Pastor’s Bible Reading Schedule: 1 Kings 16-18
Devotional Thought:
The man of God is asked to accurately and consistently proclaim the words of God. He does not get to design the words of God and He certainly does not have liberty to redesign the words of God. His responsibility is to promptly and accurately deliver the message. It is important for all of us to remember that the messenger is not as important as the message, and the messenger is not the message. Often people take offense to the message and blame the messenger or love the message and give the credit to the messenger. The man of God is to simply relay the message of what God has said. Elijah was such a messenger. God needed Ahab to hear and realize there was definitely a higher authority in his life, whether or not he wanted to hear it. Ahab had been greatly influenced by his wife, Jezebel who was a devout worshipper of Baal. Baal was the Phoenician fertility god who sent rain and bountiful crops, and the practice connected with his worship was unmistakably immoral. God goes right after the juggler of Baal worship and promises a drought. Verse one makes it clear that it will not rain when Baal says; it will not rain until God says! Knowing that Elijah’s life would be in danger, God sends him out to hide by the brook Cherith. Now we all understand God does not need to hide someone to protect them; however God was going to use this to teach Elijah another lesson. God will provide for His own. Elijah could now relate to the widow of Zarephath. She needed provision and she had no way of providing for herself. Elijah reminds her to obey God and do what He says, and God would provide for her and her son’s needs. She obeys and experiences for herself the faithfulness and provision of God. God puts her to the test as He allows the greatest trial to a parent, the death of a child. She initially fails the test, because instead of turning to the God who made the meal and oil to last, she blames the prophet for the death of her son. God allows the first recorded resurrection to give credibility to the prophet and authority to the word of God. “And the woman said to Elijah, Now by this I know that thou art a man of God, and that the word of the Lord in thy mouth is truth.” (vs. 24) How foolish to turn to our own education, experience, or expertise instead of leaning on the everlasting, faithful arms of God. He is always in control and He is able to provide everything we need for this life and preparation for life eternal. May our faith grow in Christ!
Personal Requests:
• Lord, please help me to run to you first in every situation. Thank you for having my best interest at heart for every trial you allow in my life.
• Lord, thank you for your continued provision. We have so much more than we need and I acknowledge that all of it has come from the good hand of my God.
• Lord, please keep me from Baal worship. Please help me to never trust anything to provide for my needs other than the good hand of my God. Please help me to never give credit to anything else other than you for my provisions.