A devotional from Terry M
God the provider
Times of triumph
Elijah was:
A blue collar prophet
massive prayer life
walked with a big God...
...but was susceptible to temptation, just like us
How did you get to where you are? Do you have a long list of accomplishments? Experience?
In what will come in our lives, there will be trials and difficulty.
1) Preparation
I kings 17:3 "Go away from here and turn eastward, and hide yourself by the brook"
God has preparation in mind with ministry. God wanted to teach him.
After this Elijah was prepared. (A humbling experience... Elijah must decrease)
2) Provision (Jehovah Jirah)
Vs. 6: The ravens brought him bread and meat in the morning and bread and meat in the evening, and he would drink from the brook.
Ravens were not beautiful birds, God was providing, but it wasn't on a silver platter at all. (A humbling experience)
Vs. 4: "I have commanded the ravens to provide for you there."
Vs. 8: "I have commanded a widow there to provide for you."
A Gentile Widow? Not necessarily the choicest of people to serve him, from a worldly perspective.
3) Power
1 Kings 18: 36-
At the time of the offering of the evening sacrifice, Elijah the prophet came near and said, "O LORD, the God of Abraham, Isaac and Israel, today let it be known that You are God in Israel and that I am Your servant and I have done all these things at Your word.37"Answer me, O LORD, answer me, that this people may know that You, O LORD, are God, and that You have turned their heart back again."38Then the fire of the LORD fell and consumed the burnt offering and the wood and the stones and the dust, and licked up the water that was in the trench. 39When all the people saw it, they fell on their faces; and they said, "The LORD, He is God; the LORD, He is God."
God wanted to teach Elijah that he is powerful enough and that he can connect with our reality and be seen as a Big God.
Where does impossible start with you?
How Big should we pray and believe?
In Chapter 19 Jezebel threatens to kill Elijah after she heard about what he did (killing everyone) and he ran away!
What happened to Elijah? Why was he so tripped up after a big ministry success?
he took his eyes off of the lord
Pride? Sin for sure. He is like a different person.
Isolation? (19:10)
Tired, overwhelmed
Forgot who God was?
Unmet expectations (revival is coming! it's here! oh wait!? Jezebel wants what?!)
"Expectations will kill you"
Looking for God on the big stage? (maybe he thought he totally comprehended who God is?
Ultimately none of us are consistent people. We are all mutable, we change.
After times of triumph come times of temptation. Expect it.
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