Who Is the Greatest? (Part II)

At that time the disciples came to Jesus, saying, “Who then is greatest in the kingdom of heaven?” Then Jesus called a little child to Him, set him in the midst of them,  and said, “Assuredly, I say to you, unless you are converted and become as little children, you will by no means enter the kingdom of heaven.  Therefore whoever humbles himself as this little child is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven. Matthew 18:1-4

The disciples were curious to know who was the greatest in the kingdom. They were trying through reasoning to convert their own ideas into a spiritual reality. However, their carnal inclinations had clouded their spiritual lens in seeing God’s heart for His Kingdom. The disciples presumed that all of them were guaranteed entry to the Kingdom of heaven, so the more critical issue for them was the person greatest in the kingdom! However, that was not Jesus’ focus. He surprised the disciples by telling them that they needed to be converted and become like little children. 

Jesus stated two important principles that we need to reminded of. I will share about the first one in this devotional and the second one in the next devotional. The first principal is that whoever desires to see the Kingdom of God must be converted spiritually. Every person must accept that he/she is a sinner in need of forgiveness, and that he/she needs the salvation offered by Jesus’ death, burial, and resurrection. This converts a person from a natural being to a life giving spirit. They become born again with a new nature born from above (See John 3:1-18).

Sometimes when we present the gospel, it sounds like God loves people so much that there are no conditions attached to salvation.  God loves everyone, but God does not save people apart from their decision to receive forgiveness and redemption. We all have to accept the fact that there is nothing we can do to make us change our nature or to buy eternal life for ourselves. It only comes by turning to Jesus and asking Him to forgive us and to change us. If we were raised in a Christian home, it does not guarantee that we are saved. If our parents or grandparents were pastors or ministers, it does not guarantee that we are saved. If we have been going to church most of our lives and are involved in ministry, it doesn’t mean we are saved. The salvation that Jesus spoke about brings a conversion that will be evident with the tangible change in our lives.

Let me pause here and ask you the most important question of your life. Have you turned to the Lord and admitted that you are a sinner in need of forgiveness? Have you ever repented of your sins and asked Jesus to enter your life? Repentance is about a changed mind and change of direction in life.  If you have never repented and asked Jesus to forgive you,  this is your chance to make it right with God and become born again. You can click on “Salvation Prayer” and pray the sinner’s prayer. When you do this, you begin a new, fresh, and alive walk with God that opens the door to the Kingdom of heaven.

Some of you may say that you accepted Jesus years ago, but your relationship with the Lord has turned distant, dry, and stagnant. This is your opportunity to recommit your life to the Lord and ask Him to wash you, cleanse you from all sin, unbelief, and doubt, and to breathe a fresh breath of life on you. 

If you made a decision to follow Jesus, I encourage you to make the commitment to read the Bible and to pray on daily basis. In addition, find a solid Bible-believing church and become part of a community of believers.

I will continue with this subject in the next devotional.

 

Who is the Greatest?(Part I)

At that time the disciples came to Jesus, saying, “Who then is greatest in the kingdom of heaven?” Then Jesus called a little child to Him, set him in the midst of them,  and said, “Assuredly, I say to you, unless you are converted and become as little children, you will by no means enter the kingdom of heaven.  Therefore whoever humbles himself as this little child is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven. Matthew 18:1-4

Jesus’ disciples continued to have carnal ideas about the Kingdom of God, so they asked Jesus who was the greatest in the kingdom of God. I wonder if they expected a certain response from Jesus.  Did Peter think that Jesus would call Him the greatest since He recognized Him as the Messiah!? Or did John assume that he was the favorite so he must be the greatest!? Maybe Judas thought he was a good money manager for Jesus, so he would be admired as the greatest! Each of them may have hoped that Jesus would call them as the greatest and He would not mention the others’ names.

Our fallen nature is rooted in insecurity, and it has an insatiable desire to be the greatest. Deep down inside, there is that secret place where people want to be the greatest, but it is not something they want to talk about or admit! The old nature cannot handle being forgotten or insignificant. Therefore, it tries, through right or wrong means, to make itself look important, great, or significant. 

The desire to be the greatest wreaks havoc in relationships. The scripture in James 3:16 tells us that selfish ambition produces confusion and all kinds of evil. This secret desire creates friction in families, confusion at workplace, and disunity in churches. It impacts our relationship with the Lord and with others. The truth is that as long as we are looking for something external to make us feel significant we are on a shaky ground and will remain insecure! There is always going to be someone who will look more capable, popular, and beautiful. This causes individuals to be on this never-ending cycle of competition in order to maintain their standing in whatever they deem important. 

In today’s culture, we are more sophisticated than the disciples. We would not dare asking that question from anyone, but we advertise our achievements in one way or another to ensure that people perceive us as great in something. Sometimes we receive that pat on the back from the number of “likes” we receive on social media. The comments people leave is another avenue that we try to satisfy the insatiable desire to be the “greatest”!

The good news is that the disciples’ desire to be the greatest did not disqualify them from being His disciples, but Jesus did not answer their question right away. Instead, He focused on who would be able to see the Kingdom of God! The disciples had an earthly and shallow perspective of the Kingdom of God. They presumed that all of them were going to make it to heaven. They assumed they were all heaven bound, so there must be something more special about the one who is the greatest in heaven.  As we know, their assumption was wrong and not all of them made it to heaven. Judas walked away from Jesus by betraying Him!

Do you have thoughts and desires of greatness? Do they cause competition or jealousy in your heart? If so, those desires are an opportunity for evil and confusion to take root in your relationships. They need to be surrendered at the feet of Jesus and walked away from.

So who is the greatest in the Kingdom!? I continue with this subject in the next devotional. 

Steps Leading to Holiness (Part III)

Therefore gird up the loins of your mind, be sober, and rest your hope fully upon the grace that is to be brought to you at the revelation of Jesus Christ; as obedient children, not conforming yourselves to the former lusts, as in your ignorance;  but as He who called you is holy, you also be holy in all your conduct, because it is written, “Be holy, for I am holy.” 1Peter 1:13-15

Peter reminds us that we have the hope and the expectation that Jesus will continue to reveal Himself to us until such a time that we meet Him face to face. This is an important point for all of us. Our personal relationship with the Lord requires us to remain in tune with Him. While we need to read the Bible daily, we should also keep our spiritual eyes and ears open to anything that the Lord wants to speak or reveal to us. Otherwise our walk with Him becomes dry, distant, and functional.

Peter goes on to tell us that we are called to be obedient children. We can’t be holy people and be disobedient at the same time! Many people live unrestrained lives because they have no hope or vision for their future. They think that this life is all there is, so they might as well live it up and do what they want to do. Others think that their hard work has earned them the right to splurge and that they deserve what they do with their time and money.

Where there is no revelation, the people cast off restraint; But happy is he who keeps the law. Proverbs 29:18

The scripture tells us that without revelation and vision people cast off restraint. On the flip side, with vision and revelation from God, we can walk the narrow path, keep to His ways, and restrain ourselves from indulging ourselves. Everything we do has spiritual implications. We cannot create a compartment of holiness in one corner of our lives but then do what we want to do in other areas of our lives.

 

Furthermore, Peter told the believers not to walk in the former lusts as ignorant people.  When we accepted Jesus as Lord and Savior, He forgave us and delivered us from our past sins and habits. Now, on the other side of the cross and deliverance, we are able to see how the enemy had held us captive by wrong mindsets and habits. Our eyes were opened to the spiritual warfare waged against God’s people. We are no longer ignorant of the enemy’s devices who tried to hold us captive by various temptations and lusts.  Once we see the spiritual realities, we can’t go back to the old lifestyle of ignorance anymore. While the enemy will still try to tempt us, God gives us the grace to overcome in every situation if we look to Him for help.

Praise God for the work of Jesus on the cross. He purchased righteousness, holiness, and freedom for us through His shed blood. We could not have earned or achieved it in our own strength. However, once we become a born again believer, we have a responsibility to walk with Him in holiness. He gives us the new nature, the vision, the grace, and the enablement to overcome ourselves, the world, and the enemy! Now we become like Him as we walk in holiness.

Walking in holiness is about putting the past behind, getting a handle on our thoughts, remaining alert to temptations, and walking the narrow path of God’s ways. Are you able to declare that you are holy in all your conduct? Are you willing to walk the narrow path of holiness without regard to friends and family members whose goal and vision are not the same as yours? Are you able to overcome your own thoughts and emotions and surrender your will daily to the Lord? God will enable us to walk in this path of holiness one step at a time as we walk according to Peter’s exhortation in the above passage.

Steps Leading to Holiness (Part II)

Therefore gird up the loins of your mind, be sober, and rest your hope fully upon the grace that is to be brought to you at the revelation of Jesus Christ; as obedient children, not conforming yourselves to the former lusts, as in your ignorance;  but as He who called you is holy, you also be holy in all your conduct, because it is written, “Be holy, for I am holy.” 1Peter 1:13-15

Peter exhorted the church that in the light of Jesus’ work on the cross they are to live holy lives. As I shared in the last devotional, he began by telling them to gird up the loins of their minds. This would ensure that their minds would not give life to evil but good.

Peter also told them to live sober lives. There are physical, emotional, mental, and spiritual aspects to being sober. The below definition helps us to understand sobriety.

Definition of sober (according to Strong’s Concordance: G 3525): to be sober, to be calm and collected in spirit, to be temperate, dispassionate, circumspect, to abstain from wine (keep sober), be discreet:—be sober, watch.

We are the temple of the Holy Spirit, and physically we are called to stay alert and abstain from becoming intoxicated with alcohol. We have a culture that drinking alcohol is its favorite pastime. Much harm is committed in the name of having fun when people lose their alertness and get into foolishness. It is a known fact that college campuses have a high rates of drinking and rape, but unfortunately, it is not deterring people from this harmful activity.  When people are intoxicated, they can’t think clearly and act responsibly, which leads to much evil.

At the emotional level, we need to remain sober because it is very easy to get offended and emotional about little things. We have to have remain alert and understand that the enemy is after derailing every child of God, and he will use family, friends, coworkers, and strangers to offend us. When we are offended, we become intoxicated with our hurt feelings! All we can think about is how we have been treated unjustly. We are not focused on glorifying God, but our focus is how to relieve ourselves from anger and injustice. Being sober allows us to take a step back and not allow to get intoxicated with our own emotions. Instead, we allow God to speak into our hearts and we let Him have His way in the situation.

We also need mental alertness. There is much false teaching and fake information around us. We cannot continually partake of these things and expect to remain focused on holiness and the purpose of God in our lives. The mental alertness points back to Peter exhorting the church to gird the loins of their minds.

Finally, at the spiritual level, we need to be sober about the fact that the world around us is not setup to encourage believers in their process of holiness and sanctification. It has to be our conviction along with the grace of God that allows us to navigate this process of holiness for years to come without feeling like we are missing out on something. Sometimes other people’s lives seem more fun and interesting because they have chosen to live in denial of the truth and just live it up for the day. However, as children of God, we are called to live sober lives, which means we are continually watching and praying. We can’t let our guards down in this world because we can’t be passive about choices in life. We live our lives with the knowledge that Jesus gave up everything for us, so we can have a life that is free from bondage and the guilt of sin. We no longer serve the master of this earth but we are His children and His priesthood looking for those who are drunk with the choices in this world and inviting them to the freedom and sobriety that the Lord provides for us all.

Take time to allow the Lord to speak to your heart about the areas where you have been under the influence of your emotions, the culture, or people around you. I will continue with this subject in the next devotional. 

Steps Leading to Holiness (Part I)

Therefore gird up the loins of your mind, be sober, and rest your hope fully upon the grace that is to be brought to you at the revelation of Jesus Christ; as obedient children, not conforming yourselves to the former lusts, as in your ignorance;  but as He who called you is holy, you also be holy in all your conduct, because it is written, “Be holy, for I am holy.” 1Peter 1:13-15

Definition of Loins (according to Strong’s Concordance: G 3751): the hip (loin), the place where the generative power resided.

Definition of gird up: (according to Strong’s Concordance: G 328): a metaphor derived from the practice of the Orientals [and possibly Middle Eastern people], who in order to be unimpeded in their movements were accustomed, when starting a journey or engaging in any work, to bind their long flowing garments closely around their bodies and fastened them with a leather belt.

In the book of 1Peter, the Apostle Peter began by explaining the revelation of the work of Jesus on the cross that God revealed by the Holy Spirit. He elaborated that many prophets had spoken about the work of the Messiah who was going to come, but in his era, they found that truth revealed in the person of Jesus Christ. In the light of this amazing revelation and what Jesus had done for us, Peter instructed and exhorted all believers to live a life of holiness.

The first thing that Peter addressed in becoming holy is to gird up the loins of our minds. “The loins of your mind,” is an unusual phrase considering the mind does not have loins! Peter was telling the believers that their minds has the capacity to give life to something. The mind is the incubator of good or evil depending on how we use it.

We can produce much sin by how we think of ourselves or others. Our minds become the incubator of either Godly thoughts or evil thoughts. Just because others don’t see what we are thinking, it doesn’t mean that it is not producing sin and death. Looking at all the negativity that is spewed in the news, music, and social media, it is no wonder that people’s hateful reactions is so out of proportion to what occurs in various circumstances. They are the result of people exposing themselves to negativity for a long time, which in turn feeds them destructive thoughts and produce evil actions. 

Our thoughts can produce anger, hatred, and division. We can be distrusting of a group of people because we disagree with them on certain topics. We add to this problem when we gossip about them and cause others to develop a wrong perception of the person/people. Then there are those who continually have dark and hopeless thoughts about themselves, which brings about depression in their lives. Feeding on those thoughts can only produce hopelessness and evil. Some go on antidepressant drugs for years others become suicidal. All the while their needs are met and there is nothing significant wrong with their lives. It all began with incubating negative thoughts that produced bad fruit. 

Paying attention to what we are conceiving in our minds is an important part of our spiritual battle. If we allow ungodly and dark thoughts to take over our lives, we are not on the road to holiness.  Jesus told the Pharisees that they washed the outside of the cup but inside they were full of all forms of evil and wickedness (See Luke 11:39).

We can save our spiritual face before others, but our internal world will continue to become emptier and darker if we do not gird up the loins of our minds.  We will begin going through the motion of spirituality but getting frustrated because we will not see progress in our lives. What we give life to in our minds begins to take over our perception, attitude, and drive, and we will either move forward in faith, hope, love, and unity, or we will move in fear, doubt, distrust, and division. One will lead us to holiness and victory, and the other to carnality and despair.

What are you feeding your mind today? Examine your thoughts and determine if you gird up the loins of your mind! I will continue with this subject in the next devotional. 

The God of Breakthroughs (Part IV)

A certain woman of the wives of the sons of the prophets cried out to Elisha, saying, “Your servant my husband is dead, and you know that your servant feared the Lord. And the creditor is coming to take my two sons to be his slaves.”

 So Elisha said to her, “What shall I do for you? Tell me, what do you have in the house?” And she said, “Your maidservant has nothing in the house but a jar of oil.”

Then he said, “Go, borrow vessels from everywhere, from all your neighbors—empty vessels; do not gather just a few. And when you have come in, you shall shut the door behind you and your sons; then pour it into all those vessels, and set aside the full ones.”

So she went from him and shut the door behind her and her sons, who brought the vessels to her; and she poured it out. Now it came to pass, when the vessels were full, that she said to her son, “Bring me another vessel.”

And he said to her, “There is not another vessel.” So the oil ceased. Then she came and told the man of God. And he said, “Go, sell the oil and pay your debt; and you and your sons live on the rest.” 2Kings 4:1-7

After Elijah was taken up in a whirlwind, Elisha took over the ministry. A widow came to Elisha telling him that although her late husband had been faithful to God, the creditors were coming to take her sons as slaves for the money they owed. The Bible does not tell us why she owed money, but the word of God is clear that when we owe money, we choose to put ourselves under the slavery of another person. We are called to live within our income, which means we should strive to not put ourselves in debt, or get out of debt as fast as possible. In the case of the widow, it could have been that the death of her husband led them to financial hardship. They had no one to produce an income, and her sons could have been too young to take over the business.

Elisha asked her what she had in her house? The widow told him that she had just one jar of oil left. What we have in our hands is important in our journey with God. What need to bring to the table and allow God to breathe on it. Sometimes we may look down upon what we have, or we may think it’s too small or insignificant. Those are the moments that we are more self-conscious than God conscious. The widow was in a desperate position, which allowed to offer anything she had. 

The world continually tells us that we must have all the right pedigrees before we can advance or succeed in life. Everyone wants their resume to look impressive. This steals our faith and vision and causes us to look at our capabilities to sustain us. We should be more impressed with God’s capability and resources than ours. What He is able to powerfully achieve in a short time, we would not be able to accomplish on our own in a lifetime!

It appears that she had been in this desperate position for sometime if all she had left in her house was a jar of oil! Elisha told her to go and borrow empty vessels and bring as many as she can. The Lord had given a divine idea to Elisha on how to help this widow. However, he needed the cooperation of the widow. The widow asked her sons to help out by picking out empty vessels from neighbors. In addition, the neighbors responded by giving the boys what they needed. They played a part in God’s divine plan and the breakthrough this woman needed.

Elisha instructed her to fill those jars with oil, and she was able to do so until there were no more vessels left. Then the oil stopped. What if the woman had only asked for a couple of vessels? What if the boys had not cooperated and wondered what was the point of empty jars when they were about to be taken into servitude by the creditors. What if the neighbors did not give offer their empty jars wondering why the boys were wasting their time when they could be doing something better to help the situation?

After all the vessels were full, the oil stopped. Elisha instructed the woman to sell the bottles of oil and pay her creditors and live on the rest of the money. God not only provided for her immediate need, but he also allowed her to have additional funds to support her family. Praise God that He gives above and beyond what we can ask or imagine!

The breakthroughs that God has in store for us will not necessarily make sense to us or to others. The Lord does not expect us to understand but to just believe and obey His instructions. We all have to live in fresh faith daily and not talk ourselves out of what God has spoken in our lives!

The God of Breakthroughs (Part III)

So it was, when Elijah heard it, that he wrapped his face in his mantle and went out and stood in the entrance of the cave. Suddenly a voice came to him, and said, “What are you doing here, Elijah?”

And he said, “I have been very zealous for the Lord God of hosts; because the children of Israel have forsaken Your covenant, torn down Your altars, and killed Your prophets with the sword. I alone am left; and they seek to take my life.”

Then the Lord said to him: “Go, return on your way to the Wilderness of Damascus; and when you arrive, anoint Hazael as king over Syria. Also you shall anoint Jehu the son of Nimshi as king over Israel. And Elisha the son of Shaphat of Abel Meholah you shall anoint as prophet in your place. It shall be that whoever escapes the sword of Hazael, Jehu will kill; and whoever escapes the sword of Jehu, Elisha will kill.  Yet I have reserved seven thousand in Israel, all whose knees have not bowed to Baal, and every mouth that has not kissed him.”  So he departed from there, and found Elisha the son of  Shaphat, who was plowing with twelve yoke of oxen before him, and he was with the twelfth. Then Elijah passed by him and threw his mantle on him. 1Kings 19:13-19

After forty days of silence, Elijah heard God’s still small voice asking him why he was in hiding. Elijah was sad and discouraged that despite his zeal, he had not seen the fruit of his labor. He was afraid of Jezebel who had threatened to kill him. He also felt all alone as a righteous prophet of God. The Lord did not join his pity party but gave him several instructions that were going to be the answer to his distressing situations. 

  1. God told him to return to where he came from. Elijah had unfinished business to take care of.  This would require faith and courage to return to a hostile place.

  2. The Lord instructed Elijah to anoint Hazael as king over Syria.

  3. He needed to anoint Jehu as king of Israel.

  4. He was also going to anoint Elisha as his successor.

  5. Finally, God told him that there were seven thousand Israelites who loved Him and were consecrated to the Lord. Elijah was not alone in serving the Lord.

While Elijah did not anoint Hazael and Jehu to be the future kings of Syria and Israel respectively, He did place his mantle on Elisha as the next prophet. In due time, Elisha anointed Hazael and Jehu to be the future kings of their respective countries.

These were important steps that changed everything for Elijah. In time, the Lord’s instructions resolved all of Elijah’s issues. Elijah was able to mentor Elisha and release the ministry to his capable hands by passing on the baton to this man of God.  Furthermore, Elijah was concerned that the Israelites had walked away from the Lord, and they were worshipping others gods.  God used Hazael, a disdainful king, to punish the Israelites for their disobedience.  Finally, Elijah had fled because he was afraid of Jezebel who had been terrorizing his life. God blessed Elijah by not allowing Jezebel to touch him, and he was taken up to heaven by a chariot of fire (See 2Kings 2). The Lord also placed King Jehu as the future king of Israel who became instrumental in killing Jezebel. 

The Lord has amazing and unexpected ways to resolve our problems. Sometimes it looks like the issues will never go away, but God is behind the scenes putting it all in place. He plans the steps that will bring about the breakthroughs in our lives and resolve the issues so much better than we can ever think or imagine!

casting all your care upon Him, for He cares for you. 1Peter 5:7

If there are issues today that seem unresolvable, cast your cares on the Lord!  You don’t have to carry the burden. The Lord knows, and He cares about your problems. He is working on them. It may take a while before you see the resolution of the situation, but trust God that He is at work.  Allow His peace and joy to fill your life. Go about living your life and doing the things that you have the privilege of doing today. When He gives you instructions obey Him. Someday, you’ll look back and see the situations resolved better than you expected. 

The God of Breakthroughs (Part II)

And there he went into a cave, and spent the night in that place; and behold, the word of the Lord came to him, and He said to him, “What are you doing here, Elijah?”

 So he said, “I have been very zealous for the Lord God of hosts; for the children of Israel have forsaken Your covenant, torn down Your altars, and killed Your prophets with the sword. I alone am left; and they seek to take my life.”

Then He said, “Go out, and stand on the mountain before the Lord.” And behold, the Lord passed by, and a great and strong wind tore into the mountains and broke the rocks in pieces before the Lord, but the Lord was not in the wind; and after the wind an earthquake, but the Lord was not in the earthquake; and after the earthquake a fire, but the Lord was not in the fire; and after the fire a still small voice. 1Kings 19:9-12

Elijah fled from Jezebel’s hands, and God graciously fed him even though He did not tell him to run away. While the Lord provided food and drink to Elijah,  He did not discuss what was distressing to Elijah. He waited for forty days.

After forty days, the Lord asked Elijah why he was hiding in a cave. Elijah’s response was one of pity. He felt sorry for himself that he had been faithful to the Lord. He was dismayed with God’s people and how they had forsaken their relationship with the Lord to the point of  killing God’s prophets. Elijah may also have been disappointed that all his hard and courageous work on Mount Carmel did not eradicate idolatry from the land. 

This is one of the challenges for God’s messengers. They can earnestly seek the Lord and do what God calls them to do. However, not everyone is happy with the person’s message nor do the majority of Christians desire to walk the narrow path. This can cause discouragement and loneliness for God’s servants. 

Elijah may have felt lonely, but he wasn’t alone. The Lord ministered to him in the time of His need while he was in hiding. Then the Lord told him to go stand on the mountain before Him. The last time Elijah was a on a mountain was when he challenged the prophets of Baal and called down fire from heaven. He may have expected that the Lord’s presence was going to come in the fire again and do something spectacular. However, God had a different plan.

The Lord was not in the wind, earthquake, or the fire. The Lord chose to show up differently. He came in a still small voice.  He revealed a different side of Himself to Elijah. This was the place of quiet fellowship with Elijah. Elijah was not expected to perform or call down fire from heaven. All he needed to do was to be still, so he could hear the still small voice of the Lord.

I wonder how many of us are used to hearing God only in a certain way. Some of us may be used to hearing Him only during worship at church. Others are only open to hearing Him when they have their Bibles open and are reading the word of God. Some can only hear Him when they are walking or running by themselves. Some are used to calling their friends or mentors, and only those particular voices have the ultimate authority of God’s voice in their lives.

The truth is that the Lord can talk to us at any moment of time if we have ears to ear Him. He may speak to us when we are grocery shopping, driving, or cleaning our home. The Lord also may use our children, spouses, or a new believer to deliver His word to us. We all need to take off the limitations that we put on God. The Lord is not bound by a place or technique to talk to us. All we can do is to seek Him and humbly be open to hearing Him when He speaks. 

Elijah was about to experience his breakthrough, which will ultimately led to the resolution of the matters that had been distressing to him. I will continue with this subject in the next devotional. 

 

 

 

The God of Breakthroughs (Part I)

In the last devotional series, I shared about weariness and the importance of resting in God when we don’t know the next step. The good news is that weariness does not last forever. This devotional series is about God giving us breakthroughs when we least expect them.  The Lord is gracious and compassionate, and He moves in our situations in awesome ways!

And Ahab told Jezebel all that Elijah had done, also how he had executed all the prophets with the sword. Then Jezebel sent a messenger to Elijah, saying, “So let the gods do to me, and more also, if I do not make your life as the life of one of them by tomorrow about this time.” And when he saw that, he arose and ran for his life, and went to Beersheba, which belongs to Judah, and left his servant there.

But he himself went a day’s journey into the wilderness, and came and sat down under a broom tree. And he prayed that he might die, and said, “It is enough! Now, Lord, take my life, for I am no better than my fathers!”

 Then as he lay and slept under a broom tree, suddenly an angel touched him, and said to him, “Arise and eat.”  Then he looked, and there by his head was a cake baked on coals, and a jar of water. So he ate and drank, and lay down again. And the angel of the Lord came back the second time, and touched him, and said, “Arise and eat, because the journey is too great for you.”  So he arose, and ate and drank; and he went in the strength of that food forty days and forty nights as far as Horeb, the mountain of God.1Kings 19:1-8

Elijah was bold and courageous when he fought the prophets of Baal. He had a momentary success as a prophet of God until he heard Jezebel’s dissatisfaction and anger towards him. She vowed to kill him for killing her prophets. This caused great fear in Elijah’s heart to the point of fleeing town and leaving his servant behind.  The very courageous and fearless prophet ran away from Jezebel’s fury! He was bold as a lion in one moment, and in another moment he saw himself as small as a grasshopper! 

The truth is that all of us can experience this contradiction in life. We can be bold, strong, and courageous in one moment, and a few hours or few days later become fearful or anxious about a situation. Those are the moments that remind us that without Him we do nothing! While God can use us in mighty ways, we are always dependent on His mercy, grace, and protection to carry us through life.

In his bout of fear and anxiety, God graciously fed Elijah with water and cake. This lasted for forty days and nights. It’s important to notice what God did and did not do for Elijah in this period of time:

  1. An angel was dispatched on Elijah’s behalf showing that the Lord was with him.

  2. The Lord provided for him in his moment of distress and anxiety with food and water without rebuking him. 

  3. God was quiet about Elijah’s situation for forty days.

When we are going through times of stress or weariness, God provides for us what we need. While we may feel weak or anxious, the Lord does not necessarily rebuke us. At the same time, He does not solve our problem right away. He shows that He cares about us without rescuing us out of the situation. 

God had already provided for Elijah in a miraculous way by feeding him for forty days, but Elijah was too focused on his pain and perplexity to see and appreciate God’s hand in his life. Now Elijah was about to experience a major breakthrough!

I will continue with this subject in the next devotional.

 

Being Weary (Part VI)

You therefore, my son, be strong in the grace that is in Christ Jesus.  And the things that you have heard from me among many witnesses, commit these to faithful men who will be able to teach others also.  You therefore must endure hardship as a good soldier of Jesus Christ.  No one engaged in warfare entangles himself with the affairs of this life, that he may please him who enlisted him as a soldier.  And also if anyone competes in athletics, he is not crowned unless he competes according to the rules. The hardworking farmer must be first to partake of the crops.  Consider what I say, and may the Lord give you understanding in all things. 2Timothy 2:1-7

The Lord gives His children the grace to remain strong in the midst of weariness. Paul gave Timothy the analogies of a solider, an athlete, and a farmer in explaining our spiritual endurance. While those roles are very different, one thing that is similar in all of them is that they all must finish their assignment or it doesn’t count. 

A soldier leaves the comfort of his/her home and family to go to unknown places and fight in battles with no guarantee of success. That’s hard work and many times the conditions are very tough. While things may get difficult at times, they have to get back on their feet and go out there and fight again. They have to endure day after day and month and after month until their assignment is finished. Sometimes they may feel like it will never end, but their family is cheering them on and praying for them. They all have the hope and expectation that when the assignment is complete they can embrace their loved one again.

An athlete has worked for months and years to compete, but all the training does not count until he/she finishes the race and does a good job in the process. He/she does not have the time to complain, quit, or feel his/her exhaustion. It must be done, and it must be done with everything that is in them.

A farmer has worked for months and possibly years for that good crop to come forth. Regardless of the season, he/she must go out there and tend the ground and face the elements. They have control over the weather system or pests that could ruin the crop. There is no guarantee that the storms won’t ruin their crop. Nevertheless, it is part of the job to spend time and energy with the hope that they will have good crop. They need to give their best until such a time that the crop is harvested. 

At the end of the above passage, Paul prays that we may have understanding of those things that he had just mentioned. In seasons of weariness, the Lord has revelation and understanding in store for us. Everything in life including being a solider, an athlete, and a farmer points to God. All of creation declares His glory and gives us a glimpse of His ways in our lives.

God is faithful, and “He is the rewarder of those who seek diligently Him” (See Hebrews 11:6b). He is our Father, commander, ruler, and provider. He has brought us this far, and He will not leave His children in the desert. His goal is to mature us in our love relationship with Him. He desires for our joy not to be dependent on whether we get our way or not. He has peace and joy available for us  in the midst of weariness.

The scripture tells us that “The joy of the Lord is our strength” (See Nehemiah 8:10b). When we feel down, we need to look up to the Lord’s face and experience His joy. When He is joyful, it gives us the strength and the assurance that it’s all going to be ok. The story is not over. He has more open doors, provision, blessings, and breakthroughs in store for us.  As we have sown faithfully, someday God will give us the increase!