The Wednesday Word 7.14.2021

 Thoughts on Last Sunday's Text...


1 Kings 18:36-38. 19:1-4

36 At the time of sacrifice, the prophet Elijah stepped forward and prayed: “Lord, the 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. 37 Answer me, Lord, answer me, so these people will know that you, Lord, are God, and that you are turning their hearts back again.” 38 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.

19 Now Ahab told Jezebel everything Elijah had done and how he had killed all the prophets with the sword. 2 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.” 3 Elijah was afraid and ran for his life. When he came to Beersheba in Judah, he left his servant there, 4 while he himself went a day’s journey into the wilderness. He came to a broom bush, 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.”

Throughout the Books of 1 Kings and 2 Kings, we see story after story about God’s relationship with Elijah. There was a whole lot of smiting going on in those days and it went on all around. The kings had strayed so far from The Lord that not even a terrible three-year drought could bring them back, so Elijah challenged the followers of Baal. Of course, their pleas to the false gods were fruitless and we read of God’s response to Elijah’s request in the passage above. Yet in spite of all God’s actions, Elijah still fled in fear of the wicked and powerful queen.

God had sheltered, nourished, directed, supported and protected Elijah through many trials and troubles. All of that faded from view when Elijah received the sinister death threat. Jesus has done all that and more for you and me; but when trouble comes, we often run and hide and give in to our fears. It is easy to be overwhelmed by this life and want to give up when we forget to whom we belong. The secret is to never forget. The Father, Son and Holy Spirit are waiting for you to call out to them regardless of your predicament. The Psalmist tells us in 27:7, “The Lord is my strength and my shield; my heart trusts in him, and he helps me.” Never stop trusting. God can always help…something to pray about.

Don’t forget to look for the Lord today. Vicki H.


















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