REASONS TO GO ON, Elijah the Tishbite!
Elijah had been given the unpleasant task of taking a very unwelcome message to the pagan king of Israel:"And Elijah the Tishbite, of the inhabitants of Gilead, said to Ahab, 'As the Lord God of Israel lives, before whom I stand, there shall not be dew nor rain these years, except at my word.'" (1 Kings 17:1)
We know the message wasn't taken well, because of one man's report the day Elijah came back: "How have I sinned, that you are delivering your servant into the hand of Ahab, to kill me? As the Lord your God lives, there is no nation or kingdom where my master has not sent someone to hunt for you " (1 Kings 18:9-10 NKJV)
It's true that after delivering God's message the first time, God hid Elijah. First by the brook Cherith. The isolation must have been difficult to deal with, but at least he had water, and God fed him by sending the birds with bread and meat. But then the brook dried up, Elijah was forced to go outside of Israel, to the home of a widow. There he was forced to ask her for her last bite of bread, and there he stayed until God summonsed him to return to Israel.
During that three year period, did Elijah have any reason to get up in the morning? He was an outcast from society, even from his own country. And when the widow of Zarephath's son died, Elijah got the blame for this as well! "So she said to Elijah, 'What have I to do with you, O man of God? Have you come to me to bring my sin to remembrance, and to kill my son?'" (1 Kings 17:18 NKJV). Besides all of this, Elijah couldn't even feel safe where he was hiding! Ahab was searching far and wide for him!
And then, despite the danger, God told him to go back to Israel, and present himself to his archenemy, Ahab himself!
No, I'm not so sure Elijah had much of a reason to get up in the morning!
But what kept Elijah going?
Elijah knew something that we forget: No matter how dark the path, no matter how obscure the future, God will get us through. There is a light at the end of the tunnel. And when we find that light, the biggest blessing is that the power of God flows best when we are in the darkest time of our lives! Remember: "Therefore I take pleasure in infirmities, in reproaches, in needs, in persecutions, in distresses, for Christ's sake. For when I am weak, then I am strong." (2 Cor 12:10 NKJV)
And this is what happened with Elijah. Initially he experienced the miracle of being fed by birds. Then he experienced the daily miracle of the oil and the meal being multiplied. Then he experienced God's resurrection power through him when he raised the widow's son to life. And finally, after three years of waiting, he showed up in Israel and challenged them: "Then you call on the name of your gods, and I will call on the name of the Lord; and the God who answers by fire, He is God.'" (1 Kings 18:22-24 NKJV)
We are familiar with the story. God struck Elijah's offering with fire, declaring a great victory for the Lord that day, and then, when Elijah prayed for rain, it rained. All of the trouble he went through was just a testing period, and in the end, Elijah got his reward.
But Elijah's hard times weren't over yet. Jezebel was angry and ordered to have Elijah killed, and Elijah found himself on the run yet again!
Yet again, Elijah's flight ended up in a beautiful encounter with God: "And behold, the Lord passed by, and a great and strong wind tore into the mountains and broke the rocks in pieces before the Lord, but the Lord was not in the wind; and after the wind an earthquake, but the Lord was not in the earthquake; and after the earthquake a fire, but the Lord was not in the fire; and after the fire a still small voice." (1 Kings 19:11-12)
Elijah then went on to do much more good for the Lord. In the end, God took him directly to Heaven in a chariot of fire without having to experience death!
Though Elijah didn't have much reason to go on through most of his life, I believe his reason for getting up in the morning was because he was excited to see what miracle God would perform for him on that day!
So what can we learn from this story?
Just this: When everything and everyone has turned against us, when hard times have swept us off of our feet and there doesn't appear to be any reason to go on, let's remember Elijah. It's in those dark moments of our lives that we experience God the most!
But we have a choice to make. We can hide away and mourn, or we can rise up, ever knowing that though we may not see the path under our feet, God does, and He will carry us through. And in the end, there will be great reward. God is going to do something miraculous just to get us through the day!
And that's what gives us reason to go on. God WILL carry us through, and we can rejoice as we watch to see the miracle that God will use to do so!
In His love,
Lyn
Daily Smile:
ALTAR Request
My husband is a minister who generally conducts an expanded altar call at the end of each sermon. He invites those who wish to accept Jesus Christ as their personal Lord and Savior to come forward, as well as those in need of prayers or anyone who has other special requests, to
come forward.
To the surprise and delight of the congregation our three-year-old daughter, without saying a word to me, got up and made her way forward.
She waited patiently while the others in line ahead of her made their special prayer requests.
When her turn came, my husband leaned down to ask what she needed.
She whispered, "Can we go to the restaurant after church today?"
My husband is a minister who generally conducts an expanded altar call at the end of each sermon. He invites those who wish to accept Jesus Christ as their personal Lord and Savior to come forward, as well as those in need of prayers or anyone who has other special requests, to
come forward.
To the surprise and delight of the congregation our three-year-old daughter, without saying a word to me, got up and made her way forward.
She waited patiently while the others in line ahead of her made their special prayer requests.
When her turn came, my husband leaned down to ask what she needed.
She whispered, "Can we go to the restaurant after church today?"
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