1 Kings 18:1-6
Desperate times call for desperate measures. Israel had been in a drought for quite some time. Because of her idolatry, God’s punishment had ravished the land leaving it barren while the animals were on the verge of extinction. How many times in our lives are we “spiritually dry” having gotten away from God? We make decisions in the moment that are outside the will of God, and we find ourselves reaping the consequences. It’s in these disobedient moments where we are either going to “humble out” and repent or “double down” and resist.
When I was a teenager, I remember my dad using a phrase that has always stuck with me. He told me: “John, don’t have a stick neck!” What he meant was that when you are confronted with truth, have a pliable heart to respond instead of a hardened heart to resist. Often, as an adolescent I thought I had “all the answers.” Except I didn’t. I needed Godly counsel in my life. I needed to be sensitive to the Holy Spirit.
King Ahab needed to humble himself out and repent, but instead he continued in his spiritual idolatry blaming everyone for his circumstances but himself. Even so, God had a plan for Israel. Despite Ahab and Jezebel’s evil leadership, God had raised up some faithful and courageous men to “stand in the gap” for Israel. Enter the prophet Elijah. He had been prophesying God’s doom upon Ahab for quite some time. Now, it was time for him to lead Israel back to obedient worship to Yahweh. Enter another faithful leader named Obadiah who strategically had hidden 100 prophets of the Lord in caves when Ahab and Jezebel were attempting to rid Israel of worship to God. He was in charge of the palace, and he used his position of leadership for the glory of God instead of the favor of men. He is an underrated hero in this story.
There are different seasons in life. Some seasons are meant for patiently waiting. The faithful of Israel had waited for rain for three years. That’s a long time to wait. In the process of waiting, there was frustration and struggle. No one wants to struggle. What we need to understand is that struggle is always the precursor to strength. This particular struggle was meant to remind Israel that only Yahweh is worthy of her full worship and praise. Only Yahweh is able to bring the rains (more on that in another devotional). Whatever your current struggle is, remember, God wants to refine you more into his image as you “wait for the rain.”
Then there are seasons of anticipation. The time for rain was coming. When God told Elijah to present himself to Ahab, there was definitely risk involved. The evil king had blamed the prophet of the Lord for the famine and drought, therefore, he was more than willing to kill him. One of the most important characteristics that a disciple of Jesus must have is courage. Elijah was a courageous leader. He was more than willing to confront evil. I wonder how willing are you and me to confront evil? This is where trust comes into play. If God puts you in a position to confront evil, will you be willing to do it? God was working in this situation, and he chose to use Elijah as his “front man.” It was a big-time moment that Elijah was willing to embrace. He was the aggressive and faithful prophet that the people of Israel so desperately needed.
In all of this, don’t forget about Obadiah. While he may have not been the “up front and boisterous leader,” he was just as important as Elijah. Behind the scenes, he was faithfully obeying God while strategically protecting the Lord’s prophets. We need both “Elijah’s” and “Obadiah’s.” Are you willing to trust the Lord while modeling one of these faithful men?
Ultimately, Israel and Ahab could have avoided so much pain if they would have had “pliable hearts” in repentance to God. Sadly, they did not, and God had to take drastic measures to get their attention. Thankfully, there were some faithful yet “different in personality” men who were willing to be bold enough to stand for the honor and glory of God! When it’s time to trust the Lord and “take a stand” for truth, will YOU BE FOUND FAITHFUL?
When I was a teenager, I remember my dad using a phrase that has always stuck with me. He told me: “John, don’t have a stick neck!” What he meant was that when you are confronted with truth, have a pliable heart to respond instead of a hardened heart to resist. Often, as an adolescent I thought I had “all the answers.” Except I didn’t. I needed Godly counsel in my life. I needed to be sensitive to the Holy Spirit.
King Ahab needed to humble himself out and repent, but instead he continued in his spiritual idolatry blaming everyone for his circumstances but himself. Even so, God had a plan for Israel. Despite Ahab and Jezebel’s evil leadership, God had raised up some faithful and courageous men to “stand in the gap” for Israel. Enter the prophet Elijah. He had been prophesying God’s doom upon Ahab for quite some time. Now, it was time for him to lead Israel back to obedient worship to Yahweh. Enter another faithful leader named Obadiah who strategically had hidden 100 prophets of the Lord in caves when Ahab and Jezebel were attempting to rid Israel of worship to God. He was in charge of the palace, and he used his position of leadership for the glory of God instead of the favor of men. He is an underrated hero in this story.
There are different seasons in life. Some seasons are meant for patiently waiting. The faithful of Israel had waited for rain for three years. That’s a long time to wait. In the process of waiting, there was frustration and struggle. No one wants to struggle. What we need to understand is that struggle is always the precursor to strength. This particular struggle was meant to remind Israel that only Yahweh is worthy of her full worship and praise. Only Yahweh is able to bring the rains (more on that in another devotional). Whatever your current struggle is, remember, God wants to refine you more into his image as you “wait for the rain.”
Then there are seasons of anticipation. The time for rain was coming. When God told Elijah to present himself to Ahab, there was definitely risk involved. The evil king had blamed the prophet of the Lord for the famine and drought, therefore, he was more than willing to kill him. One of the most important characteristics that a disciple of Jesus must have is courage. Elijah was a courageous leader. He was more than willing to confront evil. I wonder how willing are you and me to confront evil? This is where trust comes into play. If God puts you in a position to confront evil, will you be willing to do it? God was working in this situation, and he chose to use Elijah as his “front man.” It was a big-time moment that Elijah was willing to embrace. He was the aggressive and faithful prophet that the people of Israel so desperately needed.
In all of this, don’t forget about Obadiah. While he may have not been the “up front and boisterous leader,” he was just as important as Elijah. Behind the scenes, he was faithfully obeying God while strategically protecting the Lord’s prophets. We need both “Elijah’s” and “Obadiah’s.” Are you willing to trust the Lord while modeling one of these faithful men?
Ultimately, Israel and Ahab could have avoided so much pain if they would have had “pliable hearts” in repentance to God. Sadly, they did not, and God had to take drastic measures to get their attention. Thankfully, there were some faithful yet “different in personality” men who were willing to be bold enough to stand for the honor and glory of God! When it’s time to trust the Lord and “take a stand” for truth, will YOU BE FOUND FAITHFUL?
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