Reading: I Kings 19-20
And Ahab told Jezebel all that Elijah had done, and withal how he had slain all the prophets with the sword. Then Jezebel sent a messenger unto Elijah, saying, So let the gods do to me, and more also, if I make not thy life as the life of one of them by to morrow about this time(I Kings 19:1-2).
On Mount Carmel, the Lord revealed Himself in all His glory: Then the fire of the Lord fell, and consumed the burnt sacrifice, and the wood, and the stones, and the dust, and licked up the water that was in the trench. And when all the people saw it, they fell on their faces: and they said, The Lord, He is the God; the Lord, He is the God (I Kings 18:38- 39). Elijah left the mountain triumphant, secure in his belief that a true revival was underway. He marveled at the glory of the Lord, and he was sure that the wicked king and the idolatrous queen would now rule in fear of the One true God.
Ahab and Jezebel, however, did not react in the manner expected by the prophet of God. For this people’s heart is waxed gross, and their ears are dull of hearing, and their eyes they have closed; lest at any time they should see with their eyes, and hear with their ears, and should understand with their heart, and should be converted, and I should heal them (Matt. 13:15). They had both embraced the lies of the enemy and built their lives upon that foundation. Their hearts and minds were permanently closed, and they were incapable of seeing the truth of God. Their reaction to the display of power on Mt. Carmel was one of anger and outrage at having their absolute sovereignty challenged.
Consequently, Elijah felt that he had failed the Lord. When he met up with God in the wilderness outside of Beer-sheba, He was a broken man. But he himself went a day’s journey into the wilderness, and came and sat down under a juniper tree: and he requested for himself that he might die; and said, It is enough; now, O Lord, take away my life; for I am not better than my fathers (I Kings 19:4). In today’s reading, we are privileged to watch as the Lord ministers to Elijah, offering him comfort and sustenance all while gently correcting Elijah’s misconception of his failure.
If we do everything God asks of us in accordance with His will, then it is impossible for us to fail Him. Elijah’s deep depression came from the fact that His expectations had differed from the Lord’s. Elijah had sought to change the king's heart, but God had never set His sights on Ahab and Jezebel. It had been His will that the people were to see His glory and know His power, which is exactly what happened. The people had departed from that mountaintop with the understanding that The Lord, He is the God (18:39). Through Elijah, God’s purpose had been fulfilled. Yet I have left Me seven thousand in Israel, all the knees which have not bowed unto Baal, and every mouth which hath not kissed him (19:18).
God’s directions do not always come with explanations, and there will be many times that we will have no way to judge our level of ‘success’ as we carry out His will. That’s okay. We don’t need to know every objective or outcome. It is enough that God knows. We can rest in Him and be content.
There are many devices in a man’s heart; nevertheless the counsel of the Lord, that shall stand(Prov. 19:21).
Thought for Today: God’s plan is bigger than we are and often impossible to understand; we won’t always succeed in the eyes of the world, but His will is always done.
Christ Portrayed:By the unnamed prophet who prophesied victory to King Ahab so that he would know his destiny was controlled by God: Thou shalt know that I am the Lord (I Kings 20:13,28). Thanks be to God, which giveth us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ (I Cor. 15:57).
Word Studies:19:8 Horeb = Mount Sinai; 19:14 jealous = zealous; 19:21 instruments = yokes; 20:11 harness = armor; 20:12 Set yourselves in array = Get ready to attack; 20:24 rooms = positions, places.
Pray For Staff:Tifany Parisi • Government Officials: Sen. Debbie Stabenow (MI), Rep. Steven Horsford (NV), Rep. Joe Morelle (NY) • Country: Madagascar (22,599,098) an island in the Indian Ocean off the coast of Mozambique • Major Languages: French, Malagasy, English • Increasingly anti-Christian • 52% Indigenous Beliefs; 41% Christian; 7% Muslim • Prayer Suggestion: Rejoice and consider yourself blessed when you suffer for the name of Christ (I Pet. 4:14).
Optional Reading:Romans 2