93 of 365 - Elijah

Now Elijah the Tishbite, of Tishbe in Gilead, said to Ahab, “As the Lord, the God of Israel, lives, before whom I stand, there shall be neither dew nor rain these years, except by my word.”  And the word of the Lord came to him: “Depart from here and turn eastward and hide yourself by the brook Cherith, which is east of the Jordan. You shall drink from the brook, and I have commanded the ravens to feed you there.” So he went and did according to the word of the Lord. He went and lived by the brook Cherith that is east of the Jordan. 1 Kings 17:1-5
 
The Israelites in the Northern Kingdom find themselves under the rule of a series of very evil and corrupt kings. King Ahab was the seventh such king and he was married to an even more wicked woman, Jezebel, who insists on the worship of false gods and corrupt practices. The state of the Northern Kingdom of Israel is a mess! The primary god they worship is Baal, and in a time where agricultural success meant survival, the people believed Baal controlled the rain.
 
Enter Elijah. The life of a prophet isn’t an easy one. God uses prophets to not only speak His words but also often to display them through their lives and actions.
 
At God’s direction, Elijah goes to the evil king and declares there will be no rain until he says so…fighting and threatening words for a society that lives and dies by the rain. And so it begins…a long and disastrous drought. But God is with Elijah, providing for his needs in the desolate place he withdraws to. God is working to show Israel that He is the only one who can be trusted to provide for them, even when it comes to the rain.
 
How often do we look to other things to put our hope in for what we want and need…current day cultural idols like Baal to provide for us? God wants us to always put our hope in Him alone. He is above all things and He won’t share His throne.
 
Question: What things do you turn to or put your hope in for security or meaning besides God? Pray for God to reveal idols in your life.