
Elijah had to be a little surprised at the widow’s reply, especially since he asked politely.
For we read where the widow said to him, “As surely as the Lord your God lives, I don't have any bread — only a handful of flour in a jar and a little oil in a jug. I am gathering a few sticks to take home and make a meal for myself and my son, that we may eat it — and die."
Her words show us just how tough times were. The widow was sure that what little she had left would be the last meal that she and her son would have together. After that, they would just end up starving to death. And with this, the woman was trying to relay onto Elijah that it was hard enough for her and her son to have enough to eat yet alone feed a stranger. What she didn’t know was that she was about to experience the Lord’s plentiful goodness.
Note how in the midst of the widow’s worst concerns and worries, the Lord enters in with words of comfort and peace through Elijah who assuages the woman’s concerns saying, “Don't be afraid. Go home and do as you have said. But first make a small cake of bread for me from what you have and bring it to me, and then make something for yourself and your son. For this is what the Lord, the God of Israel, says: 'The jar of flour will not be used up and the jug of oil will not run dry until the day the Lord gives rain on the land.' "
Wow. That was quite a proposal from Elijah. I wonder what must have been running through the widow’s mind at that point? I think any average person would have been skeptical. The widow could have felt that Elijah was taking advantage of her simply to get some food for himself, rejecting his request because of this suspicion. She could have just flat out rejected his request out of greed. What little flour and oil existed would stay in the family. No need to share it because there was so little to begin with. The widow was asked to believe and trust Elijah…trust that there would never be a shortage of food no matter how bad it got anywhere else until rain fell once again.
So how would the widow respond?
As we see, she responded in trust and obedience, carrying out Elijah’s directions perfectly. Scripture tells us she “went away and did as Elijah had told her” and as a result, “there was food every day for Elijah and for the woman and her family” because “the jar of flour was not used up” and “the jug of oil did not run dry”…just as the Lord had predicted. The woman discovered two important truths about the Lord in the process.
First, He can make a lot from just a little. Some time after this passage, God’s Son, Jesus, would bring a similar kind of blessing to first the crowd of 5,000 using five loaves of bread and two fish to feed them all (Mark 6:30-44) and then followed it with feeding a separate crowd of 4,000 with seven loaves and a few small fish (Mark 8:1-13).
Second, the Lord provides when we need it. For the woman and her son, they were down to their last bit of flour and oil when the Lord entered in and through divine blessing ensured they never were without. I couldn’t help but think back to the people of Israel as they wondered through the desert on their exodus from Egypt toward the Promised Land. You’ll recall they were fearful about starving to death, only to receive God’s blessing of provision as manna and quail came from heaven to earth. (Exodus 16)
Back to my testimony…so how will I be able to carve out my time with the Lord each day to continue to write His messages faithfully?
First, I need to remember that He takes a little and make it a lot. And so when I give Him my time, no matter how much time that is, He will ensure it becomes a blessed bounty.
Second, any day when I see that it might be difficult to get time set aside for what the Lord wants me to do, then I only need to step back and remember that He provides when we need it, especially when it comes to serving Him.
So how about you? Have you allowed Satan to suck up the time in your days to where you have no time remaining to give the Lord…the One who creates every day and every hour?
If so, I pray the Lord will speak to you in this message just as He has spoken to me. It’s great to be back.
Have a blessed week in the Lord everyone.
In Christ,
Mark
PS: Please share this with anyone you feel might be blessed by it.
http://www.faithhopeandlove.info/
Send any prayer requests to faithhopegodlove@aol.com
The scriptures. May God bless the reading of His holy word.
Some time later the brook dried up because there had been no rain in the land. Then the word of the Lord came to him: "Go at once to Zarephath of Sidon and stay there. I have commanded a widow in that place to supply you with food." So he went to Zarephath. When he came to the town gate, a widow was there gathering sticks. He called to her and asked, "Would you bring me a little water in a jar so I may have a drink?" As she was going to get it, he called, "And bring me, please, a piece of bread."
"As surely as the Lord your God lives," she replied, "I don't have any bread—only a handful of flour in a jar and a little oil in a jug. I am gathering a few sticks to take home and make a meal for myself and my son, that we may eat it—and die."
Elijah said to her, "Don't be afraid. Go home and do as you have said. But first make a small cake of bread for me from what you have and bring it to me, and then make something for yourself and your son. For this is what the Lord, the God of Israel, says: 'The jar of flour will not be used up and the jug of oil will not run dry until the day the Lord gives rain on the land.' "
She went away and did as Elijah had told her. So there was food every day for Elijah and for the woman and her family. For the jar of flour was not used up and the jug of oil did not run dry, in keeping with the word of the Lord spoken by Elijah.
1 Kings 17:7-16
This ends this reading from God's holy word. Thanks be to God.
I have a confession to make. Since I have arrived here in Africa, I have lot sight of my priorities.
Sure, I have been very successful in my first two months here and have gained a lot of acclaim and compliment on all the work I have invested to improve the command for all the service members here. And herein highlights how I have lost sight of my priorities.
For in my wanting to do so well here and get off to a good start, I have essentially placed my work and service to the command over the One who is in command. I always tell others I serve God and country in that order. Over the last eight weeks, I’m afraid I have fallen short of making good on that statement, allowing Satan to slyly pull me away from my daily writing by getting me consumed with my workload. Shame on me for allowing that to happen.
And so today, I write to you with a renewed commitment. One that will ensure that I allow God to guide my time and allot Him all that He desires to work in and through me. I anticipate that He will show me that I will be just as successful if not more so by adjusting the attitude I have concerning my time management.
As I pick up where I left off…at Chapter of 17 in 1st Kings, you’ll recall we were introduced to one of Israel’s greatest prophets, Elijah, who the Lord used to send a message to Ahab, the wicked, standing king of Israel. The message was a foreboding one. For the Lord was going to bring a drought on Israel with no dew or rain on the land for “the next few years”.
Well, the drought happened and as Elijah was staying in the Kerith Ravine by direction of the Lord where he was fed day and night by the ravens, eventually the brook that he drank from “dried up because there had been no rain in the land”.
It was at that time that “the word of the Lord came to him” saying:
"Go at once to Zarephath of Sidon and stay there. I have commanded a widow in that place to supply you with food."
And so Elijah…the faithful, obedient servant that he was…did what the Lord commanded and “went to Zarephath” and when “he came to the town gate”, he came upon a widow just as the Lord had said he would. As the widow was “gathering sticks”, Elijah “called to her” saying, “Would you bring me a little water in a jar so I may have a drink?" and he followed it up with a request for “a piece of bread."
Elijah had to be a little surprised at the widow’s reply, especially since he asked politely.
For we read where the widow said to him, “As surely as the Lord your God lives, I don't have any bread — only a handful of flour in a jar and a little oil in a jug. I am gathering a few sticks to take home and make a meal for myself and my son, that we may eat it — and die."
Her words show us just how tough times were. The widow was sure that what little she had left would be the last meal that she and her son would have together. After that, they would just end up starving to death. And with this, the woman was trying to relay onto Elijah that it was hard enough for her and her son to have enough to eat yet alone feed a stranger. What she didn’t know was that she was about to experience the Lord’s plentiful goodness.
Note how in the midst of the widow’s worst concerns and worries, the Lord enters in with words of comfort and peace through Elijah who assuages the woman’s concerns saying, “Don't be afraid. Go home and do as you have said. But first make a small cake of bread for me from what you have and bring it to me, and then make something for yourself and your son. For this is what the Lord, the God of Israel, says: 'The jar of flour will not be used up and the jug of oil will not run dry until the day the Lord gives rain on the land.' "
Wow. That was quite a proposal from Elijah. I wonder what must have been running through the widow’s mind at that point? I think any average person would have been skeptical. The widow could have felt that Elijah was taking advantage of her simply to get some food for himself, rejecting his request because of this suspicion. She could have just flat out rejected his request out of greed. What little flour and oil existed would stay in the family. No need to share it because there was so little to begin with. The widow was asked to believe and trust Elijah…trust that there would never be a shortage of food no matter how bad it got anywhere else until rain fell once again.
So how would the widow respond?
As we see, she responded in trust and obedience, carrying out Elijah’s directions perfectly. Scripture tells us she “went away and did as Elijah had told her” and as a result, “there was food every day for Elijah and for the woman and her family” because “the jar of flour was not used up” and “the jug of oil did not run dry”…just as the Lord had predicted. The woman discovered two important truths about the Lord in the process.
First, He can make a lot from just a little. Some time after this passage, God’s Son, Jesus, would bring a similar kind of blessing to first the crowd of 5,000 using five loaves of bread and two fish to feed them all (Mark 6:30-44) and then followed it with feeding a separate crowd of 4,000 with seven loaves and a few small fish (Mark 8:1-13).
Second, the Lord provides when we need it. For the woman and her son, they were down to their last bit of flour and oil when the Lord entered in and through divine blessing ensured they never were without. I couldn’t help but think back to the people of Israel as they wondered through the desert on their exodus from Egypt toward the Promised Land. You’ll recall they were fearful about starving to death, only to receive God’s blessing of provision as manna and quail came from heaven to earth. (Exodus 16)
Back to my testimony…so how will I be able to carve out my time with the Lord each day to continue to write His messages faithfully?
First, I need to remember that He takes a little and make it a lot. And so when I give Him my time, no matter how much time that is, He will ensure it becomes a blessed bounty.
Second, any day when I see that it might be difficult to get time set aside for what the Lord wants me to do, then I only need to step back and remember that He provides when we need it, especially when it comes to serving Him.
So how about you? Have you allowed Satan to suck up the time in your days to where you have no time remaining to give the Lord…the One who creates every day and every hour?
If so, I pray the Lord will speak to you in this message just as He has spoken to me. It’s great to be back.
Have a blessed week in the Lord everyone.
In Christ,
Mark
PS: Please share this with anyone you feel might be blessed by it.
http://www.faithhopeandlove.info/
Send any prayer requests to faithhopegodlove@aol.com
Tuesday, May 5, 2009
GOD PROVIDES
Can I pray for you in any way? Send any prayer requests to faithhopegodlove@aol.com In Christ, Mark
The scriptures. May God bless the reading of His holy word.
Now Elijah the Tishbite, from Tishbe in Gilead, said to Ahab, "As the Lord, the God of Israel, lives, whom I serve, there will be neither dew nor rain in the next few years except at my word."
Then the word of the Lord came to Elijah: "Leave here, turn eastward and hide in the Kerith Ravine, east of the Jordan. You will drink from the brook, and I have ordered the ravens to feed you there."
So he did what the Lord had told him. He went to the Kerith Ravine, east of the Jordan, and stayed there. The ravens brought him bread and meat in the morning and bread and meat in the evening, and he drank from the brook.
1 Kings 17:1-6
This ends this reading from God's holy word. Thanks be to God.
One thing that has always amazed me about the Lord is that He always seems to know what to bring us at just the right time. Truly, He is our great Provider.
And as we see in this passage, the Lord can also just as easily take away His provision.
For we have witnessed the disintegration of Israel in the Book of 1st Kings. First, the kingdom divided and as it did, evil spill in through the split…driving people into lives of sin as they regularly worshiped false gods, disobeying and disregarding the one true God…the One who commanded that there were to be no other gods before Him.
In Chapters 15 and 16, we read about a procession of evil kings which culminated with Ahab who scripture tells us was “did more evil in the eyes of the Lord” and “did more to provoke the Lord…to anger than did all the kings of Israel before him”.
So how would God respond?
As Chapter 17 opens, we find the answer. For we see where He sends a prophet named Elijah with a message for Ahab. Elijah told Ahab, “"As the Lord, the God of Israel, lives, whom I serve, there will be neither dew nor rain in the next few years except at my word."
In other words, a drought was about to hit the land…and with drought came famine. And even thought Baal was considered the god of fertility and the lord of the rain, Israel would learn that this false god would bring them no relief. Only God…the only Giver of every good and perfect thing…would be able to do that.
So what happen to God’s messenger Elijah once the drought hit?
Let’s see.
God’s word tells us that “the word of the Lord came to Elijah” and said to him, "Leave here, turn eastward and hide in the Kerith Ravine, east of the Jordan. You will drink from the brook, and I have ordered the ravens to feed you there."
And with that, Elijah, God’s faithful servant and messenger, “did what the Lord had told him”, going to “the Kerith Ravine, east of the Jordan” and staying there.
So how would Elijah sustain himself in the ravine?
Enter God who provided ravens who brought Elijah “bread and meat in the morning and bread and meat in the evening”. For drink, Elijah “drank from the brook”.
So while the people of Israel went without in what once was the land of plenty, God now provided plentifully for the servant who was faithful to Him.
Friends, there are several lessons for us to glean from these verses.
First, God despises those who choose to worship anything or anyone outside of Him. He had warned Israel that He was a jealous God (Exodus 20:5) who wouldn’t tolerate worship of idols or other gods. And when people choose to practice false worship, we can see where God takes action. In Israel’s case, God brought a drought. He could certainly call on any of a number things today to prove His point.
Second, God rewards and watches over those who are faithful to Him. Elijah, whose name means “The Lord is my God”, certainly did live up to that meaning in the way he lived his life. And that obedient servitude resulted in God watching over Elijah, even as He was punishing Israel. Surely, it pays for us to remain loyal to the One who always remain loyal to us.
Third, God provides. In Elijah’s case, the Lord brought him “bread and meat in the morning and bread and meat in the evening” and drink from the brook. Elijah had all he could ask for as he waited for the word of the Lord to give him further instruction. As we go to where the Lord leads us in His service, we need not fear whether we will be cared for or not because in Elijah, we see that God will provide for His faithful ones.
Finally, we learn that God will provide from unexpected sources. When we petition the Lord to meet our needs, trusting that He will deliver in His time and accordance to His will, we need to be prepared for any multitude of ways He will bring us provision.
How many times do you think that Elijah would have guessed that ravens would feed him daily? I know ravens wouldn’t have been at the top of my list. And yet, this God of wonders that we serve did just that…use ravens to provide for Elijah.
Given this, is there anything that is beyond the work of God’s Almighty Hands?
The answer is no. After all He is God.
So no matter what your circumstances are, always remain faithful and obedient to God’s word and will…and God will take care of you, providing what you need in what ever manner He chooses…all to His glory.
Is this truth not reason to not just give thanks today…but every day. I think you’ll agree it is.
Amen.
In Christ,
Mark
PS: Please share this with anyone you feel might be blessed by it.
http://www.faithhopeandlove.info/
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The scriptures. May God bless the reading of His holy word.
Now Elijah the Tishbite, from Tishbe in Gilead, said to Ahab, "As the Lord, the God of Israel, lives, whom I serve, there will be neither dew nor rain in the next few years except at my word."
Then the word of the Lord came to Elijah: "Leave here, turn eastward and hide in the Kerith Ravine, east of the Jordan. You will drink from the brook, and I have ordered the ravens to feed you there."
So he did what the Lord had told him. He went to the Kerith Ravine, east of the Jordan, and stayed there. The ravens brought him bread and meat in the morning and bread and meat in the evening, and he drank from the brook.
1 Kings 17:1-6
This ends this reading from God's holy word. Thanks be to God.
One thing that has always amazed me about the Lord is that He always seems to know what to bring us at just the right time. Truly, He is our great Provider.
And as we see in this passage, the Lord can also just as easily take away His provision.
For we have witnessed the disintegration of Israel in the Book of 1st Kings. First, the kingdom divided and as it did, evil spill in through the split…driving people into lives of sin as they regularly worshiped false gods, disobeying and disregarding the one true God…the One who commanded that there were to be no other gods before Him.
In Chapters 15 and 16, we read about a procession of evil kings which culminated with Ahab who scripture tells us was “did more evil in the eyes of the Lord” and “did more to provoke the Lord…to anger than did all the kings of Israel before him”.
So how would God respond?
As Chapter 17 opens, we find the answer. For we see where He sends a prophet named Elijah with a message for Ahab. Elijah told Ahab, “"As the Lord, the God of Israel, lives, whom I serve, there will be neither dew nor rain in the next few years except at my word."
In other words, a drought was about to hit the land…and with drought came famine. And even thought Baal was considered the god of fertility and the lord of the rain, Israel would learn that this false god would bring them no relief. Only God…the only Giver of every good and perfect thing…would be able to do that.
So what happen to God’s messenger Elijah once the drought hit?
Let’s see.
God’s word tells us that “the word of the Lord came to Elijah” and said to him, "Leave here, turn eastward and hide in the Kerith Ravine, east of the Jordan. You will drink from the brook, and I have ordered the ravens to feed you there."
And with that, Elijah, God’s faithful servant and messenger, “did what the Lord had told him”, going to “the Kerith Ravine, east of the Jordan” and staying there.
So how would Elijah sustain himself in the ravine?
Enter God who provided ravens who brought Elijah “bread and meat in the morning and bread and meat in the evening”. For drink, Elijah “drank from the brook”.
So while the people of Israel went without in what once was the land of plenty, God now provided plentifully for the servant who was faithful to Him.
Friends, there are several lessons for us to glean from these verses.
First, God despises those who choose to worship anything or anyone outside of Him. He had warned Israel that He was a jealous God (Exodus 20:5) who wouldn’t tolerate worship of idols or other gods. And when people choose to practice false worship, we can see where God takes action. In Israel’s case, God brought a drought. He could certainly call on any of a number things today to prove His point.
Second, God rewards and watches over those who are faithful to Him. Elijah, whose name means “The Lord is my God”, certainly did live up to that meaning in the way he lived his life. And that obedient servitude resulted in God watching over Elijah, even as He was punishing Israel. Surely, it pays for us to remain loyal to the One who always remain loyal to us.
Third, God provides. In Elijah’s case, the Lord brought him “bread and meat in the morning and bread and meat in the evening” and drink from the brook. Elijah had all he could ask for as he waited for the word of the Lord to give him further instruction. As we go to where the Lord leads us in His service, we need not fear whether we will be cared for or not because in Elijah, we see that God will provide for His faithful ones.
Finally, we learn that God will provide from unexpected sources. When we petition the Lord to meet our needs, trusting that He will deliver in His time and accordance to His will, we need to be prepared for any multitude of ways He will bring us provision.
How many times do you think that Elijah would have guessed that ravens would feed him daily? I know ravens wouldn’t have been at the top of my list. And yet, this God of wonders that we serve did just that…use ravens to provide for Elijah.
Given this, is there anything that is beyond the work of God’s Almighty Hands?
The answer is no. After all He is God.
So no matter what your circumstances are, always remain faithful and obedient to God’s word and will…and God will take care of you, providing what you need in what ever manner He chooses…all to His glory.
Is this truth not reason to not just give thanks today…but every day. I think you’ll agree it is.
Amen.
In Christ,
Mark
PS: Please share this with anyone you feel might be blessed by it.
http://www.faithhopeandlove.info/
Send any prayer requests to faithhopegodlove@aol.com
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