Something to Eat and Drink

Reading 1 Kings 18:41-19:9. In 1 Kings 18:16-40, we read about a dramatic showdown between Elijah and the prophets of Baal. This portion of scripture (verse 41) starts with Elijah telling Ahab to go get something to eat and drink for I hear a mighty rainstorm is coming and Ahab immediately goes. It’s almost as though Ahab is displaying some faith, but it’s disappointing because Ahab sides with Jezebel. Elijah knew how and when to offer a sacrifice pleasing to God because Elijah spent time with the Lord and in the Torah. All the Prophets of Baal are killed just like the prophets of the Lord were executed. Now the story is full circle as Elijah is once again running and hiding because Jezebel wants him dead.

The rain is coming, but it doesn’t happen right away. There’s this time of prayer, consistency of prayer. Seven times he prayed and sent his assistant to look for the clouds. It's frustrating when you give everything you have and then you look and even when God shows up, it looks like it hasn't made a difference because people's hearts are so hard. Despite how great of a prophet and how much confidence Elijah had in God and how fervently he prayed, he still found himself discouraged in his circumstances. And what I love about this story is he's not rebuked because of it. He's comforted. God shows up and feeds him, gives him strength. Why does God call us into all these things that are beyond us? So that we will draw close to Him. So that we will learn to rely on God. So that we will learn that God is good, that we will learn, we can trust God to carry us through all these things. We have to remind ourselves that God is the common denominator in every victory of our life. God is the one who strengthens us to go through it. But we must pick up our feet and go. God gives us strength because He has a journey ahead of us.