Faith, Obedience, Provision...

1 Kings 17:1  "Now Elijah the Tishbite, who was of the settlers of Gilead, said to Ahab, 'As the LORD, the God of Israel lives, before whom I stand, surely there shall be neither dew nor rain these years, except by my word.'"

1 Kings 17:2-4  "The word of the LORD came to him, saying, 'Go away from here and turn eastward, and hide yourself by the brook Cherith, which is east of the Jordan.  It shall be that you will drink of the brook, and I have commanded the ravens to provide for you there.'"

1 Kings 17:8-9  "Then the word of the LORD came to him, saying, 'Arise, go to Zarephath, which belongs to Sidon, and stay there; behold, I have commanded a widow there to provide for you.'"

1 Kings 17:13-16 "Then Elijah said to her, 'Do not fear; go, do as you have said, but make me a little bread cake from it first and bring it out to me, and afterward you may make one for yourself and for your son.  For thus says the LORD God of Israel, 'The bowl of flour shall not be exhausted, nor shall the jar of oil be empty, until the day that the LORD sends rain on the face of the earth.'"  So she went and did according to the word of Elijah, and she and he and her household ate for many days.  The bowl of flour was not exhausted nor did the jar of oil become empty, according to the word of the LORD which He spoke through Elijah."

Matthew 6:33  "Seek first the kingdom of God, and all these things shall be added to you."

Have you ever been at the end of your rope, your resources exhausted, your hope having nearly faded away?  To say the least, it's a frightening, uncomfortable place to be.  It can also be a place of great blessing and renewed faith.

I was reading about Elijah this morning.  He appears abruptly in 1 Kings 17 and makes a startling proclamation to Ahab, the most degenerate, evil king Israel would ever have.  He proclaimed an impending draught (and subsequent famine) that would last years.  Then he left town.

Over the next few years Elijah's faith was tested to the breaking point;  he became so discouraged that he just wanted to die.  Have you been there?

God's commands sometimes don't make sense.  He told Elijah to go to a stream in the desert where some ravens would bring him food twice a day.  Then, when the stream dried up, he sent him to a poor widow who was about to starve to death, and said she would feed him.  Elijah found the widow preparing her last meal and asked her to feed him first.

Each time, as Elijah, and then the woman, trusted God's word and obeyed, God miraculously provided for them.  In faith they ignored common sense and did what God said to do, and He kept His promise.

Oh, how that encourages me!  Even though I have experienced the truth of these words many times over the years, I need to hear them again.  Every time I encounter a similar situation, it feels like its the first time.  The Enemy tries to get me so focused on the present crisis that I don't remember His faithfulness in times past.  Fortunately, the Holy Spirit gently brings to mind those previous experiences and uses them to strengthen my faith enough to trust my Father today.

Dear Lord, thank You for telling me about people like Elijah and the desperate widow of Zarephath.  Thank You for using them to renew and strengthen my faith.  Please, Holy Spirit, keep reminding me of the Father's faithfulness in my life; keep me ever thankful and trusting.  Help me to follow You today, one step at a time.  Amen

It's a matter of heart...

1 Samuel 16:7  "But the LORD said to Samuel, "Do not look at his appearance or at the height of his stature, because I have rejected him; for God sees not as man sees, for man looks at the outward appearance, but the LORD looks at the heart."

Acts 13:22 "After He had removed him, He raised up David to be their king, concerning whom He also testified and said, 'I HAVE FOUND DAVID the son of Jesse, A MAN AFTER MY HEART, who will do all My will.'"

1 Kings 15:5 "...because David did what was right in the sight of the LORD, and had not turned aside from anything that He commanded him all the days of his life, except in the case of Uriah the Hittite."

1 Kings 9:4 "As for you, if you will walk before Me as your father David walked, in integrity of heart and uprightness, doing according to all that I have commanded you and will keep My statutes and My ordinances..."

Lately I've been spending time in the Old Testament, reading through Samuel, Kings and Chronicles.  In all six of those books, one name stands out among all others... David.  The second of Israel's kings, he is the standard against which all who follow are measured.  They either walked in the way of David or they didn't.

What was it about David that set him apart, that caused God to esteem him so highly?  It was his heart.  From his youth through his old age, David loved God wholeheartedly.  His heart revealed humility, dependence, and trust; it produced obedience, courage, and faithfulness.

I was encouraged by the description in 1 Kings 15:5 where David's life was summed up as one of integrity of heart, uprightness, and consistent obedience.  The only sin mentioned was his murder of Uriah.  But that wasn't David's only misstep.  As I read about his reign, there are numerous times when he doesn't get it right, when he acts presumptuously and is disciplined by The Lord. Yet, in his description of David, God seems to overlook them.

What was it about David's heart that set him apart from all others?  I believe it was tenderness.  Yes, David sinned.  But when his sin was revealed, he was heart-broken and repentant.  Just read Psalm 51 and you'll see.  It was that tenderness and transparency before God that kept David's relationship with Him strong and vibrant.

How that encourages me!  David's life is a living testimony to the truth of 1 John 1:9 "If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness."

When The Lord summarizes my life, I hope He will say that I walked in the way of David, in integrity of heart and uprightness.  It's all a matter of heart!

Lord, I am so grateful that you have given me a new heart, one whose sole purpose is to honor You.  Please, Holy Spirit, protect my heart today from anything that would distract me from that goal.  Help me to listen carefully for Your voice, to discern it from all of the others that vie for my attention.  I want to be a "man after God's heart."  Amen.