Read 1 Kings Chapter 17
Elijah the Tishbite of Gilead told Ahab, "As the Lord God lives, there shall not be any rain for years. There will not be any dew, either." Then, God told Elijah, "Go and hide by the brook Cherith.
He did, and the ravens brought him meat morning and night, and he drank from the brook until the brook dried up because of the drought.
Then God told Elijah to go to Zaraphath in Zidon, "I have commanded a widow woman there to care for you." So he went.
When he got there, the widow was gathering sticks, so he called to her, "Could you get me a drink of water?" When she went after the water he called after her, "I'd like something to eat, too!"
She turned around and said, "I barely have enough for one more meal. That is what I was fixing to do, gather sticks and cook one more meal for me and my son and then we were going to die."
Elijah said, "Don't be afraid. Go and cook your meal, but cook mine first. God has said you will not run out until it rains." She did as she was told and they all ate well until the drought was over.
Then the woman's son got sick and died. She took him to Elijah and demanded, "Why did you come here? Did you come to call my sins into rememberance so God would slay my son?" So he took the boy to his room and stretched over him three times, praying, "Why did you slay this woman's son? She has been nothing but good to me! Please bring life back into him!" And God heard him and He did.
Elijah took the boy to his mother and said, "He is alive." She then said, "I believe you truly are from the Lord, now."
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Elijah did everything the Lord asked him to do; so, when Elijah prayed, God listened. This is probably why God wanted Elijah to go and hide after delivering His message to Ahab. Ahab knew that Elijah had the Lord's ear. If he had kept Elijah there, Ahab may have forced Elijah to pray for rain, and God would have heard and done as He was asked. God didn't want that to happen.
In Genesis, Chapter 18, the Angel of the Lord came to Abraham and told him what He would do to Sodom and Gomorrah. He also told Abraham that if there was just one righteous man there, he would spare the cities. So, Lot had to leave. This time it was Elijah leaving.
The woman's son became ill because, after all the woman had seen, she still did not believe. Elijah bringing him back was God's way of saying, "Yes, Virginia, I do exist."
Sometimes God uses tragedy to prove His presence, because that is the only way He can get our attention. He wants us all to know, "Hey, I'm right here!"
Where Praising God Comes Natural!
Saturday, August 12, 2017
Tuesday, August 8, 2017
Wayfaring Stranger
Genesis 19
1 And there came two angels to Sodom at even; and Lot sat in the gate of Sodom: and Lot seeing them rose up to meet them; and he bowed himself with his face toward the ground;
2 And he said, Behold now, my lords, turn in, I pray you, into your servant's house, and tarry all night, and wash your feet, and ye shall rise up early, and go on your ways. And they said, Nay; but we will abide in the street all night.
3 And he pressed upon them greatly; and they turned in unto him, and entered into his house; and he made them a feast, and did bake unleavened bread, and they did eat.
Three angels left Abraham. Two went to Sodom. Lot was Abraham's nephew. He, too, feared God. He, too, was taught that strangers were to be treated with respect and honor and dignity., not judgment, condemnation or contempt. He offered the strangers a place to stay where they would be safe and have a good meal and be comfortable.
They did not want to inconvenience Lot. They were testing him. Lot, a man of God, begged them to stay with him, "Really! It's no problem! We would LOVE to have you! It would make me feel better to know you were safe here."
These are men; strangers that he didn't even know. How often do we, today, have the opportunity to entertain strangers in such a way? How many times do we "fail the test"?
They finally yielded to him and went into his home, and it was a good thing they did.
Strangers should always be treated as friends you didn't know you had. Just remember, we are all strangers to someone. How would YOU want to be treated?
1 And there came two angels to Sodom at even; and Lot sat in the gate of Sodom: and Lot seeing them rose up to meet them; and he bowed himself with his face toward the ground;
2 And he said, Behold now, my lords, turn in, I pray you, into your servant's house, and tarry all night, and wash your feet, and ye shall rise up early, and go on your ways. And they said, Nay; but we will abide in the street all night.
3 And he pressed upon them greatly; and they turned in unto him, and entered into his house; and he made them a feast, and did bake unleavened bread, and they did eat.
Three angels left Abraham. Two went to Sodom. Lot was Abraham's nephew. He, too, feared God. He, too, was taught that strangers were to be treated with respect and honor and dignity., not judgment, condemnation or contempt. He offered the strangers a place to stay where they would be safe and have a good meal and be comfortable.
They did not want to inconvenience Lot. They were testing him. Lot, a man of God, begged them to stay with him, "Really! It's no problem! We would LOVE to have you! It would make me feel better to know you were safe here."
These are men; strangers that he didn't even know. How often do we, today, have the opportunity to entertain strangers in such a way? How many times do we "fail the test"?
They finally yielded to him and went into his home, and it was a good thing they did.
Strangers should always be treated as friends you didn't know you had. Just remember, we are all strangers to someone. How would YOU want to be treated?
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