From the archives!

I Kings 18 - 19 . . . . .Elijah is a favorite of mine . . . . We’re reading through these chapters in our daily readings right now. Yesterday as the story of Elijah’s GREAT defeat of the prophets of Baal. Some of my favorite descriptions: I Kings 18:7-15 (Obadiah meets Elijah and immediately falls down,, knowing Elijah’s walk with the Lord. Elijah asks him to tell Ahab he wants to meet, Obadiah fears Elijah will run, thus fears for his life, Elijah lives up to his word) & I Kings 18:18-40 (Elijah challenges 450 prophets of Baal and God WINS!). As awesome as story is, with all its idiosyncrasies and wonderful imagery and play on words . . . .it’s in the next chapter God spoke to me today . . . . .

After this great victory, Ahab returns to relay it to his queen, Jezebel, who becomes angry, worried, and threatens to kill Elijah, as she has his counterparts. Elijah runs . . . .Now I have to ask, “God’s just made His presence known in ONE of the mightiest ways of Biblical record . . . . why does Elijah fear?” Not only does he fear and run, this is his prayer: “I have had enough! Lord, take my life, for I’m no better than my fathers.” Elijah had given up . . . . he had done all God had called him to do, God had been faithful to him, but still he suffered personal loss . . . . left alone, fearful, and thinking he was all alone . . . . . NO ONE but him left in all the land that had not knelt to a foreign god.

It would be easy here to chide the man, Elijah, to mock him, to scold, or even to learn a valuable lesson by talking about the passage that follows this . . . .God’s 7000 more who’d NOT kiss the Baals! However, I have to ask of myself and you, when have each of us NOT felt as Elijah does here - all alone in our walk with Christ . . . . sometimes daily?!?!?!?! I know I have. I would think this is very common . . .I mean, sometimes our Father asks some very peculiar things of us . . . . things that sometimes even fellow believers don’t understand.

However, think of similar stories through Scripture and in your own life . . . . . as many times as God calls us to do or say something that in our minds seemingly isolates us and more, He also provides not only the victory, but also the presence of associates, help-mates, comrades, if you will . . . . even from the beginning . . . . .God provided Adam (who really was all alone!) with an Eve!

Acts 1:8 uses a very specific language about His provision for us, Christians, paraletos - one who is called ALONGSIDE to help . . . . . . . SO, know, as Christians, we are never alone and, as people, God will provide a paraletos, if you ask!